Frische Luft

"Frische Luft" is German for, get this, Fresh Air. But it has so much more meaning here in Germany. That's because most Germans have a die-hard belief that opening a window to let in the air is essential to good health. In summer, this is fine. But somehow, no one ever told the Germans that opening a window in December in the middle of an ice storm is not quite as healthy...In my own home, this is understood. Anyone who even thinks about cracking a window when it's cold out gets a frying pan over the head. Very effective. But in my office, I have no such freedom to punish. I share an office with 3 other people (lovely people, for the most part), but occasionally, the urge for Frische Luft overtakes them, and they fling the window wide open. Ignoring my pleas, protests, and the hint of my putting my coat, scarf and hat on, they blissfully say "oh, just for a few minutes". Sigh.

On the political front, I'm very please with Kanzlerin Angie. She seems to have single-handedly whipped the EU leaders into shape, and convinced them to get the budget thingy done. And she's become the most popular politician in Germany, astounding those who thought that the botched election totally ruined her chances for success. Take that!

I'll be spending a quiet Christmas here in Germany. I need to make sure all the shopping is done, because everything will be shut from Friday night till Tuesday morning. I keep forgetting that they have this 2nd Christmas Day (the 26th), because we don't have that in the states. Anyway, I'm also getting ready for my next trip to Scotland - for New Years, or "hogmanay", as they call it. I have no idea what this entails, and I'm a bit nervous to find out...but hey.

And last, but not least, I have to have a politcal rant against Bill OReilly (or whatever his name is), and the whole "war on Christmas" thing. Sorry, he's just an embarassment to anyone who calls themselves a Christian. I don't know how God feels about "Happy Holidays", but I can imagine that there are a few other things in the world right now that concern him more. Look, if you prefer "Merry Christmas", fine. But back it up by actually acting like a Christian. Donate time and or money to charity. Help your neighbor. Pray for your enemy (there's a new concept - oh, wait, it's in the Bible...). Don't lie, cheat or steal (that's in the Bible too, folks). Mr. OReilly, I get the distinct feeling that, in spite or your religious polemics, you are not really living the life of a disciple of Jesus. When you start, then maybe I'll listen. Ok, rant over. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Fröhliches Fest!

There and Back Again

I just got back from my conference in San Francisco. On the way over, I did get to fly business class, but didn't have enough miles for the return trip, so ended up in economy "plus" (that's where you get 5 more inches of leg room). Anyway, business class on a 12 hour flight was lovely. Great service, but more than anything, the roominess!! I could stand up right in front of my seat and stretch, without disturbing anyone. Fantastic! The only down-side: the woman next to me was a total racist. I was shocked, because she was from SF, and I've never met anyone from there who wasn't totally tolerant of other cultures. SF is a huge melting pot, after all, which is why I love it! But this woman kept talking about horrible "foreigners" in the US, and how she like to go to Scandinavia because they were "uncontaminated". I was so disgusted. I managed to shut her up by mentioning my various non-caucasian former boyfriends, and the fact that I was half Jewish, etc...

Now I'm finally back in Germany, and am not going anywhere (thank goodness!) until New Years, when I shall go to Scotland again and brave driving on the left-hand side of the road. No real German news to speak of - Merkel seems to be handling life as chancellor well. It's cold, but then it's December, so one would expect that, wouldn't one? Ah, I have an issue...Heating!! See, I have these grate-type heaters in my apartment, which means that it takes forever to heat up the whole room. I seem to spend my life at home curled up around hot water bottles. Where is central heating in this country???

Well, central heating or no, Christmas time in Deutschland is very cool. You know, Christmas markets and all that. But I'll save that for the next blog, because I'm still massively jet lagged, and I'm going to sleep :-)

Long Haul Flights (and Happy Thanksgiving)

I just got back from a lovely visit to my family in the western USA. Great trip. The only downside is the 22-odd hours I have to spend in airplanes/airports to travel from Hamburg to Las Vegas. We all know the drill - having to get to the airport 3 hours early, going through a dozen security checks (why I still wear shoes that are hard to remove is beyond me...), fighting over overhead bin space. But the absolute worst is being crammed into economy class seats for hours and hours. I know all sorts of "airplane pilates" exercises that really do help. But the problem is that they all look ridiculous. Pride versus comfort. Pride always seems to win (same concept for wearing 3-inch spike heels). And then there are the bathrooms. Usually 4 of them for, what, 200+ passengers? Let's just say that after 9 hours, those places are hazardous waste areas.

