Car Trouble?

Something that I've noticed around here....there are broken down cars EVERYWHERE. I literally mean EVERYWHERE. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see some poor, lone car parked on the side of the road, on the off ramp, on a median between 3 roads, in the grass on the side of the road, somewhere. At first I just wrote it off, oh that car has trouble, no big deal. Then it came to my attention, they are everywhere! Either Shreveport has horrible mechanics, the upkeep habits of this city are below standard, or all the lemons are shipped here, but this seems to be an epidemic. I just hope I won't become one of those people.

Work is about to be shaken up again. One of our key guys, who is full of knowledge, is leaving. The worst part of him leaving is the experience he is taking with him. The rest of us will be picking up the slack and working on team work. Things go easier when we all help each other and this location is still working on that concept. Things are really going great though and I love being here and watching all of these transitions take place. It is a great learning opportunity and I am so thankful to be part of it.

Less than a week until one of my best friends from Germany arrives. Evi is flying in on Monday and I am so excited to see her. It was a bit of a last minute, impromptu trip but the timing couldn't be better. We are headed home for Labor Day to work on our tan at the lake, then back here for a few days so I can work, then we are on for a weekend in New Orleans. We are going to have a blast and you will probably hear about it in the next few weeks. Be excited!

My Host Parents

This past weekend my host parents came to visit. I am so happy they were able to make it!! We had a great weekend…and they even helped me pack. Uwe and Andrea arrived Friday afternoon, about the same time I got back from Stavanger. I met them at Amsterdam Centraal, which was perfect, and we stored our bags and went for a canal cruise. The weather was fantastic, and quite warm, so we enjoyed the city from water level then dined on some Dutch pancakes. We were all tired so we decided to call it a day and head back to Haarlem. Upon arrival at the train station, I offered for them to take the bus, but they wanted to walk home from the train station. On that walk, I ran into some upper managers who were here for work. I didn’t even realize they were in town, but it was good to chat a bit with them.

On Saturday we decided it was a Haarlem day. We saw some sights that I had not yet seen (churches and markets) then headed to the beach. We didn’t get there till around 3 but it was probably just as well because it gave enough time for the mass crowds to leave. It was still busy since the weather was so wonderful but the traffic and parking was tolerable. I also managed to suffer my first sunburn of the season on my back side so now my back and back of my legs are about 2 shades darker than the front side. I guess I will have to try and correct that while at the lake for a few days. After the lake, we made it back to Haarlem in time to see America loose our soccer game. What a sad 2 hours of my life.

On Sunday we headed into Amsterdam. The original plan was the Van Gogh museum, but we decided to take a bus tour of the city and see some other sights and learn little known facts. One of these facts: on average 1 car per week ends up in the canals. We were also able to go to another big market that is open every day. I went to more markets last weekend than my entire time here, combined. They do sell some pretty good things! After touring the city for awhile we came back to my apartment to pack and watch Germany kick England’s butt in soccer. The packing has gone so easy thus far I’m worried. It seems too good to be true. I guess I’m not done yet, though.

Me, Uwe, and Andrea on the bus during our tour around Amsterdam. It was a double decker.

I am really going to miss this country!


They definitely know how to support soccer! It is a ton of fun watching it in this country.

The crowded beach at Zandvoort. Only a week before it was stormy and full of foam. This is much better!

Uwe & Andrea in front of the St. Bravo church in Haarlem. I had seen pictures of this place but this was the first time I had "found" it.

The Germans are Invading!

