1. Went and took my StartDeutsch prüfung.*
2. Grabbed a few groceries for the week at Aldi.
3. Cleaned up and unpacked from the Prague trip.
4. Hit the gym with Joern.
*This was my basic proficiency test that is required for my German 'green card.' Overall, I think it went fairly well! We will know in about 4 weeks.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Day 73-75 La Vie Bohème
So we just returned from an amazing weekend in Prague! Joern and I drove there- it's only 3 hours from Nürnberg. The drive itself was pretty uneventful, the only kind of fun part was that at the border we had to buy a sticker to put in the window to drive on the Prague freeways. The guys at the gas station spoke German, English, and Czech which I know because they spoke in a new language to almost every customer.
We got there and checked into the hotel, which was really fancy and the people called me madam like they did in Singapore (not my favorite) and put a fruit plate in our room (score!). We hit the city center in time for a free 3-hour tour. It was really a great way to get our bearings and learn a little about everything we were seeing. Prague is considered the heart of Bohemia, and it's really quite beautiful. There is something interesting to see everywhere you look! Prague also has a very rich and diverse history that involves throwing the people they don't like out the window.* We saw Churches, the famous Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, the Powder Tower, one of the oldest Synagogues in Europe, the concert hall where Mozart played, and the cafe where Vin Diesel had a scene in a movie (the tour guide was really excited about this). There was also a cultural parade in the city center that had traditional dances and dress form eastern Europe.
After that we went to a cool little restaurant and ate goulash, duck, and drank Czech beer. All was delicious but we were a bit surprised when our bill came to...600! Crowns that is. We calmed down when we figured out that was about 22 Euros, and then we got really excited when we figured out that eating in restaurants here is probably one of the most affordable in Europe**! That night, we also saw a Blacklight theater show. It's a Prague specialty and there are many theaters in the city that do this (it was this or a puppet show). Basically, the entire stage is completely black and certain props and elements are neon colored so that they show clearly against the blacklights. It allows the actors to create a lot of really cool effects. The whole show was in pantomime so no language barriers, it was maybe a little like the Blue Man group (I've never seen that, so I don't actually know). We loved it!
The next day, we ate breakfast and got ready to hit the Palace! It was really grand and beautiful sitting majestically on top of the hill overlooking the river. I felt less and less majestic as I sweated and huffed and puffed my way up said hill. We got there for the changing of the guard ceremony, which was similar to the famous English palace guards. They stand there and can't move no matter what- unless it's the ceremony- bravely creating photo-ops for tourists. Afterwards, we waited in a ridiculously long line to get tickets to go inside the palace. It was very interesting to see the architecture, the amazing Cathedral, and the art and statues. We came into a little room with a pretty view of the city, but not much else in the way of decoration. Searching for the English portion of the sign, I wondered what could be so important that they preserved and showed this tiny room among hundreds in the Palace. Turns out, that was the exact window they threw the politicians out of! History came to life before my eyes! I was transported back hundreds of years as fast as the politicians were transported to the cobblestones below me! Needless to say, one of the highlights of the trip.
After all that walking, we decided to get lunch/dinner on a restaurant-boat overlooking the city. It was delicious, and the weather was great. We got a really cool painting to remember the trip***, and returned to the hotel to give our feet a break and so that Joern could go into full photographer mode. We headed out again and walked to where a giant statue of Stalin used to stand before they blew it up. It's been replaced by a giant metronome and turned into a sort of skate park. We climbed up (again) and watched the sun set over the city. After completing the required amount of googly eyes, Joern then began his photography session. We walked the city at night, and felt very accomplished for staying out so late.
The next day we decided to head home after a quick stop by the dancing buildings. After that, I really don't know what happened because I pretty much instantly fell asleep in the car. Overall a great trip! If you're ever on our side of the pond, this is an awesome city to visit!
*No joke. They even made up a word for it: defenestration.
