tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39671061480977678722024-03-18T20:40:09.125-07:00auf wiedersehen amerikaone year in berlinMilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-34672379059323340192008-05-11T11:58:00.000-07:002008-05-11T12:00:29.745-07:00updateOur internet is down at our apartment. It's a long story, really involved and annoying, but basically, Deutsche Telekom, the provider, shut down the account without telling the girl we're renting from. So, for right now, we don't have internet, and we don't know when it's going to be back on. I'll keep blogging, but I might be MIA for a little bit, just because the internet is less reliable.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-53375694652175935612008-04-29T13:07:00.000-07:002008-04-29T13:30:12.148-07:00panic on the streets of berlinWell, not really. Last week, though, I biked to the gym. This isn't out of the ordinary for me: I try to bike a lot, now that the weather has finally gotten nicer in Berlin, and anyway, for those reading who worry about me biking in the city (grandmothers, De), there are almost always bike lanes on the sidewalks or on the shoulders of the streets. And tons of people bike. It isn't like New York, where you're risking your life to bike; it's very bike-friendly, and I feel comfortable on the roads. Well, maybe not anymore.<br /> So anyway, I biked to the gym. There's a bike lane that goes down the majority of my trip there, on Karl-Marx-Allee (part of which used to be called Stalinallee), and then when I hit Alexanderplatz, the bike lane ends. But I was biking in the bus lane, which was fine. And then I got to the intersection where my gym is, and I turned slightly to go up via a curb onto the sidewalk. And my bike's tires, which are very thin, as it is a road bike and not a mountain bike, got stuck on one side of the curb, and my body wanted to go the other way. And it did. I flew off the bike, somehow landing a good 2-3 away from it, directly onto my knees and hands.<br /> I was embarrassed. I managed to extract myself from an awkward conversation in which a nice German woman asked me if I was OK (in German, of course), and I responded that I don't know. I was so shocked by the fall that my German was worse than usual, and eventually, after me telling her I had hurt my knee, she just switched to English. After being super helpful, she left, and I burst into tears, and called Alex and Sarah, who both showed up a few minutes later.<br /> Anyway, this is getting boring even to write, so I can't imagine reading it. To summarize, right after the fall, my knee was extremely swollen, almost like I had just taped an egg to my kneecap. It was gross. I had inexplicably NOT torn my jeans, and yet I had managed to burn the side of my knee with the jeans instead.<br /> After limping home and icing my knee, having great difficulty climbing into our lofted bed (which was basically the most inconvenient thing I could have possibly imagined, having this injury), it was still huge. So I went the doctor the next day, wondering if it was broken. The doctor took one look at it and said, "You need to get an X-ray right away." I did. It wasn't broken. It might be sprained. It's a week later, and it's all sorts of crazy colors that I didn't know skin was capable of turning: bright, highlighter yellow, dark green, a surprisingly pretty purple. It isn't swollen much anymore, although the burn on the side of my knee is pretty gross, and I'll need to wear tights with skirts for a bit, I think. Anyway, yesterday was the first day I could walk without limping pretty bad, so I took advantage of that and the nice weather and went to the park and the bookstore. And promptly pushed it too far. So now I'm limping again.<br /> Anyway, that's what happened. It was fun. Next week, De and I are going on a trip to Austria, to get all Sound of Music-ed out. I am so excited! And a little apprehensive about the walking. I'll keep you all updated on when I get on the bike again!Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-55573648300645288582008-04-17T05:19:00.000-07:002008-04-17T05:36:17.646-07:00adventures in communism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8qQ4HO95Nsjn3-8xl8YcMRUw2esYj7cONFCAR2V1gVwKARTgJ-WQ9fwvQoAPmZfS2p7-4wF87tel4VXkzR91V4KI-x2ogJmPHDAIa7cvWuCJ8fkZ02yLpKUvYpaDWK-bxIsCR-sPP9vc/s1600-h/Communism_For_Our_Future.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8qQ4HO95Nsjn3-8xl8YcMRUw2esYj7cONFCAR2V1gVwKARTgJ-WQ9fwvQoAPmZfS2p7-4wF87tel4VXkzR91V4KI-x2ogJmPHDAIa7cvWuCJ8fkZ02yLpKUvYpaDWK-bxIsCR-sPP9vc/s200/Communism_For_Our_Future.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190192076245834002" border="0" /></a><br />This afternoon, I decided to make myself a small pasta salad for lunch. There was not a whole lot available to me: some too-ripe strawberries, some oranges that are hard to peel, some brie that we had bought for a dinner and never used. Thus, I decided to make some pasta. Anyway, I put water in a pot, a lid on the pot, and left it to boil. I came back a few minutes later... and the lid was on fire. Yes. The metal lid, which was sitting on top of a normal pot, was on fire. It smelled.<br /> Obviously (maybe not?) I reacted in the appropriate way, by removing the lid and waving it until the fire went out, and then I opened the window in the kitchen. After the small emergency was dealt with, I was left with the burning question: WHY and HOW did a metal lid-- created for the express purpose of sitting on top of pots with boiling water inside-- light on fire?!