Essen und Döner Kebabs

I had my second lesson with Günther today, and we talked about different types of food. I was surprised to see what I was already familiar with due to my very frequent exposure to these words at the grocery stores we visit far too often. I can form simple sentences, but anything that is complex is beyond my brain capacity. The structure and word order of German sentences is so different from English. Every word has a gender, too. Apparently, it’s intuitive for Germans to know the gender of a word and how to conjugate it. It feels like learning this language is going to demand a lot more attention than the Spanish classes I took in high school… I wasn’t even that great in those.

Wednesdays do have their perks, for us, though. After our German lessons, we go down the street from our house to Metin’s and eat döner kebabs. It’s similar to a Greek gyro, but in my opinion, far superior. I’ve become a huge fan of Turkish food and the deal we get at our restaurants. The döners are 2.50 euros… half off their normal price! It’s the little things in this town that seem to make me happy… but those little things make Wednesdays something to look forward to. I can’t believe America doesn’t have more döner kebab stands!

Remembering Home

It’s the end of the first week back to school after fall break, and our schedule is still MIA. Alex and I are hounding teachers to give us hours, and some are more helpful than others. We’ve met our hour requirements for the week, at least. On Tuesday, we both went to Ingmar Brunn’s 8^th grade class. As soon as we walked in, all of the students stood up and said the Pledge of Allegiance… hands over their hearts and all! It was a really precious moment, and I was so impressed with how proficient their English was at such a young age. Alex and I talked to them about Hurricane Sandy and how it was impacting our friends and family member back home in Jersey. I won’t lie, I’m glad I missed that one. We also discussed the presidential election, and Alex taught them about the Electoral College. Imagine explaining that concept to a bunch of German 8^th graders… I don’t even think most Americans fully understand how it works, so I’m pretty sure a lot of it went over their heads. Overall though, it was a fun lesson and Ingmar is going to give us more lessons with his class.

We repeated the same lesson in a few other classes. Klaus Brinkmann and Matthias Beck have agreed to make us a permanent addition to their classes. I will be with Matthias’s 7^th graders, who are the most energetic group of students I have yet to meet. It’s amazing to see the level of class participation with the younger students because they all raise their hands to answer a question in class. Their genuine eagerness to learn motivates me to go to school each day. Klaus will have Alex and me speak with his 8^th graders and 10^th graders in conversation groups. His younger students visit us in groups of three, whereas his older students must engage in a one-on-one conversation with us. The concept seems to intimidate them, but once they have finished our discussion, it’s obvious how proud of themselves they all are for maintaining a dialogue.

Today, Alex and I held auditions for our Christmas show. Auditions were far more relaxed than the ones I was used to in high school, but I think it was better this way because we had such a wide array of age groups. Everybody auditioned in front of each other as I took notes on their performance. Alex and I plan on writing the show by next week and divvying out parts to each student by then. We’re not sure exactly how we’re going to do this in a week’s time, but I’m sure it will get done.

We also bought our plane tickets home today! I’m so excited to see my family next month. This has been the longest I have been away from home, and I miss them terribly. Until then, we have a lot to do, so I am sure time will go by quickly and we’ll be home for the holidays before we know it.

Wednesdays with Günther

The Meyers introduced us to their family during their “Oktoberfest” dinner. Alex and I went downstairs and ate supper with them in the Wintergarten. It was a typical German meal with a lot of sausage and beer. I used just about every German phrase I knew, which wasn’t many, but it was rewarding to practice my new language skills. There are plenty of sounds I don’t think I will ever be able to make, but I’m certainly working on it.

Herr Meyer introduced us to his old friend, Günther. He is such a tragic character. He is an elderly man whose wife just passed away, and now he has nothing to occupy his time. His house is always very cold and messy, and he is always wearing the same disheveled looking clothes with a terrible comb over. This is why men need women around. Ironically, he used to be an English teacher at Gymnasium Melle, so Herr Meyer thought it would be a good way for me to practice my German, and also keep Günther company.

Our first lesson was focused on learning vocabulary, and Alex has been learning new words, too. We plan on meeting weekly on Wednesdays. It’s beneficial for all of us, really. It’s our very own German version of Tuesdays With Morie… “Wednesdays with Günther.”  