The reason I'm still dwelling on these long flights is that I'm off AGAIN to the US - California this time - for a business trip. Found out very suddenly, and am quite happy to attend the conference. But, like most companys do these days, I got booked economy. At least the heads of my company also fly economy, but that's little comfort during the 12 hour stretch from Frankfurt to San Francisco. BUT, I have about 40,000 frequent flyer miles, so I applied for an upgrade to business class. I'm "waitlisted". Which means that I probably won't get it, but I might! Just might! Oh, the joy of being able to stretch out a little bit, and to use the "forbidden" business class bathrooms!!!

German news: Angie is Frau Chancellor!!!! This makes me very happy.

Happy Thanksgiving, all! It's the holiday that I miss most over here. Meeting with family, eating turkey, watching 2 football games...and then getting a good nights sleep to prepare onesself for Black Friday, the first official day of the holiday shopping season. If you've never lined up at Best Buy at 5:00 in the morning, you haven't lived. Sigh...and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is starting as I write this!

Long-Term Resident of Germany

I did it!I was able to get my Nierderlassungserlaubnis last Tuesday. That's basically my permanent residence status. I'm actually eligible for citizenship, but it seems to legal ramifications of proving that my German father was really my father (sigh) are too complicated for me at the moment. So I've gone this route. What do I get out of this? Well, I can't be kicked out of Germany, unless I commit a major felony. Also, I can now work anywhere in Germany without having to get a separate work permit. And, thanks to some new EU regulations, I can work anywhere in the EU (except, sadly, the UK, Ireland and Denmark).

Going to the Auslaenderamt was actually relatively painless. The only down note was the receptionist. My appointment was at 8:00 sharp, and the office don't open til 8:00 - but I thought I could go to the waiting room. No. Evidently, all of us undesirables are kept waiting in the drafty and cold lobby until exactly 8:00. The receptionist took an untoward amount of glee at barking "Nein! Acht Uhr! Acht Uhr!" to all of us hopefuls. When, oh when, will these people learn to say "please"? Luckily, the clerk processing my request was quite nice. And I bonded with a lady from Ghana who was having trouble filling out her paperwork (I'm an old pro). The only other surprise was the 85€ fee for the permit, but now I think back on it, that's not bad.

Why should it be so important for me to stay in Germany? I'm trying to figure that one out myself. Will keep you posted.

I fly back to America on Saturday, for two weeks. Am looking forward to seeing my old friends and spending time with my family and visiting the sister church to the one I go to here in Hamburg. Oh, and seeing Harry Potter IV, since it comes out while I'm in the states!

The Auslaenderamt cometh...

In two days, I have to make the scary journey to the Auslaenderamt (foreigners office) to get my residence permit renewed. This actually should be pretty straightforward, but I'm totally terrified that 1) I will forget some vitally important document or 2) the the "beamter" (civil server) processing my request will be in a bad mood. Both of these things could jeopardize the whole process! Normally, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but I'm flying to the US on Saturday, and I NEED that permit to get back into the country!

And, argh, argh, argh! My team, the Cleveland Browns, just lost to the WORST team in the national football league! They are now 2-5. Sorrow reigns in the Dawg Pound (if you're from Cleveland, you understand me...)

And ah, yes, the time change. Since Hamburg is so doggone far north, with the time change, it gets dark here at 5:00pm now. It'll be closer to 4:00pm at around mid-winter. Time for solarium breaks to get some much needed vitamin D, since I won't really see the sun until March.