**According to our tour guide, beer is cheaper than bottled water here.
***You can see it if you come to visit us :-)
We got there and checked into the hotel, which was really fancy and the people called me madam like they did in Singapore (not my favorite) and put a fruit plate in our room (score!). We hit the city center in time for a free 3-hour tour. It was really a great way to get our bearings and learn a little about everything we were seeing. Prague is considered the heart of Bohemia, and it's really quite beautiful. There is something interesting to see everywhere you look! Prague also has a very rich and diverse history that involves throwing the people they don't like out the window.* We saw Churches, the famous Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, the Powder Tower, one of the oldest Synagogues in Europe, the concert hall where Mozart played, and the cafe where Vin Diesel had a scene in a movie (the tour guide was really excited about this). There was also a cultural parade in the city center that had traditional dances and dress form eastern Europe.
After that we went to a cool little restaurant and ate goulash, duck, and drank Czech beer. All was delicious but we were a bit surprised when our bill came to...600! Crowns that is. We calmed down when we figured out that was about 22 Euros, and then we got really excited when we figured out that eating in restaurants here is probably one of the most affordable in Europe**! That night, we also saw a Blacklight theater show. It's a Prague specialty and there are many theaters in the city that do this (it was this or a puppet show). Basically, the entire stage is completely black and certain props and elements are neon colored so that they show clearly against the blacklights. It allows the actors to create a lot of really cool effects. The whole show was in pantomime so no language barriers, it was maybe a little like the Blue Man group (I've never seen that, so I don't actually know). We loved it!
The next day, we ate breakfast and got ready to hit the Palace! It was really grand and beautiful sitting majestically on top of the hill overlooking the river. I felt less and less majestic as I sweated and huffed and puffed my way up said hill. We got there for the changing of the guard ceremony, which was similar to the famous English palace guards. They stand there and can't move no matter what- unless it's the ceremony- bravely creating photo-ops for tourists. Afterwards, we waited in a ridiculously long line to get tickets to go inside the palace. It was very interesting to see the architecture, the amazing Cathedral, and the art and statues. We came into a little room with a pretty view of the city, but not much else in the way of decoration. Searching for the English portion of the sign, I wondered what could be so important that they preserved and showed this tiny room among hundreds in the Palace. Turns out, that was the exact window they threw the politicians out of! History came to life before my eyes! I was transported back hundreds of years as fast as the politicians were transported to the cobblestones below me! Needless to say, one of the highlights of the trip.
After all that walking, we decided to get lunch/dinner on a restaurant-boat overlooking the city. It was delicious, and the weather was great. We got a really cool painting to remember the trip***, and returned to the hotel to give our feet a break and so that Joern could go into full photographer mode. We headed out again and walked to where a giant statue of Stalin used to stand before they blew it up. It's been replaced by a giant metronome and turned into a sort of skate park. We climbed up (again) and watched the sun set over the city. After completing the required amount of googly eyes, Joern then began his photography session. We walked the city at night, and felt very accomplished for staying out so late.
The next day we decided to head home after a quick stop by the dancing buildings. After that, I really don't know what happened because I pretty much instantly fell asleep in the car. Overall a great trip! If you're ever on our side of the pond, this is an awesome city to visit!
*No joke. They even made up a word for it: defenestration.
**According to our tour guide, beer is cheaper than bottled water here.
***You can see it if you come to visit us :-)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Day 72
So not much to report the past two days, I studied a lot of German for my upcoming please-let-me-stay-here test and enjoyed some really awesome weather and grill moments with our resident Flame Master. Today was much the same, with the exciting addition of receiving a very helpful informational newspaper with reviews of Biergartens here in the city. I promptly spilled my entire cup of coffee all over it in my excitement, but managed to decipher that one is totally Beach themed with 400 (or 900, no way to be sure now) tons of white sand and a wading pool-bar thing. Sounds like fun! So, here's the day in re-cap:
1. Discovered (some) of the cool Biergartens in the city over breakfast.
2. Worked out at the gym.
3. Packed for our weekend trip to Prague!!!
4. Made pizza on the grill.
1. Discovered (some) of the cool Biergartens in the city over breakfast.
2. Worked out at the gym.
3. Packed for our weekend trip to Prague!!!
4. Made pizza on the grill.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Day 69
1. Went on a field trip for our last day of class in downtown Nürnberg.*
2. Bought some really good vegetables at the Hauptmarkt (basically a Farmer's market).
3. Went with Anke to the stable to watch her practice dressage and pet and feed all the horses.
4. Tried to convince Joern that a horse would totally fit on our balcony.
*We got to see the glockenspiel play at noon, made a wish at the Schöner Brunnen (beautiful fountain) and toured the jail at the old Rathaus. Which brings me to an interesting historical fact learned on the tour. Back in the day, if the baker made his bread too small or light, he could get thrown in prison right with the witches, theives, and gossips. They had a torture device just for bakers (it involved dunking him in the Pegnitz), which sheds some light on just how serious bread is here.
2. Bought some really good vegetables at the Hauptmarkt (basically a Farmer's market).
3. Went with Anke to the stable to watch her practice dressage and pet and feed all the horses.
4. Tried to convince Joern that a horse would totally fit on our balcony.
*We got to see the glockenspiel play at noon, made a wish at the Schöner Brunnen (beautiful fountain) and toured the jail at the old Rathaus. Which brings me to an interesting historical fact learned on the tour. Back in the day, if the baker made his bread too small or light, he could get thrown in prison right with the witches, theives, and gossips. They had a torture device just for bakers (it involved dunking him in the Pegnitz), which sheds some light on just how serious bread is here.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Day 68
1. Went to my second-to-last day of German 1.2 (time flies!).
2. Worked out in the gym, which is extra challenging because it backs up to a restaurant and I always smell food and get hungry.
3. Started reading the new books my sister was so kind to buy for me.*
4. Grilled some Nürnberger bratwurst (that's really a thing) and made some salad to close out another beautiful, warm day.
*Apparently Barnes and Noble can only sell books in the US. No, I didn't check if I could use a thing that buys stuff on the internet in a particular location. And that's no reason for the other people on the message boards to get so snippy. Thanks Beth. You got my back.
2. Worked out in the gym, which is extra challenging because it backs up to a restaurant and I always smell food and get hungry.
3. Started reading the new books my sister was so kind to buy for me.*
4. Grilled some Nürnberger bratwurst (that's really a thing) and made some salad to close out another beautiful, warm day.
*Apparently Barnes and Noble can only sell books in the US. No, I didn't check if I could use a thing that buys stuff on the internet in a particular location. And that's no reason for the other people on the message boards to get so snippy. Thanks Beth. You got my back.
Day 67
1. Slept in way long and lamented the fact that I can no longer stay out late without feeling it 2 days later.
2. Cleaned up the apartment and did our Hausordnung.*
3. Walked the route to Joern's new office (he'll be biking) and found a nice park, restaurant, and two biergartens to try.
4. Had...you guessed it! White Asparagus for dinner :-)
*Hausordnung means that every third week it's our turn to sweep and mop the common areas in the building and sweep the sidewalk.
2. Cleaned up the apartment and did our Hausordnung.*
3. Walked the route to Joern's new office (he'll be biking) and found a nice park, restaurant, and two biergartens to try.