Taking a Trip to Amsterdam!

Just like September, October seemed to vanish into thin air. Time was going by fast, but we had a lot to show for it. My contract officially started October 15, though I had already been working with some of the classes since September. My most recent lesson in Katja’s class was fun for a film buff like me because I had her 11^th graders create a deleted scene from a movie they watched called Outsourced. They weren’t too keen on speaking German with me initially, but I think the ice will break eventually. I was also with her 8^th grade class that Alex also joins once a week. The younger students are much more eager to learn because they don’t seem as embarrassed when they make grammatical errors. Their enthusiasm is appreciated on my end, and I’m officially regretting all those moody teenage moments I ever had in high school. To any victims of my teenage angst, you’ll be happy to know that karma found me.

I’m going to start my American Theater Group after fall break. It started on October 20 and actually lasts two weeks. Another benefit to a European vacations. These kids have days off left and right. Alex and I are really excited to have our future students perform a Christmas show!

As far as a set schedule goes, Alex and I still don’t have one for after break. We’ve just been going to classes with Silke, Katja, and the few teachers who want us. Most teachers only invite us in their class for one lesson and then can’t seem to think of another reason to have us. It’s kind of embarrassing that we’re practically begging for hours at this point… and our mentors aren’t much help. They just tell us to keep asking. So, to further humiliate ourselves, we handwrote a letter to every English teacher and put it in their mailboxes offering our assistance. Hopefully that will do that trick… or at least buy us a few more pity hours.

Germans don’t celebrate Halloween like Americans do, that’s for sure. There were no scary decorations up anywhere or places to buy costumes. Most pumpkins we saw were Japanese pumpkins, and they weren’t good for carving! We did uncover “normal” pumpkins, though, and we brought them back to our apartment to celebrate Halloween the American way! They rotted after two days, but it’s the thought that counts.

Our German bank account at the Sparkasse is also looking better since Alex finally got paid… nearly two months later. Better late than never, I suppose. Since we were feeling wealthier and not relying on the 25 cent Pfand from our water bottles any longer, we took a two night trip to Amsterdam from October 26-28. Everything was planned out perfectly. The night before we left, we chose what attractions we wanted to do through the Holland Pass since it offered such a great deal. It was the first trip I ever planned so thoroughly without my parents, and I’ll admit, the control freak inside of me felt liberated to be in charge of exactly what we were going to do each day. We also packed and prepared food to bring to cut down on our spending… yes, we got paid, but we had to make the paycheck last for the month. It was our third overnight trip, and I’m proud to say that my packing skills are vastly improving upon each endeavor. I only bring the essentials now instead of two weeks worth of clothes for a weekend getaway.

On Friday, we went to the train station with our mapped out train transfers, platforms and all. All the excess planning we did went awry when we ended up getting on the wrong train since we never switched platforms. We travelled two hours in the wrong direction, making us four hours behind schedule. The third person to check our ticket told us we were on the wrong train… not the first or second… the third… how attentive. So we took a five minute train back to Hannover, and went to the help desk, who advised us to buy a 30 euro ticket back to Bünde, and from there, our original ticket would be valid. Once we were on the train and headed in the right direction, all was well in vacation world. Everything we do in this country seems to take us twice, maybe three times as long as a typical German. We’re bound to get the hang of it, eventually…

By the time we actually arrived in Amsterdam it was nearly 5pm, and we were quick to purchase our Holland Passes at the train station… it was nice, and somewhat bizarre, to speak English again and actually understand conversations around me. I’m so used to being a feather in a whirlwind and sticking out like a sore thumb that blending in was a foreign feeling.

We walked for 40 minutes to our hostel, admiring all the glorious sights along the way and breathing in the scent of Amsterdam tulips, among other familiar scents. After we dropped our things off in the six bedroom hostel, we went to a nearby bar where we met our new friend, Devon. He heard Alex and I speaking in English, and was very blunt when he asked to hang out with us. Naturally, we welcomed the company. Coincidentally, he is also a part of Fulbright and is living in Turkey for his second year. This is not the first time Alex and I have been stopped to converse with someone because the two of us were speaking in English, and I find it harmonious that language can be such a uniting factor.