So after 2 weeks of work and hanging out with Javan, I had some more German visitors come. Peter, Doris' cousin, and his 3 friends all made the long journey. I know Peter through all of the weddings that I have attended with her, but this last wedding we really hit it off and had a fantastic time. He has become quite the dancer and just made us all laugh and enjoy the evening. When I finally convinced him to come visit, I was really excited. They didn't arrive till late Friday evening and had to leave Sunday so it was a short trip but we packed a lot into it. Friday night we headed into Amsterdam for a night in the clubs. We ended up in Studio 80 and had a great time. I never thought I'd be one to like the dance music, but I have come to enjoy it in the right setting. Maybe Karla and her brothers aren't so crazy for always listening to it. Well, they still are since I can only handle it under certain circumstances but I can see why they like it. We didn't get to bed till about 7 am on Saturday morning and as a girl who need her sleep, their waking up at 11 am was not cool. I never function on 4 hrs of sleep, let alone morning hours of sleep. We all got dressed and headed into Haarlem for some shopping. They came to appreciate all of the wonderful little stores we have. In the afternoon they headed to Amsterdam but I stayed behind. I was so grumpy I knew I was not an enjoyable person to be around. I spared us all the grief and stayed home for a nap.


That afternoon after they had returned, we all debated on a plan and decided that since the beach was so close they needed to see the North Sea. It was cold, rainy, windy weather but the ocean was beautiful. There was nobody on the beach and the waves were huge with foam all along the shore. You could just see the force of nature with every curling wave. They all ran in and out of the surf chasing the surging and receding water lines, but I didn't want to get my shoes sandy so I skipped those activities. We got sprinkled on, but no major precipitation fell from the sky. After the beach wed drove into Amsterdam. When they were there earlier during the day they didn't go through the red light district. Now, I can't let any of my visitors not see the most famous part of the city. So on our tour through the district, we stopped by a coffee shop so that they could see inside. The verdict, looks like a normal coffee shop but stinks. So Saturday night was definitely a shorter night, and very much welcomed.

Since I knew I was going to be busy on the weekend, Javan went with Richard, his wife, and some of their friends to a big outdoor concert. He had to ride a bike 20 miles in the rain which any American is definitely not used to. The big act he saw was UB40 along with many others but I'm happy he had such a great time.

We both took it easy on Sunday and relaxed and prepared for our flight out Monday morning to Norway for Bar-Code implementation at their location. Another exciting week!!

Me freezing at the sea. It was so windy and cold!!

The dark rain clouds, the big waves and the foam. It was beautiful in its own way.

Peter and I at Studio 80. He liked the hat.

Never a Dull Moment

After Doris and the girls leave, I have about a day's recovery period as I head to the airport Sunday evening to pick up another coworker, Carean, who is flying in from Scotland. Karla is flying out on Monday, June 7^th, and I am supposed to be taking her to the airport first thing Monday morning but one of her other friends said she would take her and since it would save me a bit of stress, I took her up on the offer. I did meet the girls for dinner at Wilma and Albert's and took Karla some of the belongings that got left here by the group. I still managed to forget a few things, so I still have stuff I need to take back for Karla.

With Carean and Javan here, I have done a TON of eating out these last few weeks. After a week of work and no major hang ups, we spend the weekend touring Amsterdam and seeing the Van Gogh museum. I never knew how many different styles he painted and how where he lived affected what he painted. During his time in The Netherlands and Antwerp, things were a lot darker and more traditional. Once he moved to France, it was like someone turned on the lights to his paintings as they became more colorful. He had such a dramatic life filled with so many different events. After the museum, we headed over to the Hard Rock Café for drinks and appetizers in preparation for the big game. USA v. England was coming on later in the evening and we were not going to miss out on that action.

After taking a break for food, Javan and I were exhausted so we decided to use public transportation to get back to the train station and get back to Haarlem before the start of the game. We went to the Whiskey bar in Javan's hotel to catch the game. They had it on the big screen, and we didn't win but didn't lose either and that is what is important.

On Sunday, we were both lazy and decided to take an easy day with nothing planned. We did get out and do a brief little tour of Haarlem, but nothing too exciting. We were preparing for a busy week at work and game planning how we were going to tackle any issues that came up after we turned on the new systems. My last few weeks here are winding down quickly and are full of work. I am glad to be keeping busy and being able to help out and hopefully make these transitions a bit easier, but it is sad because the time is flying by.