And, ummm, let's see, I need to start making my packing list for my trip. Lots of chocolate for all my friends and relatives. Clothes. Ipod and cell phone chargers. The biggest headache is packing for the, oh, 20 hour journey between my door in Hamburg, and my mom's door in Las Vegas. Books, noise-cancelling headphones, makeup (so I don't frighten people when I get off the plane), eye mask, inflatable neck pillow (looks ridiculous, but aids in getting some sleep), snacks for the US-leg of the journey, where they don't provide any food...Ah, nothing like transatlantic economy class.

That's it. Sorry, I'm still really grumpy about Cleveland losing...Ta

US Consulate Conquered!

..by me, that is. I managed to get into fortress US Consulate in Hamburg this morning, to get extra pages added to my passport. It was a feat, let me tell you. First, I went by yesterday evening to scope out the land. The whole building is surrounded by barriers and gates, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get to the front entrance. It seemed that there was no opening in the barriers at all. But, after a good, strong cup of coffee this morning, and a prayer, I headed back to try to get in. I found that during opening hours, some of the barriers are moved, so I saw a clear path to the armed guards. Trying to look as little like a terrorist as possible, I walked up to them. Showed my passport, explained my business - and the Uzi holders let me through. Whew! Then, of course, one trots about 400 meters to a enclosed security screening center. There, you go through an exact replica of airport security: the bag and coat had to go through the x-ray machine, and I had to take my shoes off, because they set off the alarm. Plus, I had to turn in my mobile phone, because it had a camera. So...walked into the actual consulate, found the correct room, and in 5 minutes, my passport had extra pages. I cheerfully saluted the picture of GWBush hanging in the foyer, got my phone back, smiled and waved to the guards, and sauntered off to work. Mission accomplished!

I must say, though, the whole thing reflects the broader picture of trying to get into the US itself - really irritating, with lots of overkill, but once you're in, everyone is nice! At the consulate, it was a pleasure dealing with people who understand customer service. It was even 5 minutes before the actual opening time of the passport office, but people were smiling and ready to help anyway. This does not happen in German Aemter (official offices). I make my trek to the Auslaenderbehoerde (immigration office) get my residence permit extended on November 1. Will let everyone know how that goes!

American Football (Go Browns!)

I just have to write a quick post about this. It's Sunday night here in Germany, and I'm doing my usual, glancing at the live NFL scoreboard online, as I go about my business. This always makes me a bit sad, because I LOVE American Football, and not being able to watch live games is one of the hardest things for me! See, even though I'm a girl, and a girly girl at that, I've been hooked on the sport as long as I can remember. I think it comes from being born in Cleveland, Ohio (ergo, Cleveland Browns!). Everyone from Cleveland, old or young, male or female, is a football fan. I've heard it comes from drinking the water there...

Actually, I do have recourse to live football - the Armed Forces Network, which is the US army in Europe's radio station, broadcasts the games on AM 870. Unfortunately, the reception isn't very good, and also the time difference is a problem. Games start at either 13:00 or 16:00 eastern time, which is 19:00 and 22:00, respectively. The earlier games are ok, but the later games can go till 02:00. If I stay up and listen, then I'm tired and grumpy at work the next day - not good.

Aargh, and right now, it's Baltimore Ravens 16, Cleveland Browns 3! Yikes, it's the final score! Waaaaaahhhh! Ok, there's always next week...

Fiddling with Blog

Well, I just changed the template for this blog to blue. But by the time you read this, it might be changed again. I was reading my friend Wendy's blog, and mine just looked mighty sterile in comparison. Too much like a resume or something... Aaaand (ta da!) a picture of me is finally up. Let's face it, I will never be accused of being a geek. It took my poor history-major brain quite a while to figure out how on earth to post photos.

I suppose I should write about some Germany stuff. Haven't made it to the consulate yet (see previous entry...). Oh, yes, of course - I'm going to see the new Wallace and Gromit movie on Sunday, in English. Now, what will happen is that the audience will be filled with a smattering of English-speaking expats, but mainly will be filled with Germans eager to show that they can appreciate British humor in it's original language. The problem is that, even when they understand the humor, they don't laugh very loud. Unfortunately, we Americans do. It's ingrained, can't do nothin' about it. So, for the entire movie, the 4 or 5 Amis in the audience will be laughing uproriously and obnoxiously, and the Germans will spend the entire movie huffing indignantly at the loud Americans. I've even had the people in front of me move (after glaring at me significantly), because I was laughing too loud. I promise it's not just me! I can HEAR the other Amis. I swear I'm not the only obnoxious one, really!