<br /> Answer: the lid, and the pot, and all the other appliances we have in our kitchen, were made in the DDR. That is, communist East Berlin, before Germany reunified. A lot of our dishes simply have a "DDR" stamped on the bottom of them, or, similarly, "Made in Romania." (Huh?) Our pots, too, are clearly relics of communism, before people had learned of the glories of non-stick pans, or handles that are made of a different substance from the pot (thus making it easy to pick up the pot without a potholder, something we here in East Berlin are unable to do).<br /> I'll leave you at that. Meanwhile, I think I'll go air out my kitchen again.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-71037640826452543702008-04-10T04:30:00.000-07:002008-04-10T04:57:48.255-07:00budapestOur final destination. This was a bit of a no-man's-land for us, as Brew and I were able to navigate our way through Vienna, Salzburg and Munich using German, and in Budapest, we were lost. Hungarian is a crazy language, unlike anything I had ever heard! Apparently it doesn't really resemble any other language in the area-- although in some ways it looked Turkish to me, although it doesn't sound much like it. I learned from Brew that it most resembles Finnish, which is weird. It had very few cognates, and I couldn't figure any of it out! I think it has 44 letters in the alphabet, too. So, that was frustrating, but many people spoke English.<br /> We decided that we'd go to the Hungarian baths that we'd heard so much about in Budapest, and the weather was still pretty nice (although still chilly), so we headed to the city park to the neighborhood baths. What an experience. Thank goodness it was coed- we had read that many of them weren't coed (read: nude), and as my mother and I weren't all that thrilled about being casually naked with one another, I can only imagine how thrilled Brew and my dad would have been. But this bath was coed and swimsuit-filled. So that was nice.<br /> The baths consisted of a bunch of small indoor mineral baths, all heated at different temperatures: some very warm, others pretty cold. They're pumped in and contain a bunch of minerals, which the Hungarians (and other cultures that also believe in the healthiness of baths, like the Turkish) believe very strongly can cure just about any ailments. There were tons of old people there, and the great majority were... pretty fat. So, that was fun. Anyway, we spent most of our time the the two heated outdoor baths, which were basically like heated swimming pools. They were great. One of them had a "lazy river" in the middle of it, which was just a circle with a current in it.<br /> We weren't in Budapest for very long, which was partly good because we were all a little tired of being touristy, but also bad because it was a really cool, unique city unlike any other I've been to. There is a great section of town called the Castle District, which is up in the hills of Buda, looking over the Danube and at Pest on the other side of the river, which had a really beautiful palace and an amazing overlook. Apparently there was a labyrinth (that's a hard word to spell) underneath the castle, but I was told by a man who spoke very little English that it was closed. So we couldn't go down there.<br /> We loved Budapest, but we were happy to get back to Berlin. My parents came with us and stayed for two days because we had been planning on running the half-marathon... and then we were both sidelined to injury, me with my hip, and Brew with terrible shinsplints. What terrible athletes we are. We were both pretty disappointed. But Brew is planning on training for another race, so that's good.<br /> Now that we're back, I'm kicking my grad school work into high gear... considering graduation is in like 6 weeks and I still have to revise and add to my thesis, write a paper, and teach a seminar. Yikes! You'll find me at my desk, buried in memoirs-- my own or someone else's. Miss everyone!Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-34352728321938972372008-04-10T04:20:00.000-07:002008-04-10T04:30:36.720-07:00viennaOur apartment in Vienna was amazing. My mom had booked an apartment instead of a hotel, which was a great choice, and very comfortable. We overlooked the Naschmarkt, which is the main food and wares market in Vienna, and we went there everyday to get breakfast: croissants, bread, honey, jam. Yum! We also decided to cook dinner in the apartment one night instead of going out, and we bought fresh, homemade ravioli at the market, along with homemade pesto. Delicious!<br /> Vienna was big, much bigger than Salzburg, and had some awesome art nouveau buildings that I, for one, was not expecting to see, so it was a great surprise to see them. Of course my father and Brew took plenty of pictures. (Speaking of which, check out Brew's picture site, picasaweb.google.com/brewal01 to see the pictures of the trip.) There was also an art nouveau WC, right underneath the city, designed by a famous architect. It cost us 50 cents to get in, but it was pretty cool. I think my dad enjoyed it, and of course he took pictures there, too.