After we parted ways with our new friend, Alex and I attempted to explore Amsterdam more. We even walked around the Red Light District. It was far cleaner and safer than I had imagined it to be, and I’ll even go a step further to add that the Atlantic City hookers don’t have a thing on Amsterdam prostitutes. The women in their windows were actually really pretty. Kudos to the girls that pretend to read books, brush their hair, and talk on the phone… they’ve given me hope that Pretty Woman may actually be a nonfiction film.

We certainly were able to sightsee that night after getting turned around in all of the canals. It all looked the same! Once we collected our bearings, it was late and we were ready to call it a night.

The next day, we did a “100 Highlights Canal Cruise” that lasted about an hour. There was an audio guide that spoke in five different languages… as annoying as it was to switch languages every other sentence, it was surprisingly well timed out with every landmark we saw. We learned about the houses with 15-40 rooms each, the gables, and the hooks on top of the houses to lift things from outside to inside the rooms since the staircases were designed to be too narrow to move things through them.

Then, we headed over to the Heineken Experience where we were schooled on the many wonders of beer. We received a quick history on Heineken and the family, and it made me appreciate the brand much more than I ever did. Great marketing. Not only did we see how much effort went into brewing beer, but we tasted it without the hops, too, and that is just all in all an unpleasant experience. There was even a virtual ride, which made me slightly nauseous. The free beers we were given at the end didn’t do much for my stomach, but I somehow choked it down.

It was getting darker, and with that, colder, so we put warmer clothes on at the hostel and headed to the Pancake Bakery. This was somehow the only food we managed to buy on this trip. I’m thinking that German Megan is turning into quite the survivor. Anyways, the restaurant was absolutely packed and we waited for at least 30 minutes, but it was well worth it. We both had one pancake the size of our plates. My pancake had banana, nutella, and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I’ve always been a dessert kind of girl, but I wish I got a ham and cheese pancake because it was too rich. The pancake was really light and omelette like, so I think I could have gotten something of that nature and have been happy. Alex ordered a delicious pancake with apple, bacon, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I had the worst case of food envy. The Holland Passes we bought paid off yet again because we even got a glass of free apple cider.

We capped off the night with drinks at a bar themed like The Doors. Alex turned me onto their music and the movie, so it was a good time had by all.

Sunday, we woke up early and refreshed since it was daylight savings and headed to the train station. Since we didn’t buy our return ticket in advance in Germany, we had to go to the information desk in order to use our Bahn50 cards. We had to go to the booking agency and wait 20 minutes to get our ticket from an agent. Again, simple processes like these probably take far less time for your average German, but we’re clearly still new to everything. Thus, the simplest situation will be complicated

Once business was taken care of, we rushed to the Anne Frank Huis to make use of our last day in the Netherlands. I was looking forward to this leg of the journey for a while! Before we left Melle, we both read her diary in preparation for the museum. The eagerness and pure excitement washed away the minute we saw how long the line was… it wrapped around the corner for hours. It was like seeing a wait for Splash Mountain in Disney World in 100 degree heat.

Disappointed, but resolute on cramming in as many activities as possible, we didn’t waste any time and entered the Amsterdam Dungeon. This is a place I shouldn’t go in 50 years if I have a weak heart, or I’ll probably end up in the emergency room. Lucky me, I was selected for audience participation in one of the scenes. I blame my parents for this because I think it’s the red hair that makes me stand out, and thus, I am more likely to draw unwanted attention to myself. I was dubbed a witch in one of the acts and had to knock on a door three times. To my dismay, the door opened and I was instructed to enter the room by myself where a ghostly character was waiting to frighten me… yes, it worked. His frightening demeanor disappeared abruptly when he noticed I was just about hyperventilating. Then he told me to sit, and said, “Sorry love for scaring you. Who are you here with?” Before I could even mumble some kind of English, he jumped up and got ready for the rest of the crowd who was finally rejoining me. There was even a fun 15 second ride at the end, comparable to Skull Mountain at Six Flags.

After that, we went to the Amsterdam Museum. My favorite room included celebrity photos taken by a man from Amsterdam that captured a unique essence of each person that I could appreciate, but my mind was still on the Anne Frank Huis.