4. Had...you guessed it! White Asparagus for dinner :-)
*Hausordnung means that every third week it's our turn to sweep and mop the common areas in the building and sweep the sidewalk.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Day 66
1. Slept really long in preparation for The Blue Night.
2. Had a great breakfast and decided what events to see.
3. Talked to my family and felt all warm and fuzzy and loved.
4. Went to BLUE NIGHT!!!!*
2. Had a great breakfast and decided what events to see.
3. Talked to my family and felt all warm and fuzzy and loved.
4. Went to BLUE NIGHT!!!!*
Day 65
1. Watched Joern re-pave the walkway at his dad's house, a fine example of German Engineering.
2. Studied more German.
3. Got some amazing döner for dinner with Joern's sisters.
4. Drove back to Nuremberg.
2. Studied more German.
3. Got some amazing döner for dinner with Joern's sisters.
4. Drove back to Nuremberg.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Day 64
1. Drove out to Heidelberg to help Joern's dad with a stepstone project.
2. Did a ton of German study to get ready for my test (just 2 weeks to go!).
3. Went out for pizza and gellato with friends.*
4. Watched a little Germany's Next Top Model.**
*We got pizza in this really cool old stone cellar. Literally a hole in the wall, but classy. Our friend's little boy, Julian, is 21 months old and already beginning to talk a bit, so he's a really good speaking partner. It has to be right or he doesn't get it! He is so much fun!
**It's educational, really. And the only show I can effectively follow along with (Girls smile, 1 cries and goes away, The End)
2. Did a ton of German study to get ready for my test (just 2 weeks to go!).
3. Went out for pizza and gellato with friends.*
4. Watched a little Germany's Next Top Model.**
*We got pizza in this really cool old stone cellar. Literally a hole in the wall, but classy. Our friend's little boy, Julian, is 21 months old and already beginning to talk a bit, so he's a really good speaking partner. It has to be right or he doesn't get it! He is so much fun!
**It's educational, really. And the only show I can effectively follow along with (Girls smile, 1 cries and goes away, The End)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Day 63...Back in Business
Thanks to some gentle prodding and genuine concern as to whether I was alive or not...here I am! The past few weeks have flown by for Joern and me. Here's a quick summary:
1. I'm learning so much German that I'm pretty sure my head will explode soon with all the new information. Actually, English and German are fighting in my head like cats in a bag-literally-but no worries, it supposedly is making me smarter.
2. Asparagus season is still in full swing here, so we eat it at least 2-3 times a week. I'm now pretty good at whipping up a mean Hollandaise, and our chive plant is getting a little bare :-) Cream of Asparagus soup is next.
3. Joern is also busy learning a new computer system for his job, so we both are getting smarter.
4. We've also joined a gym to get back into pre-grad school shape...and to counteract all the bread!
1. I'm learning so much German that I'm pretty sure my head will explode soon with all the new information. Actually, English and German are fighting in my head like cats in a bag-literally-but no worries, it supposedly is making me smarter.
2. Asparagus season is still in full swing here, so we eat it at least 2-3 times a week. I'm now pretty good at whipping up a mean Hollandaise, and our chive plant is getting a little bare :-) Cream of Asparagus soup is next.
3. Joern is also busy learning a new computer system for his job, so we both are getting smarter.
4. We've also joined a gym to get back into pre-grad school shape...and to counteract all the bread!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Day 49
Quick Recap: Yesterday was the First of May, so we had the day off, and I must say...I loved it! It's really thrown off the rest of the week, but in a good way. It makes you feel like the weekend is just around the corner the whole week. Again, there was panic at Aldi because it was closed THE WHOLE DAY, but it looks like everyone made it through all right. Joern and I had a nice slow morning and then went over to Anke's to help her put up cabinets in her kitchen. She then came over to our place to grill and have some margaritas. The weather was warm as the sun set on our balcony, and we just talked and laughed until the stars came out. It was lovely. On to today!
1. Learned more German grammar and situations when die turns into der, der turns into dem, and sometimes you just squish words together, like im*.
2. Did my first full workout at the new gym.
3. Really felt the burn of months of laziness.
4. Did a little house maintenance.
*Needless to say, I have a lot of homework.
1. Learned more German grammar and situations when die turns into der, der turns into dem, and sometimes you just squish words together, like im*.
2. Did my first full workout at the new gym.
3. Really felt the burn of months of laziness.
4. Did a little house maintenance.
*Needless to say, I have a lot of homework.
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