Tomorrow morning I fly out to Norway for a few days to help Javan train the new location and prepare for any issues that might come up. On Friday I fly back here and get to spend the weekend packing and spending the weekend with my host parents from Germany. So, as of now, 11 days and counting….

More and More Visitors

So after Tabatha and Boyd flew home on Monday, May 31^st I had 4 days to recover and get my apartment ready Doris and her 2 friends to visit. They arrived on Thursday evening, June 3^rd and we didn't waste any time! We headed out into Haarlem for a brief walk around town so that the girls could get a lay of the land for their excursion to Amsterdam on Friday while I worked. It was so great to catch up with Doris and her friends. Doris and I were the two single gals as Katrin is married and Sabina is engaged. They are both with American soldiers who are currently in Iraq and they found out just before they came that their men were going to be home in 6 weeks which was several months earlier than originally thought. I have known Katrin for many years as she was an exchange student the same time Doris was. She lived in Georgia and her and Doris celebrated their German graduation together and we all went on a trip together. Stories were brought up from that fabulous vacation and we had many more laughs.

The girls had a busy day in Amsterdam on Friday and, from what I hear, did a TON of walking. We met back at my apartment and they took a break and we got ready to go back into the city for an evening out. We walked around Dam square, toured the ever famous red light district and just hung out and enjoyed the atmosphere for a few hours. We caught the last train home at 1:30 am and called it a decently early night. On Saturday I had to head to the airport bright and early to pick up Javan, my coworker. He and I worked pretty closely during my rotation in Houston and I was excited to see him again. He got check into his hotel and had a few hours to take a nap. The girls and I had planned to head to Delft and Den Haag (The Hague) to see the sights and help Annemiek celebrate her birthday. Javan sent me a message and let me know there was no way he was going to make the trip with us, he wanted to keep napping. We completely lucked out and the weather was amazing the entire weekend. So in addition to seeing The Hague, we had to stop by the beach at Scheveningen. We were only there for about an hour, but that was long enough to walk in the sand, take some pictures and eat an ice cream. It isn't a trip to the beach unless there is ice cream!! After we dusted off our feet, we headed to Delft to visit with Mark's family and celebrate Annemiek's birthday. I was a bad attendee, though, because I forgot her gift and it is still sitting on my table. I'll get it sent before I leave this country!! It was so nice to see all of the family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We spent the evening talking and visiting the local bars and pubs here in Haarlem. It was great to see Doris again and spend some time with everyone.

They had to leave early Sunday as it is an 8 hour drive (with traffic). From what I heard, it was a decently uneventful drive which is always a great thing. The next time I'll be seeing Doris is for her brother's wedding in September when I make a crazy long weekend trip across the big pond to help her family celebrate the happy event. Until then, we've got to depend on emails!

Is It a Sign?

So, last weekend was the big wedding weekend. Doris’ cousin Heidi married a wonderful man from Guatemala, Mexico. If there are two cultures who know how to throw a great party it is the Mexicans and the Germans. We weren’t disappointed. Well, maybe when the band stopped playing at 1:30. His close family was able to attend but that was all. His mother was so pretty and done up. She wore a gorgeous pink dress and cute little peep toe silver pumps. Very proper but very festive.

They had a catholic ceremony in a small town near Munich. I saw next to Doris’ cousin, Uwe, and he is a ton of fun. We all had a great time at the wedding, making small jokes, and listening to the mariachi band play. They were so wonderful and they sounded so great in the church. It was just the perfect touch to the wedding to have them. Here is a picture of Doris and I with the band. The day was a bit windy…..