When we went back to Anne’s, the line was still too long and along came the unwanted icky feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even though the idea was abandoned, we took pictures of the outside of the house. On the bright side, we were up 40 euros.

Daylight was burning rather quickly, but we managed to visit the Houseboat Museum in all of 12 minutes to see and admire the entire thing. It was adorable, and if I wasn’t moving back to an apartment in Jersey next year, I just may have opted for one of these. However, I have a tendency to get seasick, so I’d probably OD on Dramamine after the first week.

Pressed for time, Alex and I dashed to the train station. There was a minor and very necessary pit stop along the way though… one of the shop windows displayed the most popular, the most delicious, and the most addicting candy ever… Reese’s! No, blog followers… not marijuana, candy. And we are deprived of anything peanut butter in Germany, so we had to take advantage of the situation. After those last minute purchases, we were forced to literally sprint our way to the train.

Once the train pulled into Germany, the police asked to see our passports and asked if we were vacationing, standard customs check. It was our first time showing off our brand new residence permits, which was way better to show than our passports in this scenario to prove that we were living in Europe. Of course, they had to comment on Alex’s last name, “Firsichbaum,” which means “peach tree” in German. They always ask him if he knows what it means, and then have a good chuckle to themselves about it, as if they were the first to ask this American boy with a German last name this question. If we had a euro for every time a German commented on his last name, we wouldn’t have to worry about getting paid anymore, I can say that much. Amsterdam was a fantastic trip, but it is on my bucket list to go back and see Anne Frank’s Huis.

Residents of Germany

We’re officially legal residents of Germany until June 30, 2013! Alex got a letter in the mail saying that his residence permit was ready to be picked up in Osnabrück. Everyone knew that his wouldn’t be a problem, but I was overcome with fear when my letter didn’t come in the mail. My 90 visitor days were wearing thin…

The two of us had only been to the immigration office in Osnabrück by car with Katja, and Google Maps told us it was a distance from the train station. The only thing to do was to take our bikes on the train. That was even more annoying than the luggage fiasco.

Once we got to the city, we rode our bikes to the office. They gave Alex his brand new residence permit, as promised, and coincidentally, had mine ready to go, too! It was so exhilarated! Everything was falling into place, and all the exasperating paperwork was worth it!

LSAT + Oktoberfest = Alex and Megan

We were sitting on a Munich bound train before the sun was even up on October 6 so that Alex could take his LSAT exam. The train ride was six hours long, and we would arrive in the city about an hour before his exam. That would give us just enough time to drop our things off at the hostel, refuel, and get Alex to the test that would determine where he would attend school next year. Moreover, we were going to Munich in October… how could we not swing by the last weekend of Oktoberfest? It was ironic that the LSAT’s were taking place in Munich during this internationally famous drinking festivity, but we weren’t going to question it.

The frightening thought of being alone in a German city for the first time never crossed my mind. Being the anal individual that I am, it may have caused me nightmares. Therefore, I developed a plan! My friend Anthony from high school will also be in Germany this year. He joined the Air Force, and they stationed him in Germany. He lives about seven hours away from Melle, so an unscheduled play date was out of the question. However, I Facebook messaged him and found out that he would be at Oktoberfest that weekend, too. Perfect! Not only was I excited to see a friend from home since it’s been what feels like forever, but “Operation Keep Busy While Alex Takes the LSAT” was full proof. Or so I thought…

I called Anthony when we got to Munich, and we played a game of phone tag for a while. When he finally answered my call, he told me that he couldn’t find our pre-established meeting place or a map to get him there. There was no map in sight for me either. Besides, I like to rely on my Tom-Tom. Time was escaping us, and Alex’s exam was getting closer and closer. He was flustered and didn’t want to leave me alone, but that’s what had to be done. We both split up for the first time since September 1, and all I know from this experience is that separation anxiety is a real thing!

I held my composure, though, because there was nothing I could do about the situation for the next four hours, and tried to make the best of my time. American Megan would probably be cranky about this whole debacle, but European Megan was determined to see the silver lining. It was my first time really giving optimism a real shot, and it showed me a great time. Nobody is more flabbergasted about this new found attitude than me.