At least the weather here is pleasant. Brisk but sunny autumn days, the leaves just beginning to fall.

Zollamt and the US fortress

When I was last in the US, I mailed a box of my books to my Hamburg address. This was in the middle of July, I think. I sent them by the slow boat, but I didn't expect it to take almost 3 months! Well, evidently, my books have been on German soil for some time, because the authorities were (somehow) convinced that this was my sneaky way of importing valuable English books to be sold on the black market here for great profit. Or something. I duly received a note from the Zollamt (customs office), to present myself to them with every form of identification that I possess. Plus 2 copies of a detailed Rechnung in der deutsche Sprache (receipt in German) - which, of course, I didn't have, because I didn't buy the things in the first place! Ok, I get there, and they summon me sternly to the desk, and dump my now very beat up box of books on the counter. I was ordered to open said box, so that they could inspect the contents. I did, and once they saw the dilapidated collection of old Agatha Christie novels, etc., they promptly said, basically, take it and go! Of course, the box was way to heavy for me, so I had to call a taxi to get me and the books home.

My next travail will be going to the US consulate in Hamburg to get additional pages added to my passport. This in itself should be painless. But how do I get into the building?? You see, like every American consulate and embassy, the one in Hamburg is surrounded by concrete barricades and very grumpy guards with Uzis. I've been past the consulate many times, but I have never once seen anything resembling an official entrance. So I'm imagining myself surreptitiously circling the place, trying to find said entrance. And also imagining getting shot for my pains.

Just found out that a good friend of mine in Berlin has got the possibility of a job in London (she's British). I'm sad that she's leaving Germany, but now I have someone to visit for shopping trips to my favorite city!! I'm trying my best not to be jealous. One of my dreams is to live in the UK some day - in a cute 19th century cottage that I can't possibly afford at the moment.

Oh, and we have a Kanzlerin!!!! Way ta go, Angie!

Beebon - the story

Obviously, my real name is not Beebon. And, in the interests of - well, I don't know what, maybe national security(?) - I'm not going to TELL my real name! But huge numbers of people on two continents call my only be this nickname: Beebon. Now, this is not the most melifluous nickname (did I spell that right?). But, like most nicknames, I didn't choose the thing. What happened is this: a loooong time ago, my friend's 2-year old son decided that, since he couldn't quite pronounce my real name, "Beebon" would do just fine. This child's mother thought it was cute (sigh), and started calling me that. Then all our mutual friends picked up on it, including my best friend. Well, this said best friend moved to Germany, and I followed 2 years later. She had a large group of friends there through our church, and soon all these people were calling me Beebon. As a matter of fact, rumor has it that my friends husband thought that it was my real name! Yikes! And to my friend's new son, I'm "Auntie Beebon". The saga continues...

Why am I even writing this? Because I've spent the past several hours at work editing a 130-page document that was written by a German national, filled with "Genglish", and I can't take it anymore!! Needed a break, so adding an entry to my blog is just the thing. Ok, whew, I feel better. I switched my iPod from Franz Ferdinand to Norah Jones, just to calm down. (BTW, I still love my nano, scratches and all. I consider them battle scars!).

I managed to get a nasty cold this week (probably from my Ryanair flight to Scotland), and let me tell you, I am soooo grateful that Scotland allows the sale of over-the-counter cold medicine. There I was, at Glasgow Prestwick at 5:00am, standing in line at the store with an armload of cough syrup, throat lozenges, and Nyquil. The stuff saved my life this week! You can't buy this stuff in Germany without a prescription, and while I can understand the concept, I wish people would also understand that, when I'm sick, the last thing I want to do is haul myself to the doctor's, wait 2 hours for a diagnosis of "cold", get my prescription, then haul myself to a pharmacy. There are herbal rememdies available, some of which are quite good (I've become addicted to chamomile tea), but when I'm really sick, I want drugs!