The reception started with an abundance of cake. It is tradition that all of the cousins and aunts bring a cake. Let’s say there are 21 cousins plus aunts to go with them so there is always a TON of amazing food. The cake time leads into coffee and then the dancing began. Oh, and the drinking. There was great beer, homemade schnapps, and tequila. The Mexican heritage had to be represented also!! The party got started right by Miguel’s parents dancing to a traditional Mexican song played by the mariachi band.

Part of their traditional weddings (and it is more of the Romanian/German heritage than current day German traditions) involve many games. One of which is kidnapping the bride and the groom must go and find her. At the last wedding I went to during my exchange year we went a bar and he had to try to figure out which one we were at. Every time he went to the wrong location, he had to do something, like put his shoes on the wrong feet, roll up his pant legs, or wear a wig. This time, since it was such a small town, we went out to the patio where they had sangria waiting for us. Miguel eventually showed up wearing a dress, wig, and breasts. It was quite the site! They made him do certain tasks to get her back, such as saying 5 words to describe the bride with a mouth full of wine, or finding a ring in a bowl of flower. He eventually got her back then everyone else got to play in the games as well. I got called up for a game where you have to take either a tennis ball or a ping pong ball and fish it up one pant leg of a unsuspecting guy and down the other. I lost, horrible. I also lost my ball. Everyone was laughing at me. I have no idea who this guy was since he was wearing a Rastafarian wig. Did I mention how great a comforter sangria makes when 10 tables of people are laughing at you?

After the games ended and we headed inside it was time for dinner. They had a great spread of food. I have no idea what all they served but everyone’s plate had something different. It was amazing! There was also more cake and even later, they brought out plates of ice cream with crepes. The ice cream was so delicious! They were big slabs of all different flavors. Caramel, hazelnut, chocolate, vanilla. I couldn’t pass on a taste test of those either. After dinner we all changed into clothes a bit more comfortable for dancing. Here I am with Rosi (Doris’ cousin) and Doris after the costume change.

The dancing was great. The band played great songs, but their sets weren’t very long and they had really long breaks. At the beginning this was ok because the mariachi band in between, but after they left it let the mood die down. We weren’t very happy with that. All of the younger cousins had planned a game for everyone. The audience participation wasn’t very good but that probably had something to do with alcohol consumption and the noise. But the King and Queen were on a chariot lead by a driver and 2 horses. There was a story that went a long with it and every time someone’s “position” was said, such as “the driver” he had to run around his chair. Everyone had a roll and it was a lot of fun. I really like how they all play games and have so much interaction. As it got later, it was time to throw the bouquet of flowers. There were plenty of single ladies there so the competition was tough but I’m not one to back down from a challenge. I’m not exactly in a rush to get married, but I really don’t like to lose so the result….

I caught the flowers. Woo Hoo! I also caught them at the last wedding I was at and that I’m still nowhere near close to being married. Doris said since these are German flowers it now leaves me the opportunity for a German man.

On Sunday we all woke up decently early and had breakfast down in the parents kitchen. It was fun seeing everyone the next morning and some people were definitely in better shape than others! Shortly thereafter we said our good byes and headed home. My flight left at 3:30 so we had to get back. Doris’ mom made an amazing lunch then Doris and I headed off to the airport. I go to check in only to learn my flight has been cancelled. I am supposed to go through Munich which was apparently close shortly before we arrived due to this annoying ash cloud. I got lucky and caught the KLM direct flight back to Amsterdam. I only arrived an hour later than scheduled and got to spend a few extra hours with Doris’ family and see her brother and future sister in law. I am still recovering and due to all of the partying I have come down with a cold.

I will not let this cold stop me though, because tomorrow I fly out to Copenhagen for my first solo trip ever. I will then travel to Stockholm and meet up with my cousin, then fly back to Amsterdam on Sunday. Therefore, I will not be able to blog the rest of the week but expect some great stories and pictures next week. I will also try to get a few more pictures of the wedding from Doris. Have a great week and pray the winds keep the ash cloud away!!

Nina!