<br /> Vienna was full of cool palaces, one of which had been turned into a huge museum, which had lots of Klimt pieces (including The Kiss, one of my favorites), which were breathtaking and a real treat for me to see. We spent a lot of time there. The next day we went to another Residenz, which was much more authentic than the one in Munich. It centered a lot around Sisi, one of the Queens of Austria, who lead a very interesting and mysterious life. The residences themselves were great to see, too, as much of the original furniture was still there, including little decorations and even office supplies on desks. It was great. Unfortunately, to get through the residences, we had to wade through a massive silver and porcelain collection, which was... pretty boring. How many sets of silverware did I need to see? Although we did come across an "ice cream shovel" that I thought would be useful in my own life. There were tons and tons of different sets of porcelain plates, and it got really tedious. But, I guess it was interesting to see. I was pretty done with it after awhile, though, because it was SO excessive and over-the-top. It was bothersome to see how much money was wasted to buy those things-- and still is wasted! Why not sell a few of those dumb collections off and use it for the welfare of Austrian people? Kind of dumb, I thought. Anyway, that's a little sidenote/rant. Excuse me.<br /> By this time in our trip, we had all developed the necessity to stop every afternoon for coffee and cake, an afternoon tradition in Austria in which we were only too happy to imbibe. I'm going through withdrawal without my afternoon sweet. Yikes.<br /> Vienna was too short! There was more to see there, but we jumped on another train and headed to...Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-9126225236435480422008-04-10T04:10:00.000-07:002008-04-10T04:20:47.618-07:00salzburgWe drove to Salzburg in the rental car and arrived a few hours later, deep in the Alps. The drive was great, at least the part I saw, considering I have a pretty hard time staying awake while in a moving car. Salzburg was beautiful, and we were all thrilled to see that my mom had booked a bed and breakfast a little outside of the town, in a farmhouse literally right at the foot of the Alps. It was beautiful, and so quaint and... Alpine, would really be the best way to describe it. There was a little dog that sat with us as we ate breakfast, and a few cats (ew) that tried to sneak into our apartment, much to my horror. One of the cats snuck into our car and jumped out and my mom and I when we opened the trunk a few minutes later. I was not pleased.<br /> Salzburg was awesome, but small. Of course the whole time I was singing "Sound of Music" songs, which of course Brew was thrilled about, but even my dad got into the act. We didn't go on a tour, though, which is good, because I'll be back soon enough with Deanna to tour around, and we'll definitely be taking the SOM tour then. The weather got nice, and we really enjoyed going to the fortress and seeing the entire city at the mouth of the Alps from the top-- beautiful. It was awesome.<br /> We decided since Salzburg was pretty small, and there wasn't a ton of stuff to do, we would go skiing in the Alps at Kitzbühel one day, because when would we be able to ski in the Alps again? My mom decided not to go, as the idea was understandably pretty frightening to her, but Brew got up the nerve, bought a pair of pretty groovy aviator sunglasses, and donned a completely waterproof outfit. I, on the other hand, was wearing a fleece jacket and sweatpants, as we needed to pack light, so I was trying my best not to fall.<br /> Skiing in the Alps is nothing like skiing in the US, even out West! We started Brew on the beginning slopes, which bore no resemblance to the bunny hills back home (much steeper!) but he stuck it out, falling a few times but in general doing really well. He did get chastised by an Austrian woman to slow down once, after he had fallen and lost both of his skis in the process. As if he was trying to go that fast on purpose! But we had a great time-- took a lunch break at the top of the peak, eating pretzels and listening to a band that consisted of an accordian and a guitar singing traditional Austrian songs. It was so Alpine, yet again! We had a great time, the weather was fantastic- so warm and sunny, and at the end of the day, we all had raccoon sunburns from wearing sunglasses. Nice.<br /> The next day, we returned our rental car and hopped on a train to our next stop...Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-25812873088913714812008-04-10T03:59:00.000-07:002008-04-10T04:10:42.877-07:00munichSo, I decided the best way to split up my blogging about the trip was to separate each entry by city. The first place we stopped is Munich. Brew and I took a train down from Berlin, about a 7-hour ride or so, and we arrived in Munich around 2 or so, about an hour after my parents flew in. They picked us up at the train station in the car they'd rented for part of the trip. We drove to our hotel, which was literally a block away from Theresienwiese, which is the HUGE area where they hold Oktoberfest every year, and was depressingly empty, just a void in the middle of an otherwise busy and bustling city. The hotel was cool: it must have been a mansion at one point. We had German breakfast every day, and I don't think I need to say how much I love German breakfast, so I was pleased.