At first, I didn’t want to stray too far from the university where Alex was, but the surroundings eventually bored me. I took a giant leap of faith and walked across the street where I took pictures in the park. Then, the most miraculous thing happened… I stumbled upon an English map of Munich in front of an art museum and explored my first European city by myself. Scary, but liberating! I even ordered myself a coke in German! I must have practiced the phrase a dozen times before I said it to the employee, and it still came out terrible, but I was so proud of myself and excited about my accomplishment! At this point in the trip, I didn’t realize I could get away with speaking English since Munich is such a touristy city. That being said, I think Germans appreciate the effort. It gave me confidence that I could really do whatever I wanted this year. I can conquer my fears and achiever great things. I already have. Admittedly, it was a good feeling to reunite with Alex. Like I said, separation anxiety.

The LSAT’s were over, and I was a new European woman! We began the celebrations that night. We made every attempt to make it to the fairgrounds, but a bar playing American music stopped us dead in our tracks. We stopped and had quite a few German beers there with a crowd you wouldn’t find in Melle. Everyone was dancing and singing all of the words to “Country Roads,” “Sweet Caroline,” and the “Macarena.” It was a good way to commemorate our triumphs, and we somehow made it back to our hostel without using a map.

The next day, we begrudgingly woke up with pounding headaches, so we each popped some Motrin and headed to breakfast. The hostel that we stayed at was nicer than I anticipated. I was expecting a filthy building with scummy people, but it was just the opposite. Yes, our room did have 36 people bunking in it, but they were all very respectful of everyone else. I feel like that would not be the case in a room filled with Americans celebrating any drinking holiday. We each had our own bed and locker, and breakfast was offered until 10am. Alex forbade me from seeing Hostel until after my first stay in one so my judgment wouldn’t be skewed, but I think I’m ready for it now.

After I mended the worst hangover of my life, we finally made it to the event that Munich is known for… Oktoberfest! It was basically Disney World for adults. Rides, beer, and Bavarians! We had our first and only liter of beer in a Paulaner tent. It was 9.40 euros per liter and we still had not gotten paid yet, so it was hard to justify spending any more of our money on alcohol that gave me hangovers from hell. The younger kids we sat by were extremely Bavarian, like our new friend, Marvin. He was born and raised in Munich, and wearing real lederhosen that has been in his family for generations. He told us that he wears it during the monthly celebration of Oktoberfest and for holidays, like Easter. The leather was very nice, but something tells me it’s not a trend that will catch on in America anytime soon.

Apart from the attractive lederhosen and dirndl everywhere, I’ve also noticed how intimidatingly pretty German girls are. Most of them don’t wear much makeup at all, and so many of them have gorgeous blonde hair and blue eyes… especially the girls from Munich. It’s hard to be around because I know I have too many spots on my face that need to be covered up before leaving the house. I tried wearing less makeup to fit in more, but I don’t think I’m converting to that aspect of German femininity any time soon.

All of the rides were lit up at night on the fairgrounds, and everyone was wearing their heart-shaped cookies that said different things in German. We bought one written in Bavarian that said “i mog di,” which means, “I like you.” We were also festive enough to buy a giant German pretzel, and it was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

Screw Disney World… I’m going back to Oktoberfest when I have money.

First Impressions of My New Home

We survived all of September magnificently! As hard as it seemed at times, we were definitely honeymooning as far as culture shock goes. Everything was so new for us. Dogs were absolutely everywhere. Not only was it probable that every German household owned a dog, but they brought them everywhere. Inside the grocery store, on the trains, shopping. I even witnessed a man coming out of a changing room with his little dog in hand. Absurd.

Alex and I finally got our bicycles after a month of living the pedestrian lifestyle. Walking became unbearable after about a week when we started going to the grocery store every other day and our backpacks would get heavier every trip, because no, they do not give out plastic bags for your food. You must buy them, and we hadn’t gotten paid yet, so we were saving as much as we could. The only trouble with riding bicycles is understanding the laws. Apparently, you can only ride on the red sidewalks, and on a certain side of the street. There seem to be more laws that I don’t know of since people tend to yell at me in German when I ride by them, but that’s all I know of for now. I see people texting while riding their bicycles. Now, that has be illegal… It requires skill, but illegal.