Still no news on the Chancellor of Germany front...Pleeeeeaaase let it be Merkel, God!

Oh, just had to add this: I just did a spell check on this blog, and it tried to change Beebon to Baboon. No comments, please.

Haggis, and all things Scottish

Just got back from my first trip to Scotland! I went on a church retreat to an area called the Trossachs, and we stayed in a darling little backpackers hostel close to a town called Callander. It was fantastic, I met a lot of great people from sister churches in Scotland, and yes, I ate haggis. I'm a pretty picky eater, and if I haven't eaten something before, chances are that I won't touch it. But since this was a special Scottish dinner, I thought, well it won't kill me (hopefully). What is haggis, you ask? Well, it's basically sheep's, heart, liver, and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for several hours. One tries to forget this before one actually eats it...We also had a ceilidh, which is traditional Scottish dancing. It's a lot like American square dancing, and a ton of fun, even though many of us didn't have a clue what we were doing, and kept running into each other!

The Trossachs are absolutely gorgeous! We went on a steamboat cruise of Loch Katrina, which was amazing. And I got a photo of a real Scottish bagpiper! After the retreat, I went with my friend Wendy back to Edinburgh, and saw some of the sights. I got to go to a Starbucks that has got to have the best view of any Starbucks ever - you look right up at Edinburgh castle. Wow! I didn't get to see as much as I wanted to, thanks to time constraints and a sprained ankle (thanks to the ceilidh). Hopefully I can come back for a better look! I then hauled myself out the door at 3:00am the next morning, in order to drive to the airport 75 miles away. That was an experience. At least I had the road to myself, which is good, since I am not accustomed to driving on the left. All in all, I though Scotland was fantastic, and the people are soooo friendly!

Back in Germany, we still don't have a chancellor/chancellorette. I'm curious to see how this will play out, and whether the president will call for new elections, or who will win the fight to lead a possible grand coalition. Ach ja...

Germany Decides

I love how CNN covers elections. No matter what country they're talking about, it's always "[country] Decides" as the title of their in-depth coverage. Ok, so anyway now it's Deutschland's turn. So far I've taken great delight in telling flyer-hander-outers for the various political partys that "Ich darf nicht waehlen, bin Auslaender!" - meaning, can't vote, I'm a foreigner. At least I don't have a collection of leaflets cluttering my already too cluttered apartment.

BUT if I could vote, I would go for Angie - that's Angela Merkel, head of the CDU. Two main reasons: 1) she's a woman. Germany is a country that is ruled "by men, for men" (a line I got from Spiegel.de). Even in this day and age, women are somehow supposed to graduate from college, then go straight to being housewives and mothers. A working mother is called a "Rabenmutter", which is not complimentary, I assure you. In other words, they're about 40 years behind everyone else in northern Europe. Even France is more sensible! So, we need a woman as head of state - especially one like Angie, who has her PhD in some scary science field, and has been divorced. Let's hear it for reality.

2) The CDU/FDP platform is a lot more awake to the economic realities of globalization than the SPD and the Left Party. We can't afford our social system. Jobs will head out to cheaper countries whether we like it or not. The population is ageing. These things are true no matter what your political tendencies are. The answers are harsh, and there is a bit of "survival of the fittest" involved - but we can no longer hide from China and India. People there are willing to work much harder for less. (Suggested reading, Thomas Friedman, who has a lot to say on this subject). The answer for expensive, developed countries is innovation - and that is an attribute that Germany, scarily, lacks. (see this article from the Guardian online). Now why does all this rigmarole concern me? Because my taxes are too dang high. And looking to get higher if any leftists keep power. Believe me, I'm not a huge fan of wild west capitalism. But enough is enough! Get government spending under control, get some flexibility in the job market, and let me take some of the money I earn home!!!!

BTW, I got my iPod nano. LOVE IT!!!! It's way too cute for words, but it works great too! Am now listening to John Coltrane, had Don Giovanni excerpts on earlier. Think maybe I'll add some Kanye West to the mix, just to change things up a bit. Of course, it's got those "mug-me" white headphones, but that doesn't seem to be a big problem in Germany. At least I hope not.