<br /> Anyway, Munich is pretty cool. I really enjoy the Bavarian atmosphere that is so typical German (at least for us outsiders), and we certainly don't see much of Bavaria in Berlin, unless it's someone who is ironically wearing lederhosen on the subway, which I believe I mentioned before. Either way, it was great; we even went to the Hofbräuhaus one night and ate schnitzel and bratwurst. My parents each drank a beer, too. It was a big day.<br /> There were lots of great museums in Munich, and a beautiful palace, which they called "the residency." I was disappointed, though, kind of. The residency was all refurbished, redesigned, and... well, fake, at least to me. They had put up wallpaper that was supposed to look like what had been there at the time. They had furniture in the rooms that were basically just copies of 17th and 18th century furniture, instead of the real furniture. I kind of felt like I was being duped, a little bit. It turns out that much of it was destroyed by World War II, so I guess they had to replicate what they could, but still, it felt forced, in a way. That said, it also had a pretty awesome treasury, and of course, I enjoyed looking at shiny things. I felt like such a girl. Oh well.<br /> We also celebrated my birthday in Munich. It was great to spend it with my parents, since I don't get to see them that often currently. We went to a restaurant called Der Katzlmacher, which is basically a pejorative term for an Italian. They served us a tasting menu, which was cool, except we got some food that none of us really liked, i.e. calamari, and for me, calf goulash. But it was a cool experience, and we had great fun! I think my parents really enjoyed it, too.<br /> After 5 days there, we hopped in the car to our next destination...Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-45584772596170298492008-03-23T17:13:00.000-07:002008-03-23T17:18:36.917-07:00european vacation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLmp_PlXv1iTkOOOTPnIZPJhN9FGO_JoUdFPdzLqkD7ZckEMAXQLt-3psrGvtyLSYJaZrh-UCuE_tP5SLVpkwFeCVzSdiacz2JZhvOzNfGgHo0IxFpji9wWBT4kqM8PkegNJCCTOn9opd/s1600-h/neuschwanstein600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLmp_PlXv1iTkOOOTPnIZPJhN9FGO_JoUdFPdzLqkD7ZckEMAXQLt-3psrGvtyLSYJaZrh-UCuE_tP5SLVpkwFeCVzSdiacz2JZhvOzNfGgHo0IxFpji9wWBT4kqM8PkegNJCCTOn9opd/s400/neuschwanstein600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181095960638698290" border="0" /></a><br /> As Brew says, I've been "phoning in" my blog lately, which is true, and I apologize. I'll be back up and running with long, drawn-out and thought-out blogs soon, I promise.<br /> But not today, or this week, because tomorrow morning, Brew and I leave for Munich, where we'll meet my parents for a 2-week vacation! We start in Munich, then go to Salzburg, then to Vienna, then to Budapest. From Budapest we'll fly back to Berlin and watch Brew run the Berlin half-marathon as I and my gimpy hip sit on the sidelines, sulking and being generally just a bad sport.<br /> Anyway, the trip will be amazing. So check back soon for lots of fun stories about me, my boyfriend, my parents and lots of crazy Europeans and sightseeing.<br /><br />(And yes, I'll in this picture.)Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-28291330490977110032008-03-16T10:15:00.000-07:002008-03-16T10:16:38.817-07:00a little bit of self-promotion.The April issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Paste</span> magazine is out.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-91993084055790626752008-03-16T06:48:00.000-07:002008-03-16T07:04:42.077-07:00for brynnieSo Brynn 'tagged' me to write 7 random things about myself in my blog. Not something I normally do, but let's be honest, it gives me a reason to navel-gaze, and goodness knows I enjoy doing that. I'll try to write things that people don't normally know-- but that might be hard considering I'm not the most secretive person. Anyway, here goes:<br /><br />1. I really can't go anywhere without Texas Pete's hot sauce. This includes Europe and any breakfast place.<br />2. I sadly don't go a day without checking perezhilton.com. I hate myself for admitting that.<br />3. If you're conservative and we've just met, chances are we probably won't be friends.<br />4. I honestly think that Avril Lavigne was put on this earth to make my life miserable. She haunts my dreams. Not joking.<br />5. I scream "brrr" really, really loud when I'm cold-- even when I'm in an enclosed space like a car. Brew hates this.<br />6. I get really uncomfortable when different food touches on my plate. I do not want two foods to mix. If I could legitimately eat off of a sectioned plate without looking like I was in kindergarten, I would.<br />7. I am a pacifist, but I'm also pugnacious-- which puts me in some difficult situations.<br /><br />This was actually really difficult. There you go-- if anyone's still reading this!Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-10608979206371726612008-03-10T04:41:00.003-07:002008-03-10T04:41:51.630-07:00thesisThe first draft of my thesis is finished. YES! I will celebrate by going back to work.