Third Try's A Charm

Like the old saying goes, the third try's a charm!  Or in my case the third town.  I started off my German adventure in Gauting, then Starnberg, and now I am living in Munich.  I loved my time in Gauting and Starnberg because those were the times I got to experience Germany and it's German-ness to the fullest!  However, moving into the city has helped me pave my own path here and I am finally starting to feel like Munich is my home.  It's actually preeettyyy old news that I moved to Munich but as of May I've been living in a new (and incredibly awesome) apartment with my boyfriend and we LOVE it!  We have everything we need within walking distance and there are some really awesome places to run which helps me out tremendously with my marathon training! This morning I did an easy 5 miles along the Isar and even though it was raining I loved being out there with all of the other fitness nuts at 7am.  

People always tell me I'm crazy when I tell them I went for a run at 5am before going to work but it's my favorite way to start the day.  Plus, some of my favorite memories are when I've gone running in a new place.  The first snow fall in winter in Boston or running at the wildlife refuge where I volunteered in Australia and saying good morning to the Kangaroos and Emus before the sun came up.  I stumbled along the most awesome running trail during a road trip in Surfer's Paradise, Australia and mapped out my favorite routes in Sydney when I was getting my master's degree.  Trail runs at Sandy Hill Camp in Maryland and beach runs in Ocean City.  I used to admire the houses of the extremely wealthy along lake Starnberg and now I'm learning what Munich has to offer.  You really learn about a city or a town when you run through it and you learn a lot about yourself when you challenge yourself to run long distances.  So, while some people view the perfect morning as one where you get to sleep in as late as you want, my perfect morning involves lacing up my running shoes and logging some serious miles before breakfast. 

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." -Steve Prefontaine

 

APPROVED!....Welcome to your new life

A lot has changed since I last updated...in September 2011.  So, I guess it's old news that I'm not the best at keeping an up-to-date blog but here I am now.  Savor this post because the next one will probably come in July.  Anyway, after the excitement of Oktoberfest died down I headed home to the states for some family time...and let's be honest...for some turkey.  I hadn't missed a Thanksgiving in 24 years and I wasn't going to let 2011 be the first.  Plus, I hadn't seen my family since January and my heart was in need of a little home sweet home...and Pretzel and Magoo.

Yes, I'm aware of how nerdy it is to pose with your pets...and I'm okay with it.

 ...and Jade & Pippin.  :)

But before the Thanksgiving eating fest began Patrick and I set off on our three day Vegas adventure.  Las Vegas is basically Patrick's second home but I was still a Vegas virgin and had to see what all the fuss was about.  Let's just say three days was PLENTY.  Amazing trip and very little sleep but I can now officially say I've been to Vegas.  

 

 

 

Our hotel, Excalibur :)

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was back to Deutschland for my first Christmas ever away from home.  I really missed my family but loved the opportunity to experience a real German Christmas with Patrick and his family.  They opened their hearts and their homes and made my holiday one that I will never forget.  

Board games before one of the most amazing dinners I've ever eaten.

 

The presents starting to be stacked on the table

 

Frohe Weihnachten :)

 

 

 

Then it was time for New Year's Eve or Silvester as they say in German.  In America you usually only see official firework displays that are put on by big cities or towns and under the supervision of fire departments or trained professionals.  In Germany it is the complete opposite.  Everyone and their mom, brother, uncle, and baby brother not only own fireworks but know how to shoot them off.  No location is off limits and even the streets filled with passing cars are fair game.  Patrick and I made our way to Starnberger See (Lake Starnberg) for what I thought would be a nice and relaxing way to enjoy a firework display.  WRONG.  Within seconds I felt like I was under attack as balls of fire whizzed passed my face.  I couldn't even enjoy it because I kept thinking to myself this is it....this is how I will die...by catching on fire.  Dramatic, I know....but hey, I'm American (that's my excuse for everything).  After 25 years of only observing fireworks from afar, I have to learn that in Germany you enjoy fireworks by standing next to them.  Life is a learning process.

But now, on to why this post is called APPROVED!  Well, ladies and gentleman....I am the proud owner of a nice and shiny new...VISA!  After what felt like a million interviews, appointments, pieces of paper, and trips to various buildings around Starnberg and Munich I finally landed myself a job and a visa and will be staying in Germany for a while :).  I am a teaching assistant at an International Preschool and I absolutely love it.  Most people react with a "poor you" when I tell them that I work with kids but actually it's a really fun and rewarding job.  Babies and little kids put me in such a happy mood and if a hug from an adorable child doesn't melt your heart then you, in my opinion, have no soul.  I can be having the worst day ever but when a kid flashes me a big smile (with a few teeth missing) then I can't help but laugh and forget about what I was upset about in the first place.  