Oh, and I'm going to Scotland in 2 weeks!! I'll be going on a church retreat in the area of Loch Lomand. I'll be flying Ryanair (let's hear it for discount airlines), and I will be renting a car. Second time to drive on the left. Watch out!

Giving in to social pressure

I rarely do this - really. But I saw the new ipod nano, and had to have it! I already have a 512MB flash player, but the only thing I really like about it is the radio. Anyway, I've always considered my self above the mass inclinations of our consumer society - but, God, this thing just looked so cool! So I bought it. In black. With "Beebon" etched on the back. Two mitigating factors, though. I get a 10% discount on apple products through my company, and I bought the cheapest one, the 2GB-er.

Actually, this is just plain retail therapy to combat some major stresses in my life. And since I'm on a diet, pizza and a tub of ice cream is out. So retail it is...Though going to church helps, but that's only once a week. But wait! My church has sermons on mp3, so I'm actually being spiritual by buying this thing (of course, I could listen to them on my old player, but only a few fit at a time, 'cause they're about an hour long).

On a totally different note, just found out that my half-brother has Alzheimers disease. I'm totally shocked. He's much older than I am, more like an uncle, so we've never been super close. But it's really upsetting to me. I'll find out more when I talk to my niece (his daughter) this weekend. A lot of my family members have developed serious diseases as they get older, so it seems that my own dreams of dying in bed at age 102 are just not going to happen. Well, I guess that's why it's important to learn to be happy in spite of your circumstances (think Philippians 4:12 in the Bible). Especially when I read about things like the 30 people found dead in a nursing home in New Orleans after the hurricane. I can't imagine...

Anyway, so I bought an ipod.

No Google entries - so do I exist?

Actually, to be frank, there are one or two Google results that mention me, and both are about 6 years old. There seems to be another person with my name who lives in Kaiserslautern, and is evidently much more important than I am, of the 210 results that my name pulled up, she had 208 of them...How embarrassing! These days, it seems that your relevance to this life is measured by how many Google entries you have. Of course, the upside to this is that if someone wants to track me down (with evil intent), and all they have is the internet, they'd have a pretty doggone hard time finding me!

I've been watching the news about Hurricane Katrina, and it's just heartbreaking. I saw an interview with this poor man who was devastated about losing his wife in the flood, and I just cried. There are so many people there who have lost everything, and who didn't have a lot to begin with. There isn't much I could do, except pray and donate money, which I did, to the Red Cross online. I would definitely recommend doing that, or giving to some other charity to help.

There isn't much German news here - except that three tenants have moved out of my apartment building this month. That's a bit unsettling...It's actually a nice apartment and building, but it's expensive and a bit noisy - we're on a pretty busy street. I really need to make some decisions about whether to stay or not, but moving house in Germany is an event. You have to give 3 months notice, then you have to renovate your apartment so that it's in perfect condition, in order to get your deposit back. That usually includes re-painting the walls. Then, you have to find a new place, which requires yet another deposit, plus a non-refundable fee that's usually 3 times the base rent. So, it requires a lot of gumption (plus some ready cash) to move - and for me probably isn't worth it until I can buy a place.

Oh yeah, the election is coming up soon - Angie versus Gerhard. God, I hope that the CDU party (Angie) wins. Maybe they'll lower my tax burden! But that's a topic for another blog...

Terror Attack in Hamburg!

Ok, at last a possible terror attack. Evidently, an Egyptian man overheard 3 men speaking Arabic at a bus stop, including the statement "Tomorrow we will stand as heroes before Allah". This caused a massive manhunt for the men, plus (unusually for Germany) tons of armed policemen wandering the subway stations.

I was on a bus going home from work, and I was surprised to see that the driver was pretty much using racial profiling to decide who could get on his bus unquestioned, and who couldn't. Normally the bus I take has a lot of people of Turkish or Arabic origin, but today there were none. Found out that the bus drivers were instructed to be careful. I'm not sure how to feel about that. I really don't like the way foreigners can be treated here in Germany, especially those who look foreign, i.e., people who aren't white, and I don't like racial profiling. On the other hand, if it stops someone from bombing my bus or subway train, well...