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-34357271960867849732008-03-09T11:23:00.001-07:002008-03-09T11:29:15.753-07:00yay snow! except not here.I must say that this is the first and last time I will EVER wish I was in Columbus. But I do! 20 inches of snow? Sounds like the best thing ever! I know what you're thinking, that sounds miserable. Not to me! There's really nothing like sitting inside, bundled up in a blanket, seeing nothing but white out of the windows, knowing you aren't going anywhere for awhile. I love waking up in the morning and expectantly looking outside and seeing snow on the ground. Maybe it's the ex-student/ex-teacher of me that loves a good snow day, but there really is something about snow that makes me blissfully happy. I love staying indoors and watching it fall, I love the smell of it, I love it when you walk outside and make first tracks, I love how quiet the street gets, I must say that sometimes I even love driving in it!<br />Moral of the story: snow rocks.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-33833330007071468052008-03-01T15:02:00.000-08:002008-03-01T15:05:49.641-08:00my favorite things<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobAOdX2lrRm2X78w-VoWwiH0pOPkvCKxF93fRiGIVomD860LeVE_aYg2An8TTk4eyA42C9iTxVEzHVMy1xHIKl3JOCJzG_O5bPY_wwSwIyBf__qNGmREQbfov7bQwc-allGJnx3iEE_St/s1600-h/sopranos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobAOdX2lrRm2X78w-VoWwiH0pOPkvCKxF93fRiGIVomD860LeVE_aYg2An8TTk4eyA42C9iTxVEzHVMy1xHIKl3JOCJzG_O5bPY_wwSwIyBf__qNGmREQbfov7bQwc-allGJnx3iEE_St/s320/sopranos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172913133562317154" border="0" /></a><br />The Sopranos is seriously one of my favorite things in the world. I cannot get enough of this show.<br /><br />Ohne Frage, I could watch 10 episodes of this show in a row without getting sick of it.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-1356420060223794502008-02-28T08:42:00.000-08:002008-02-28T08:45:35.077-08:00MIAI can't believe I have been neglecting this blog for two whole months! I apologize to anyone that is still checking this... let's be honest, there probably aren't any readers left! I am currently in the final stretch working on my thesis, which is due on 3 March, so I promise I will update RIGHT after I hand it in!<br />Still lots to say about Berlin and how amazing it is. I can't wait to start posting with renewed vigor very soon! So, please don't be mad.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-87070533635393065782007-12-17T06:05:00.000-08:002007-12-18T13:32:01.524-08:00christmastime is heeerreee...Sorry for not posting in so long! I apologize to my dwindling audience-- if I have one left. I realized today that I get annoyed when the blogs I frequent aren't updated enough... and then thought about mine. So, here it is, a long-awaited (by anyone? no) post.<br /> Two weekends ago, Brew and I went on a Bavarian Adventure. We decided that since we hadn't really done much traveling, even though we've been here for a good 3 months now, that we should squeeze in a trip before we come home to the US for Christmas. So, we decided to go on a trip to Wurzburg and Nürnburg to see pastoral, Sound of Music-esque (although yes, I know it takes place in Austria) Germany, which is something we don't see in dark, dingy, DDR/communism Berlin. And also, we figured it was the right time to go, because Nürnburg has Germany's (the world's?) biggest Christmas market. For those that don't know, Christmas markets are a huge deal in Germany. In basically every open place in Berlin and all over Germany, around the first week of December, Christmas markets large and small begin to pop up. They all consist of little huts/tents with red-and-white-striped roofs, and each hut sells something different-- candy/nuts/gingerbread/popcorn, wooden nutcrackers/pyramids with candles/manger scenes, jewelry, sausages, etc. And gluhwein, a delightful mulled wine that they give out in mugs and you sip as you wander around the market. It's really a nice thing to just wander around and browse.<br /> Anyway, Nürnburg has the largest Christmas market. And Brew and I were dumb enough to decide to go three weeks before Christmas. On a weekend. With every other German person in a 500-mile radius. It was packed. I really don't know if I have ever been in such a crowded area before-- I can only compare it to being at a concert with no music or dancing-- and really annoying old women that push at you until you become angry. So angry that you purposely hit people with your bag if they're in your way. Or start pushing back at people slightly too hard. Yikes.<br /> Anyway, it WAS pastoral and nice, even though there wasn't snow like I had hoped. There were some cool castles and an awesome fortress overlooking Wurzburg, but... surprise... they were packed too. So, hopefully we'll have slightly more successful trips in the future!<br /> I'm headed home on Thursday for awhile, and I am very excited! It really hasn't hit me yet that I'm going to be home SO SOON. I'm really going to miss Berlin, though! But Christmas at home will be absolutely wonderful. I'm slightly worried about reverse culture shock! I don't remember experiencing any when I came back from Cork, but I guess Berlin is significantly larger than Cork-- plus, I was going to school in Cork, whereas now I'm actually kind of living an adult life here in Berlin. But I think some things are going to be really strange-- driving, big grocery stores, the 3 acres around my parents' house (!!!), food choice at grocery stores, things not being so convenient and easily walked to, being able to fully understand all the conversations going on around me, being able to EASILY have a simple conversation ordering food, paying for something at a store, etc without struggling through the words and hoping that the person I'm talking to doesn't deviate from the simply dialogue I've worked out in my head. So, yay for being home in a few days! Can't wait to see lots of people!Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-30433811264795937632007-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:002007-12-02T13:38:35.582-08:00german TVThank you, German MTV, for playing Flavor of Love 2 and I Love New York. Thanks for nothing for dubbing the Hills and Laguna Beach.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-26669694314097846132007-11-30T04:54:00.000-08:002007-11-30T04:55:50.805-08:00girl!My cousins Brynn and Dan are having a girl! Yay. One can only assume it will be named Emily...Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-18423189227138070802007-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:002007-11-26T07:16:24.864-08:00american food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8AKGcSNwUykBSSwHDhLoDs9eq4mcCTN99MbQqkxdL1jTSwevCzhP1y2m26agjnn3mHjMkeRg0LJhyYmmNahqpFtPS_fbPZj5eQtqLEpz8fhUl29Zd05tatnBGGunM5TbM7QexA7SV9J3/s1600-h/cheeseburger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8AKGcSNwUykBSSwHDhLoDs9eq4mcCTN99MbQqkxdL1jTSwevCzhP1y2m26agjnn3mHjMkeRg0LJhyYmmNahqpFtPS_fbPZj5eQtqLEpz8fhUl29Zd05tatnBGGunM5TbM7QexA7SV9J3/s320/cheeseburger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137168199984363074" border="0" /></a><br />Lately I've been strangely craving American food. And by American food I mean burgers. If you know me at all, you know that I love burgers. And Berlin is lacking in the burger department. Well, that isn't totally true. Lots of places attempt to make burgers, but they fail miserably. Apparently there is a good place to get burgers in this place in Kreuzberg called Kreuzburger (clever), but I haven't been. There's an American-ish bar here that plays NFL games, which is pretty cool, and it has the best burgers I've had here, which isn't saying much. They're strangely spiced, and weird in general.<br /> So, instead of blabbing about missing burgers more, I am going to make them tonight! I've been cooking a lot lately, and loving it, so I'm keeping it up. Send me recipes if you have any good ones!!<br /> Also, I want to see as many people as possible over the winter holidays-- so let me know your schedules!!!<br />The picture I've attached makes me laugh out loud in an empty apartment.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-14882336402521060302007-11-18T03:20:00.000-08:002007-11-18T03:43:19.753-08:00finally, an updateIf anyone is actually still reading this, I'm so sorry for not updating in such a long time. Blah, blah, blah, I won't give excuses that don't matter.<br /> I had an amazing time with my family while they were here. The weather was terrible (very cold rain, snow, freezing temps), so we didn't do as much sightseeing as my very elaborate itinerary called for, but we had a great time eating brunch, walking around, and just enjoying each others' company. Cheesy, I know. I really enjoyed having them here, and showing them the city that I've really grown to appreciate and love-- and I think they liked it a lot too. A highlight was when we were getting on the S-bahn (train), and Brew held the closing door open so my grandmother could get in before the doors closed-- and we all got pulled out by the Polizei, who threatened to fine us 35 euros each. Poor Brew had to translate for everyone-- but got us out of the fine! Smooth operator. Needless to say, my family was very proud to have had a scrape with the cops while in Berlin, and have been telling everyone since they have gotten back (so I hear).<br /> Since then, not much has been going on. We've been making nice, hearty homemade meals with Sarah (ziti, mac and cheese), which has been nice. There's something about making a collaborative meal that is very satisfying and homey to me.<br /> Brew's still trying to get over his stomach issues, and has been feeling a lot better. But he has lost a good amount of weight (yikes!) and is still having some trouble keeping non-bland foods down. He's kind of bummed and still doesn't have a lot of energy. I think he's finally over the hump, though, and won't get another bout of it.<br /> My migraines are still bothering me, but I guess are getting a little less frequent, so that's good. I've been getting physical therapy every week, which I must say is kind of nice and relaxing, and this Friday, I start acupuncture! I am very excited about the prospect, albeit slightly nervous-- will it hurt? I've heard from some that it won't, but from others that it will. I'm just excited in general.<br /> I've been doing a good amount of classes at the gym. I had never given it any amount of thought before-- but it's really surreal to take an exercise class in a language that you struggle with. Obviously, most words used in exercise classes are pretty elementary (lots of counting, words for body parts, etc), but it's still pretty crazy for me. But entertaining. I haven't had the nerve to go alone yet-- I always go with Sarah or Christina, in case I need some translating-- but it's been a lot of fun and kind of funny for me, since my German is, shall we say, a little lacking.