Last weekend I visited Nina in Germany. Google maps said it would be about a 3.5 hour drive but ended up taking a bit over 4 hours due to traffic. She actually lives in a little town about an hour away from everything (Autobahn, Bremen). It is a super cute little town though, about 12,000 people live there and they have a great ice cream shop! I arrived on Friday evening and we just spent the evening snacking and catching up.

On Saturday we decided we didn’t want to rush ourselves so we slept in and ate a wonderful breakfast. Nina ran to the local bakery for some fresh rolls and we enjoyed the sunshine and more girl talk. We had so much to catch up on! Then we decided we would head to Bremen for the afternoon/evening. Bremen also had a “Body” exhibit where they display bodies and show how the muscles/veins/nerves/ligaments/organs work. It was really interesting to see. It all looked so fake! They had a normal brain compared to an Alzheimer’s brain and regular lungs compared to smokers lungs. They really did look like they were dropped in tar. We ended up spending about 2 hours in there looking at all of the different things. Another neat exhibit they had was of “The Beginning of Life” and they had all things dealing with pregnancies. They also had example fetuses ranging from about 4 weeks all the way until due. They really do look like a little bean pod. It was so weird to see. We also learned that humans live a long time in relativity to their heart size/function. If it was solely based on our heart size and how often it beats compared to our mass our life expectancy is only 27 years but obviously there are other factors at work here. It was just so neat to see “life” in that way.

After the exhibit we followed the crowd into town. We didn’t get very far before Nina spotted a store that sells the brands of jackets she wants. Well guess who ended up buying a jacket? Not Nina. They ARE really nice jackets and water and wind resistant. I found a nice one that can be used for work or play but it is longer (mid thigh length) which I really wanted. It is also light weight so it will be nice for a variety of seasons. It will be perfect for the trip I’m planning to Stockholm and Copenhagen in May! Here is a picture:

I don't get the joys of showing off my new clothes to friends or family, so this is my substitute :)

Since we went shopping first, I then had a giant bag to carry the rest of the day! We found a beautiful windmill and stopped and had a coffee under it for a little break. We then headed to the city center and to take a look around. We found the bronze statue “The Town Musicians” based on one of the Grimm Brother’s stories. We wondered down the Böttcherstraße and looked at all of the cute shops there. We found Eddie a cute birthday card as well as a shot glass for Mark. There is a candy manufacturer there that makes little Bon Bons (little hard sweet candies) by hand and we got to try some that were fresh off the cooker thing. I’ve never had a warm one before! I ended up getting 2 little jars and bringing them to work since everyone loves candy so much here. In this street is also a little brewery so we stopped for a happy hour drink. You can’t turn down a beer for 1 Euro. It’s just wrong! So he a beer…or two….then asked our super nice waiter where a good place to eat is. He recommended Italian but I wanted German since I was in Germany so we decided to just eat there. We wanted to go walk around a bit more since the weather was FANTASTIC so we figured we would just go back. In Bremen, they have little wharfs where the old harbor used to be. You can walk around along the water on a nice path, close to water level. There are also beer gardens and restaurants that have set up shop along there as well. Since the weather was still so great, we stopped for another beer along the river. After enjoying the sun and watching it set we decided to head back to the brewery where we would have dinner. It was busier by then but sadly not with any young, youthful guys. We ordered and I went for the traditional Bremer Knipp which is what poor people used to eat. Now, apparently it is a specialty. Our waiter didn’t sell it very well with the poor people aspect but I figured I would give it a shot anyways. It was definitely very fatty. I took a picture, but it didn’t look very appetizing so I skipped including it. After hanging out there for awhile, we decided to head home. We were home by about midnight and then went to bed.

Nina and I in front of the windmill and flowers Bremen, Germany style!

