it is already snowing here!

ambien dreams of european streets and masks and things

italy

Italian coffe!

farmer's market

i worked at the market all day, and it was pretty great. i'm not very good at german yet, but i met a lot of canadians, and i think my boss was happy that i could speak english with them. he thinks i'm a riot when i try to speak german. he gave me more bread and muscato grapes and the best cheese i've ever had. it's like parmigiana but better. i will not go hungry! the paycheck is small, but dependent on the day. i think i will try my hand at distilling wine at home, because i get lots of grapes that are about to turn, and i can't eat them all (and neither can my roommates!). 

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest was crazy. It was like a UMass party, but with carnival rides and traditional German garb- Liederhosen and Drindls. One beer is equivalent in volume to three (try a half-lemonade, half-beer to keep up stamina and to not throw up!) and say goodbye to at least 50 euro (rides are expensive, but the rollercoaster was at least worth it). There will be lots of people passed out in the street by 4pm, and not just teens and 20year olds. Most of them, actually, were dads. There was this one girl around 18 yelling to people not to step on her "papa".. it would embarrass any American teen, but she stuck by him faithfully as he lay face down on the sidewalk. It's best not to get involved, because the medical teams are everywhere and they will find them quickly.

The beer tents were packed, and it was hard to find a place to sit in a big group, but once we splintered off into groups of three or four, it was easier to manage. I was with an American guy and a girl from Spain, and we went for the tent with the most music coming out of it, as well as one that let us go in with our backpacks (we brought sandwiches and water, which is a good idea because everything is expensive and it is an intense day to go through without snacking and drinking water) we met some really nice German guys who had stayed up all night at a party and then went straight to Oktoberfest. Crazy. I was ready to go by 7pm when our bus came for us. The pretzels there were enormous, and I wish I had one as I write this. I don't know how Germans stay so slim while eating and drinking the way they do. I guess they bike a lot.

We left Oktoberfest before getting more than tipsy, and made our way to the center of Munich. It was German Unity day, so inside Oktoberfest looked pretty much like the rest of the town. The streets were crowded with people and there was lots of traditional music and beer in almost every section of the square. We stopped to gather our bearings, and a little old German lady asked us if we needed help. She explained what a unique day it was, and that if we were lucky we could see the Munich council and parliament. We did, although our German wasn't good enough to understand their speeches. We stuck to the small side streets and sought out the typical German festival desert, a giant frosted cookie that you can wear around your neck for the day.

We watched the parades of people for awhile, and then headed back to Oktoberfest to meet up with the rest of the group from Konstanz. It was then that we noticed those who'd passed out, one man bloodied in front of a Toys 'R' Us.. it seemed wrong but I could see that he was being taken care of. Apparently parents make examples out of these people to their kids, because no one tried to conceal them.

conversions

Here is a really handy kitchen conversion sheet, because reading cooking instructions can sometimes be very tricky:

find original here

Orientation in the Schwarzwald

This weekend was the orientation for the UMass program in Germany. Being the only student to go to Konstanz, I was worried that I would be the only one who didn't know anyone else. I took the bus instead of train, as it was a direct route and much cheaper than the train, and I was bummed to have to leave before the ending ceremony of my Konstanz orientation celebration.

Once getting to Freiburg, I found it hard to find the rest of the group, as I didn't know anyone studying abroad in Germany. It wasn't until I saw Regine that I knew that I was in the right place. Making international friends was incredibly easy, but would I make friends with people from my own university who already knew each other? Americans are known for being cliquey. And I was not the "American girl" anymore.. How would this go?

At first I found it difficult to get to know everyone, as groups of them lived in the same town here or very close. I just kept at it, and talked about how beautiful Konstanz was and how everyone should travel the few hours away to come visit. I told them how much I enjoyed visiting Heidelberg and Tubingen. After awhile, it was clear that these fellow travelers were just as excited to be here as I was, and the comfortable clingyness people exhibit when they know each other faded away. After the first night was over, and a few beers, I knew I had made some new friends from an old place.

The next morning, we went to a farming museum in the hills of the Black Forest. I won't mention how we got there, not to ruin the surprise, but it involves a bit of a hike and a stay in a cabin. The tour was all in German, and there was a mix of people who fully understood and some who understood even less than me. I understood only when the tour lady gestured to what she was talking about. Even then, it was only by common sense that I got any of it. Life was rural and difficult in the mountains up til the present, but most of the houses had electricity and even internet there now- most likely due to the proximity to Freiburg and the services provided by the lower part of town.

It was a weekend of beauty mixed with some boredom, but it was comforting to get away from the cities for awhile. Until then, I had been in mostly rural places, so it was a welcome change (for the few days!). 

Picking classes with the advisors was the best- most (actually, all) of the other exchange students in Konstanz were left to struggle through that process themselves. Many of the EU students even had to travel home to fill out documents because of it, or at least mail away. We are very lucky to have a program that not only helps pick classes, but takes us on a trip while doing so.

The cukoo clock downstairs in the hostel/cabin will most definitely keep you awake/wake you up. Bring earplugs for the nighttime!

The food is good (and free), but be prepared to be surrounded by beer that you have to pay for to touch (UMass being UMass, will not pay for any of these drinks)

Make sure to try a piece of Black Forest cake in the Black Forest! It's nothing like we are told it is when we see the cake mix in the US.

Enjoy, and don't forget to bring thick socks and hiking shoes. Really. You will need them.