Right now I'm still commuting from Starnberg to Munich every day but the sbahn rides are nothing short of entertaining.  As I've said in previous posts, Germans aren't big on smiling...or any friendly interactions with strangers for that matter.  I am not judging Germans or saying it is a bad thing, it's just different from American behavior.  With that said, I still haven't figured out the correct sbahn etiquette.  First of all, the design of the inside of the sbahn is made for awkward interactions.  

 You are forced to sit facing two other people and in close proximity.  Usually I take out a book and get lost in it until I hear the words "next stop Hauptbahnhof" but occasionally I either forget my book or I'm too tired to read.  So what else do you do at 7am?  Watch people.  Germans are the Kings and Queens of staring and even when they catch you staring they continue as if it's completely normal.  I, on the other hand, get slightly uncomfortable and offer at the least a tiny smile to say, "oops...you caught me" or if they were the original culprit a smile to say "hey...I see you...you can stop now".  Well, little did I know that a smile doesn't dismay a staring German, especially if it is a man.  It only encourages them.  A little advice...don't give a friendly smile to a man wearing a bike helmet in the sbahn.  It should already be a hint that he is a little bit strange if he keeps the helmet on inside the train.  Second piece of advice, if a man is staring AND smiling at you for more than one minute and you aren't interested in reciprocating the smile it's better to just change seats.  You don't know what stop he will get off at and it's better to leave the situation than endure another 10 minutes of being under constant observation.  If I'm so interesting to watch then maybe I should get my own reality show.  Or maybe I'm just a magnet for weirdos.  I'm pretty sure it's the second one.  

Hey......YOU!

This post is more of a hodge-podge of events that have taken place over the past few weeks but to start off with...I'm back in German class!   This is the third class I have been in and for the first time there are no other native English speakers...and actually there is only one other person who speaks English as a second language.  It's great for learning German but not so great for making conversation since our last lesson was about all of the office buildings in Germany.  For instance, where you go to get a visa, where you register your car, etc.  So, I guess I could attempt to make friends by asking how many forms they had to fill out to get their visa....what a great icebreaker.  My Lehrerin (teacher) is from Slovakia but has been living in Germany for the past 15 years.  She is very sweet but has a tiny obsession with always referring to the cowboys that apparently still roam the streets of America with a pistol in their hand.  Maybe she forgot I'm not from Texas....or that it's 2011.  Regardless, she is a good teacher.  She also has a hard time remembering my name.  I get it, it's not a "normal" German name like Helmut or Ludwig, but is Brandi really so hard to remember? I thought Europeans liked their alcohol.  When she wants to call on me she usually just makes a "Brrr..." sound and squints her eyes at me until I realize she means me and I have to remind her for the 100th time that my name is Brandi.  Maybe I should make her life easier and just put a post-it note on my forehead.  Actually, maybe we should all put a post-it note on our foreheads because I have no idea what anyone's name is...besides Roberto from Mexico (who is the other English speaker in the class).  Everyone went around and introduced themselves on the first day and I understood the part where they said they are from Kosovo, Bulgaria, Thailand, Bangladesh, and a few other countries that have escaped my memory...but when I tried to listen to their names all I heard was "Ich bin asldkfjaslkfja" and "Ich bin weoriualsdfj."  I will eventually get around to asking them all (again) what their names are but for right now I'm just the dumb American who missed the first class because she couldn't find the right building and on the second class had her water bottle explode all over the front of her shirt (damn you carbonated water!).  I must not have looked like too big of an ass though because a nice guy from Bulgaria did give me a ride home after class which was reaaalllyyy nice of him since it was dark outside and I would have had to walk.  It was only semi-awkward when we exhausted our beginner's German conversation skills and were left with a few moments of silence.  I'll be prepared next time.