Ever since the Madrid bombings, I've tried to be vigilant while taking public transportation. Unlike in the US, many more people of all walks of life take the trains, etc. Mainly because driving and parking can be such a hassle. Lots of people who own cars still take the train to work, for just that reason. So it's a part of our lives, and when train bombings such as in Madrid and London happen, it affects us in a very personal way - that could be us! It's a bit creepy, especially since the fact is, it's way too difficult to prevent something like that happening - unless one sets up airport-style metal detectors at every train and bus stop!

Back to the issue of foreigners, I really think that it's not only the US war in Iraq that is causing problems here in Europe. Like I said above, foreigners can be treated like second class citizens. And even people who have gained German citizenship are not considered German. You can have the passport, but unless you look German, you'll never be accepted as German. I have a friend who is half German and half Ghanaian. She was born and raised here, German is her first language, went to university and all that - and people still ask where she is from, and how she learned such good German. And then we wonder why the young men and women from other countries can get angry enough to blow us (in Europe) up. Start treating them with respect, stop the discrimination, and maybe they will want to be a part of Germany, instead of wanting to destroy it. It's even legal here to not rent an apartment to someone because they are foreign or not white. Sheesh! Ok, enough of my ranting, gotta go buy a CD (Bryn Terfel, love his voice!)

Berlin, Berlin

Was back in Berlin this weekend for a wedding. It was in a very cute little church on the border between Berlin and Potsdam (the old DDR). Very nice. But HOT. I've complained before about how cold northern Germany can be in August - then we get a heat wave, and I complain some more. I guess my desert blood doesn't handle humidity any better than cold...

I love Berlin. It's my second favorite city in the world, after London. I lived there for 2 years, and I always like to go back and visit my old haunts. So on Sunday, I met a friend, and we went to the Wintergarten/Literaturhaus cafe on Fasananstr. We snagged the last 2 pieces of their fabulous cheesecake and had wonderful coffee. We talked about life, my old company (we were colleagues) and problems with men (as always). Found out some interesting things about a former boss. Let's just say that when middle-aged men go to Tailand for a business trip, and their main contact person is called "Mai", then we know what the business is, don't we...

Mourning my truck, and a friend's visit

I left my dear Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in the states when I moved to Germany. My mom has been using it since, but unfortunately she was involved in an accident last week - and my baby has been declared totalled. Best news is, of course, that mom is fine. But my baby!! Ah well...

Anyway, a friend of mine from New York is visiting me in Hamburg, so I'll go meet her and show her the town. Two obnoxious American girls on the loose! Watch out! Not to mention, hanging out with someone who knows the lyrics to Schoolhouse Rock songs (Gen X-ers, unite!!)

It's August, and the weather is fine?

No, actually, the weather is cold. I must admit, I have rather a skewed frame of reference, since I lived in the Nevada desert (Las Vegas) for 8 years. But really, I shouldn't have to wear a jacket in August! Not that I like it to be too hot, either. I hate humidity, and there's nothing worse than sharing an un-airconditioned subway train with 50 other sweaty communters. But some days where I didn't have to wear a jacket would be nice. And some sun - just an hour or so! It's a shame to waste longer daylight in the evenings (the sun doesn't set until 9:30 pm or so this time of year) with gray and clouds.

Though I must admit, I do like rain. After being in the desert for so long, I still tend to stare in wonder at the odd sight of water falling from the sky...

Good news: the people who lived below me in my building have moved! My joy has nothing to do with the aforesaid couple themselves - they were perfectly nice. It's mainly the fact that, since we all have creaky hardwood floors, they could hear just about every foot step. I know this because I can always hear the people above me stomping about. Anyway, until new people move in, I can run, stomp, dance, do aerobics, jumping jacks, whatever, without anyone knocking on my door and politely telling me to STOP! Yee haw!