<br /> Speaking of my German, I went to a bingo night earlier in the week. Christina asked me to go, and I stupidly had the picture in my head of an American bingo night-- old ladies, numbers called very slowly, etc-- and was slightly taken off guard when I got there. It was at a bar in Kreuzberg, and it was packed, probably with like 200-300 people (although I am terrible at estimating, so it could have been, like 10 people, or 900). And it was drag queen bingo! Which was fun, although of course I had absolutely NO idea what was going on (I also stupidly didn't really consider the fact that it was all going to be in German). But I realized that it would be great practice for my numbers, as well as thinking in German on my feet, very quickly, so I gave it a go. It was so hard! The queens yelled out a number every, like, 2 seconds (not really an exaggeration). Of course my brain had to translate them into English first, so I was slow-moving and very in over my head. When people won, they had to go on stage and get made fun of by the drag queens for a few minutes, and then they win some sort of prize-- dinners for 2, haircuts, bottles of wine, CDs, books, etc. I told Christina and Brew that if I won, they would have to go up for me. And, then, I won. And they both refused to go up for me. So I made an absolute FOOL out of myself. I told them my German was terrible, so they spoke to me in English, and then I won a German book on immigration (thanks, I'll just start reading that now) and a CD called Berlin Extreme Hardcore. Yikes. I was kind of hoping for the dinner for two. But I was so ready to get off the stage-- I was shaking, squeaking into the microphone. Horrible. I was so embarrassed. Brew took pictures.<br /> Well, obviously not much has been new here. I am missing Thanksgiving, wanting to stuff myself with turkey and mashed potatoes and then fall asleep in front of the TV while watching football. Instead, I'll be going out to dinner with my dad's best friend from architecture school-- and then stuffing my face with pie at Athena's Thanksgiving pie party. Awesome.<br /> Happy T-giving to you all, miss everyone! xxxxxMilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-90549717879162645242007-11-07T11:39:00.001-08:002007-11-07T11:40:35.314-08:00sister timeI am so excited for everyone to come visit. It will be interesting to have my sister here, since she just got back from Tanzania, and leaves for Seattle the day after she gets back from here. Also, she doesn't like crowds or culture. It will be an interesting stay. But she is also wonderful and I can't wait to see her!!!Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-63491663223592395882007-11-07T07:01:00.000-08:002007-11-07T07:08:20.993-08:00t-1!Good news and bad news. The bad news is that Brew has the flu-- again! He is so miserable, but his fever has gone down, thank goodness. The good news is that my family is coming tomorrow. Hooray! I need to clean the place and also work on an itinerary that involves lots of sightseeing but not too many museums because my sister will complain.<br /> In a completely unrelated matter, I thought I'd share a website that has been keeping my attention lately. This website (www.myelectionchoices.com) is really cool-- it gives a list of different issues, and anonymous candidates' thoughts on each matter-- and you choose which statements you agree with. It's a lengthy process, but at the end, it tells you how many statements you chose by each candidate-- and thus suggests what candidate you might consider voting for. Interesting stuff, but my result wasn't surprising at all. I've also been reading digg.com and cracked.com, which are entertaining, and of course the usual mindless entertainment (perezhilton.com, facebook, etc). So, if anyone could give me some ideas for cool new websites I can get hooked on-- please let me know! I have begun to bore myself.<br /> Pretty pathetic post-- sorry. But I'd love some feedback.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-60185481147016891702007-11-02T05:31:00.000-07:002007-11-02T05:32:08.969-07:00frauen fitnessHooray! Joined a gym the other day. It's at Alexanderplatz, which is a bit far from my apartment via the U-Bahn, but I figure that it will be a good reason to get out of the house, since I'm working from home and it can get a bit tedious. I met Christina and Sarah there the other day and we took a crazy German workout class. I didn't think about it before I got there, but it was very interesting taking an exercise class when your language skills are below par. So, it was fun-- but I am so sore from it!<br /> Halloween was Wednesday, and for those who don't know, Germans don't really celebrate it too much. I saw some kids out in our neighborhood with very boring, half-hearted costumes, and Alex got attacked in our hallway by two children begging him for candy. Weird. But, Sarah had a party at her place, and Brew and I dressed up as Steve and Kingsley (Ned) Zissou, which we had fun with-- except no one but Sarah had seen the movie. Bummer. Thus, our costumes kind of went over like a lead balloon. Which is to say they weren't very successful. Oh well.<br /> My parents, sister, and grandmother are visiting on Thursday (less than a week away) and I am very, very excited. That's really all I have to say about that.