Next topic...OKTOBERFEST!!!!  I'm totally paying for all of the time I have spent at Oktoberfest by suffering from what feels like the flu but all I can say is it was totally worth it!!  I have said it before and I will say it again, Oktoberfest is the Disney World of beer.  I mean it even has rollercoasters!!  But honestly, there is just no other celebration like it.  Standing on benches and drinking a beer that is bigger than your head and singing (well, screaming) along to the music with locals and foreigners is just awesome.  Plus, finally having a dirndl just added to the whole experience...and attracted a lot of attention.  I was lucky enough to experience Oktoberfest with all different groups of people and I loved every second if it.  Well, I didn't like when Neal got elbowed in the face by a grumpy East German and ended up with a fractured cheek bone, three stitches, and a face full of blood....but all the fighting aside, I loved Oktoberfest!  I even got to reunite with my former host parents for a day in the Brauerosl tent.  Another reunion took place with some Slovakian friends I met last year at a hostel in Munich (they are mentioned in an earlier blog).  Such good times :). Due to being sick I'm not sure I will make it back to drink another beer before Oktoberfest ends so...until next year!

 ITALIANS.  It's obvious that I love Germans and have a thing for German men but Oktoberfest has also opened my heart to Italians.  Of course not all Italians are the same but the ones I have encountered at Oktoberfest (and of course in Munich) have been wonderful.  Beer doesn't always bring out the best in people...especially in men.  Oktoberfest is filled with your typical creeps shouting out obscene or offensive things to cute girls in dirndls.  However, my experience with Italians has been nothing short of flattering.  Ladies, if there is ever a day that you aren't feeling your best (and we all have those "I'm fat" or "I feel ugly" days) then just take a stroll through a crowd of Italian men.  The amount of times you hear "hello beautiful" (but in the oh-so-romantic sounding Italian language) is enough to boost any girl's mood.  Not only was I showered with "ciao bella" but they also wanted to take pictures with the "pretty German girl" and got more excited to discover that I was in fact American.  So, Italy, here's to you!  A visit is surely in my future.  

My Three Princesses

This past Wednesday was my last day working for an amazing family that I was so lucky to be a part of.  Although I didn't have to officially say goodbye since I will be living in the neighboring town, a part of me was still sad that I won't be waking up to three adorable little faces every morning.  Knowing it was my last week, and also being one of the few times I got to hang out with all three kids at once, I tried to make each day as fun as possible....and what's more fun than some serious arts & crafts?!

Eine Katze (a cat) for Lisa & Nina.  I made ein Schmetterling (a butterfly) for Sophie.

 

 Princess Day!  I made princess crowns and wands for the girls.

Ahhh SO cute!!

  

  Water colors...and thank goodness because usually they liked to paint themselves more than the paper. :)

Wednesday was also the last day I took Lucy (the dog) for a walk and even though she was usually the one who walked me as she dragged me around in the woods, I will miss our daily adventures on the trails!

 

 

 It was definitely a good last week with the kids and the goodbye was straight out of a movie as they ran after the car waving and shouting...and I have to admit that made me cry, haha.  But like I said before, I will see them again and thank goodness because it's only been a few days and I already miss them.

My au pair days are not over yet though!  I have a new family in Starnberg with four kids (2 boys, 2 girls) and I am excited to get to know them.  :)

Oh, and in case you were wondering...14 days until Oktoberfest!!

 

"Oh Sorry, I don't speak German"

This week has been one huge roller coaster for my confidence in German speaking.  I have successfully completed my A1 German course but interacting outside of a classroom setting is a completely different experience.  Talking to the kids is no problem and it actually helps me learn because 4-year-old Lisa ALWAYS points out my mistakes :).  My host Mom also talks to me mostly in German which is good practice and she knows to speak a little slower to me since I'm not a native speaker....but get me out in public and have a random stranger come up to me and I'm like a deer in headlights.  Instead of saying something in German like, "Sorry, could you repeat that?" or "Can you speak slower?", I just blurt out "Oh sorry, I don't speak German" in English.  FAIL.  The worst part is when the German then says, "It's okay, I speak English too".....well, thank you very much for confirming the fact that I suck and you can fluently speak more than one language.  Lately these interactions have been happening in the woods when I'm walking my host family's dog so maybe that's a sign I need to learn more words related to pets.  Anyway, after this happened two times this past week I dove into some hardcore German learning.  I had been practicing before but mainly just reviewing grammar and now I'm beginning to think it's my lack of vocabulary that's holding me back....besides....even if I say the sentence completely backwards, as long as all of the correct words are there I'm sure someone will understand me.  Here's to hoping!

 I did manage to redeem myself a little bit on Wednesday afternoon when I met Patrick's flight instructor for the first time.  Patrick warns everyone that I'm American and my German isn't the best but he quickly adds that I have to learn German so they should speak German to me.  I was able to understand and answer all of his questions but I made a mistake within the first few seconds of opening my mouth.  Patrick's flight instructor asked me where I'm from in the states and I should have responded in the polite way with "Kennen Sie Delaware?" but I responded with "Kennst du Delaware?" which is kind of like saying "dude, so do you like know where Delaware is?" ...major fail on being polite....better luck next time!