Nordic Walking

I've started "nordic walking". I love it. It's basically exercise walking with ski poles. The poles have rubber bottoms, instead of spikes, and it looks a lot like cross-country skiing, without the snow. I've got a knee injury, so I can't run/jog for a while, so nordic walking is a good substitute. The problem? Pride. You see, nordic walking is perceived as the domain of middle-aged housewives. And seniors, but that's ok - it's kind of cool to see seniors zipping around paths with their poles. But I'm not a senior. And I'm not (yet) middle-aged. Now, no one has ever made fun of me or made any comments. But I feel like a fool, because I feel like I should be running - even though I know that my knee injury would just get worse if I did...

Speaking of exercise, Germans are the only ethnic group that I've run into who religiously stretch after each exercise at the gym. Back in the states, people just hop off the treadmill, or get up from the weight machine, and go to the next one. But not Germans. They read the instructions on whatever apparatus they're using, perform perfect sets of the exercise, then actually follow the stretching instructions pasted on the side of the machine. Incredible. I've even been yelled at for NOT doing that. By another member, not just staff. They also go all out to make sure they have the proper kit for outdoor exercises. I'm the only one out their with grubby sweats and a baseball cap!

German sports coverage

I was sick at home yesterday. So, I spend the day lying on my sofa watching TV. I have two English-language stations, CNN and BBC - but one gets tired of watching the same news over and over and over again... Plenty of German language stations, so I settled on Eurosport.

It's funny to watch sports from a different point of view. First, the sports shown are totally different from US sports coverage. Obviously, no baseball, basketball or football. Lots of soccer, as one would expect. But also lots of track and field, swimming, and especially cycling. They had full coverage of the Tour of Belgium cycling race. Americans may laugh at cycling (in spite of Lance), but it does become enthralling after awhile. And next weekend, Eurosport will have full coverage of the Track and Field world championships in Helsinki, Finland. Now, I like that, because I've always loved sports like that - which never even make it onto ESPN2. Actually, my favorite, favorite, favorite obscure sport is a winter sport: ski jumping! I've seen those ski jumping hills in person, and let me tell you, they are no joke! So I'm mightily impressed by these guys who flings themselves down these hill at top speed, fly into the air, and manage to land on their feet. I'm not the only one. The fact that Sven Hannawald, the top German ski jumper, decided to retire was front page news here!

Of course, the other difference is the focus on German or German speaking (Swiss, Austrian) athletes. Whenever there is no German in the final or whatever of an event, the announcers always apologize - Schade, daß keine Deutsche-sprachige dabei ist. I noticed this most during the Tour de France. They barely even acknowledged Lance, but I learned way more about the T-mobile and Gerolsteiner teams, and Jan Ullrich (the star German racer), than I ever wanted to! I guess it's a humbling sort of shock to realize that not everyone is focused on Americans all the time. People know who Lance is, of course - but no one hear has ever heard of Joe Montana or even (gasp) Terrel Owens. Maybe Babe Ruth - then again, maybe not. And you have to head to the Czech Republic for anyone to care about ice hockey.

OK, enough sports babbling...

Life as an American in Germany

Well, finally bit the bullet. A blog. This is more of an experiment, and I'm hoping no one actually reads this thing... But I do know that I want to write down my experiences here in Germany for posterity (or at least to bore my grandkids with, when I'm 90!)

Background: been in Germany for 5 years now, lived in Berlin, and now live in Hamburg. I'm not a student, nor am I in the military. I'm in Germany because my father was born here, and I've always wanted to live here. Dad was actually a German Jew. He lived through WWII, and stayed here until 1952. But inspite of the horrors that he went through, he never lost his love for the Vaterland - at least, the Vaterland that his family knew before Hitler. But I digress...

I work for an American firm here in Northern Germany, but most of my colleagues are real Germans (grin). My job involves mainly English speaking and writing, so my German is still famously bad for someone who's been here so long. But I do ok. I live in a cute and trendy part of town, with lots of the cafes and ambience that we Americans love so much.

I'm going to try to use this blog to report some of the interesting bits of living in a foreign country. For instance, I'm sure I'll have an entry on my attempt to get my unlimited residence permit. I'm technically allowed to have it after 5 years of residence - but don't forget, I'll be facing a bad tempered civil servant and the notorious German beauracracy.

So that's it for now. Am planning to walk home soon (love that about this city, very walkable).