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-30613757760596766372007-10-23T10:34:00.000-07:002007-10-23T10:44:01.166-07:00visa shenanigansThis week has been pretty brutal. Yesterday I went to get an MRI of my head because of the massive migraines I've been getting which include one entire eye going blind, and also to get a neck x-ray (nex-ray?). It was scary, but I was sooo thankful that Sarah came along with me to translate and for moral support. She made some jokes while I was in the MRI machine-- unfortunately I didn't hear her. Today I went to the immigration office with Brew to try to get my visa to stay here. I had everything in order-- passport, photos, rental agreement, proof that I can support myself financially, and my employment agreement-- and they asked for more. They need my boss to send them a letter (in German, of course, which is great, since my boss is American) saying they need me in Germany. Only then will they give me a visa. FUN. I did get a temporary permit, which I hear is a good sign. Brew was amazing and held his own with the German bureaucracy, while I cried in the waiting room. But he exhausted himself, and now has a fever. Poor Lexy.<br /> After the visa appointment I went to the doctor to discuss the results of my MRI/x-ray, and it turns out I don't have a brain tumor-- good news. Apparently one of the vertebrae on my neck is out of whack, which explains headaches, I suppose. But, the most exciting news-- I am going to get acupuncture. I am super pumped and think I will ask the doctor to stick me in other places that will help me to do things, like only wanting to eat healthy foods, or having a painful need to exercise every day. We'll see.<br /> Anyway, some of you who knew about this whole migraine drama were wondering, so I thought I'd let you know. If you don't care, then continue to not care.<br /> Also, I am officially coming home for Christmas-- hooray. Start planning things now.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-24763747715036684962007-10-17T13:54:00.000-07:002007-10-17T13:57:37.990-07:00reason #3Peppermint tea, which consists of hot water and fresh peppermint leaves. Yuuuuum. <br />Pretty much all I have to say, currently.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967106148097767872.post-56776940208846254342007-10-13T10:42:00.000-07:002007-10-13T11:09:43.202-07:00reason #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O_FhHj5A51Iq8pPIRcLLeIx3sY212hGsxqGPHPUYBpU9-Tl-tLfpaQqqshJbGOO4Ce2mzwYvF_tdLot2RVLI4X8Rx_i27yeU5yERIlHgAKoS2kGskDDrGqUQ0rgZslHa9BbK_cRbS110/s1600-h/golf-764412.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O_FhHj5A51Iq8pPIRcLLeIx3sY212hGsxqGPHPUYBpU9-Tl-tLfpaQqqshJbGOO4Ce2mzwYvF_tdLot2RVLI4X8Rx_i27yeU5yERIlHgAKoS2kGskDDrGqUQ0rgZslHa9BbK_cRbS110/s320/golf-764412.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120885106098534194" border="0" /></a><br /> So, when I decided to start listing these reasons, I didn't really think about the fact that most of my obsessions/pleasures in life are related to food. That is slightly embarrassing, so I am going to make a very concerted effort to not look like a fatty, and instead concentrate on the other great things about Berlin. Food will only be mentioned every once in awhile. Hopefully.<br /> And I am brought to reason number zwei: Brew and my favorite game, VW Golf Edition Bingo! We have discovered that in the mid-90s, VW put out a number of different "editions" of Golfs. They are identifiable by a few stickers on the car: one on the back and one near the gas tank, that just says what edition they are. Sometimes they are a specific color, but not always. We've looked in the windows to see if there are any extras on the inside, and while they sometimes have crazily-upholstered interiors, nothing else has stood out. So, the game is: if you see a Golf edition, take a picture. There are 12 different editions in all, and some are pretty rare. Others are not, like the Pink Floyd edition, which is purple-y. So, here is a list of the ones we have taken pictures of: <br /> -Pink Floyd (pretty common; always purple)<br /> -Rolling Stones (only seen so far in dark blue; has a weird sticker on the hood, too)<br /> -Bon Jovi (seemingly only in black; the stupidest idea I've ever heard; who buys a Bon Jovi car?)<br /> -Europe (seen in blue and white so far, just says "Europe" with some stars on it)<br /> -Joker<br />And here are the ones we have seen, but have been unable to take pictures of, due to sluggish reaction times:<br /> -New Orleans (which I saw and Brew didn't, thus rendering me better than him)<br /> -Harlequin (not romantic, as one would think, but rather is painted a different color on every panel, so that the front door is red, the back door is green, the hood is yellow, etc. And this makes me wonder-- shouldn't they have called this one the Joker?) See above for photo of Harlequin, which I found on the internet, since it has cleverly eluded our attempts at photographing it thus far. But not for long!<br /><br />We still have a good amount more to find. But it has been fun, mostly because of the crazily large amount of Golfs that abound in Berlin, so we are constantly looking. I'll keep you updated if we see the Savoy, Movie, Avenue, or Special editions, or the rare, only-1000-made 20th Anniversary edition. If we find this, we will die two happy people. Only time will tell.Milyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013450192179994592noreply@blogger.com4