Strawberry Fields Forever

The title of this post is slightly misleading since only a part of it will be about strawberry fields but I'm slightly obsessed with this song...especially the newer version with the oh-so-attractive Jim Sturgess.  Anyway, before I get too off topic discussing the celebrities I find most attractive, back to the point of this post....I have officially been strawberry picking!  Yes, of course, we have pick-it-yourself fruit fields in the states but I never took full advantage of them.  Germany has so many things you can pick yourself...strawberries, blueberries, white asparagus, and flowers just to name a few.  Not only is it fun (because Patrick and I make a competition out of who can pick the biggest, reddest strawberry) but who doesn't love having a refrigerator full of sweet, delicious strawberries?  This excludes people who are allergic, of course.  I wanted a picture to remember my first strawberry picking experience but when you hand a man a camera this is what you get....:)

 

Some photos I took:

Anddddd as if my taste buds needed to be more satisfied...Patrick bought an ice cream machine.  Fresh strawberries AND homemade ice cream...oh summer, you are so good to me.  Now, topic switch.


I'm convinced that exercise is the source of happiness...at least for Germans.  Normally, when passing a German on the street or in the grocery store or just anywhere for that matter, they have a very...hmm...I guess emotionless would be the right word...yes, an emotionless face.  No glance in your direction, no wave, no smile, nada.  However, the rules of interaction drastically change once you hit the running trails.  Don't be misled though...both you and the other person passing you have to be in motion.  When shopping I can go an entire day without having someone give a friendly hello but my ears are filled with cheerful greetings (such as Servus, Morgen, Hallo, and Grüß Gott) when I pass a fellow exerciser during my runs in the woods.  I have to praise Germans for their commitment to exercise as well.  The other day I saw an older couple, probably in their 70s, walking the trails in the rain with umbrellas in hand and best of all smiles on their faces.  The old man said to me, "Viel Spaß" (have fun) as we continued on our separate adventures and I took comfort in the fact that others were also braving the storm to get their daily dose of endorphins.  Speaking of runs, I should probably head out on one since the weather forecast calls for rain...again.  Tschüß!

Just Laugh

I've always been the type of person who likes everything to go as planned.  The unexpected always threw me for a loop and I was so quick to stress over the smallest upset.  While I still manage to stress out easily, being an au pair in a foreign country has taught me to laugh at ridiculous situations rather than stress out over them.  I of course take my job seriously as I am in charge of someone else's three wonderful children, but this job has taught me how to lighten up.

The other day while I was cleaning up from breakfast Sophie decided she wanted another bowl of muesli with milk.  I heated up the milk for her since it's hard enough to get the kids to eat without them being distracted by something else so when one of them asks for seconds I never question it.  The serving container for the milk was barely even a quarter of the way full and the previous mornings Sophie had proudly shown how her 2-year-old self can pour her own milk into her sippy cup.  Since a bowl has a wider mouth I figured there would be no problem...well, so much for that thought.  After doing some things in the kitchen I walked back into the Esszimmer (eating room, where the kitchen table is) to find Sophie sitting in a swimming pool-sized puddle of milk.  The milk must have managed to perfectly strike her Kinderstuhl in such a way that it sprayed all over the kitchen floor.  Table, child, Kinderstuhl, and floor were completely covered in milk.  I couldn't help but crack a smile when she turned to me with those huge "uh-oh I did something wrong" eyes.  I lifted her off of her seat and as soon as her feet touched the ground she burst into tears.  I gave her a hug and told her in German that it's only milk and I can clean it up.  Besides, the dog got to the floor before I did so it wasn't too big of a clean up. :)

There are days when I'm tired and just need to retreat to my room after spending an eventful morning with the kids...especially if the kids were particularly grumpy that day or extremely energetic.  On one of those days I was reading in my room and suddenly heard fast and furious tiny footsteps coming down the hall.  They didn't even stop in front of my door and instead it was just one continuous motion as my bedroom door flung open and Nina and Sophie flew into my room.  Nina, with a knife (kid friendly) and fork in hand, proudly proclaimed in a super hero stance "ESSEN IST FERTIG!!!" (food is ready).  After that she jumped onto my bed and asked me to come to the kitchen.  Any stress I had from the morning suddenly melted away and all I could do was laugh and think how I have a pretty awesome life.