For all my jaywalking American friends, kick that habit if you ever come to Germany. No matter how long the light is, no matter how desolate the streets are, one is never to cross the street until the light is green. If you do, brace yourself for some nasty look from the one German who saw you break the law that will haunt your dreams for at least a week.

If the food cabinets and fridge are empty on Sundays, don’t plan on restocking until Monday. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays. It’s not even open for a few hours. Plan your meals for the week out accordingly when in Germany.

Need to use the bathroom? No problem… as long as you have 50 cents… sometimes even 1 euro. That’s right, it costs money to use the toilet in Germany. I will say this, though. The bathrooms are much cleaner than any public restroom you’ll find in America.

Another funny thing I don’t understand is that Germans don’t like peanut butter. I noticed that there was only one brand of peanut butter in one of the three regular grocery stores I visit. So, when I talked to a few classes about a typical American school experience, I asked them if they ever had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. It turns out, they don’t like peanut butter here! Not even Reese’s! They do, however, eat Nutella sandwiches regularly. Another mind boggling mystery for the books.

Restaurants function a bit different, too. There is no host to greet and seat you to your table. Alex and I learned that the hard way when we stood around waiting like idiots. You seat yourself in most places. Also, you must ask for the bill, otherwise, you’ll be waiting all night for it. One good thing about German restaurants is tipping… a large tip isn’t required because the waiters work off salaries. Oh, and pepperoni pizza in Germany is not what pepperoni pizza is in America. Another lesson I learned the hard way. Peperoni pizza has peppers on it. Order salami pizza for an American pepperoni experience.

Alex and I have been sharing one phone which we barely ever use since we’ve been here. There’s no point in getting a second phone, but it’s quite an adjustment. I feel really disconnected to the world. I can’t tell if I like it or not yet. Our internet is really terrible, too. We only get 5 gigs of internet a month that we share between the two of us, so we try to ration it out weekly. For those of you who haven’t seen German television, you’re really not missing anything. It’s How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory dubbed over into horrendous German voices. The only English speaking shows we get are the news channels. I guess I won’t be keeping up with the Kardashians this year.

The Fulbright conference in Altenburg made me really excited for this year in Germany. We completed several workshops and learned how to be teaching assistants at our schools. Technically, no, I’m not a Fulbrighter, but I was welcome to sit in on the sessions because I had the same job as everybody there. Speaking to other people about their insecurities and nervousness for the year made me feel less alone. I knew that there were a lot of people going through the same thing as me, and it was comforting to know I wasn’t the only person who was anxious for what Germany had to offer. We even made a new friend at the conference named Andrew who is married and coincidentally living in Herford, a town nearby. We’ve been hanging out with them a lot lately and it’s nice to have English speaking allies in a country where I feel completely oblivious at times. We all bonded over Germany’s foreign practices, like their trash rituals. Germans separate every piece of garbage, and sometimes, I really have no idea if my sandwich wrapper belongs in the paper, compost, or waste… the only thing I could rule out in this scenario would be plastic. So, I just throw it in one of the bins and hope nobody saw what it was. Little things like that can drive an American girl crazy after a while!

Katja brought us to Osnabrück to get our work/residence visas, which certainly tedious. The people running the Fulbright conference said it wouldn’t be difficult getting these documents approved in a small town, so that’s one thing I was thankful for about being placed in Melle. I was still nervous that it wouldn’t go through, though, for some reason.

The other day, I even mustered up the courage to walk into Tedi, Melle’s very own euro store, to purchase a notebook. It’s very similar to America’s cheesiest dollar stores… you can even find pillows shaped like breasts. Classy. Anyways, listening to Tom Petty’s “American Girl” during my jog must have given me some rush of independence. Immediately after my work out, I hummed that little diddy all the way to the store, determined to grab my new German life by the horns. I even sashayed my way up to the register singing that tune in my head. All music and new found liberation came to a halt when the cashier asked me something in German. My heart sank. Instant defeat and confusion flooded my face. She gestured at a bag since it was obvious that I had no clue what she was asking me. Embarrassed, I nodded my head yes, took my notebook, and bolted out the door with my tail between my legs. One minute, I’m on top of the world. The next minute, my life is a tragedy… some may say comedy. “All by Myself” was now on repeat in my head. I wasn’t fooling this town I was German anytime soon.