The Town Musicians from the Grimm Brother's fairy tale

The town hall and market full of people enjoying the amazing weather

On Sunday we had another wonderful, long breakfast and figured out how nice it was outside. Nina mentioned helping me get some of my tickets booked for my travels so we figured we could sit outside on her balcony and do that. I read a bit of my Kindle while Nina surfed the internet. Although it took 2 of us, I did get my ticket booked to Copenhagen and Stockholm. Now, this darn volcano needs to stop erupting so things can get back to normal around here. I’ve got lots of travel plans in May and they can’t be interrupted by Iceland. After we figured we had been lazy enough for one morning we decided to head out on the bikes for a tour of her town. I didn’t have any major bike accident but we did have a little run in. I would have loved to post pictures from our excursion but we both forgot our phones and cameras so it was good there were no emergencies. After wondering through the little wooded parks and ponds (and watching ducks speed land on the water) we figured we deserved an ice cream.

When I lived in Germany one of my favorite ice creams was spaghetti ice. It is ice cream that is pushed through a mold so it forms spaghetti like noodles on a pile of whip cream covered in a berry sauce. It is still one of my favorites and I haven’t had it in forever so I figured I would get that. The foreign girl slightly insulted my German but since I KNEW she was a foreigner I figured hers had to be just as bad or worse for me to hear it. At least, that’s what I told myself! After ice cream we headed back to Nina’s and enjoyed the last hours on the balcony in the sun. We were discussing all things life and work and degrees and all of the stuff that probably shouldn’t be discussed on a Sunday afternoon sitting in the sun. The exciting part of all of my sun sitting is I now have the beginning of a tan in the form of a light sun burn….but it is only on one half of my body. I ended up leaving her place around 5:30 and got home around 9, true to Google Maps time with limited traffic. It was such an enjoyable weekend and I hope we can do it again before I leave!

My German Family

On Easter Monday Mom and I were lucky enough to get to celebrate the special holiday with my german sister's family. They are a very special family to us. When I was 12 Mom decided it was time for us to host our first exchange student. She came to us under less than desirable circumstances. Her first family wasn’t ideal. We still wonder why in the world they hosted an exchange student, and who in what organization thought it was a good idea. This family had little financial stability, numerous drug problems, and had little respect for personal boundaries. That is the downside to the exchange program. "Schwester" then moved in with a teacher who already had an exchange student and the original student’s program said 2 German exchange students cannot live together. So since "Schwester" was the newbie, she had to go. My mom knew Bob back in high school and he called her up and asked if she would be willing to host an exchange student. We had her for around 6 months. It may have been more or less, I was young then. My mom told him to bring her over so we could meet her and then decide. Well, we all spent about 5 minutes with her and were asking her where her suitcases were. She moved in very soon afterwards and it has changed our life ever since.

When I was 14 the family made a trip to visit her and meet her family. Then we met her fun brother, "Bruder", as well as her loving parents. On that trip we also toured Bavaria including castles and the Dachau concentration camp. It was very humbling for 2 young kids to see that (my brother was 12). When I was 16 I made my first solo trip ever to jump the ocean and travel with Doris and her friends on their graduation trip to the south of France. We had a fabulous time and still laugh about the stories. I also had one of the best tans of my life then. It’s probably why I now have my freckles and sun spots already forming.

"Schwesters’" parents, Hans and Regina, don’t speak any English and they were the reason why I wanted learn. They were such nice people and I had to learn, which is what inspired my exchange year in Germany. I can now speak to them! They probably wish I had never learned and was quieter at the dinner table.

"Schwester" and her brother made a trip (or two) to visit us several years ago. They stayed for about a month and we always have an amazing time. It seems when they are around we always have at least 1 run in with the police and always a good story to laugh about later. Never a dull moment with my german family. "Bruder" has also let me drive all of his cars in Germany. Some go faster than others, but either way some important lessons have been learned. The lessons include:

1) I am not born to be a race car driver. I cannot pop the clutch and I tend to stall out
2) Traffic on the autobahns at 1am is generally light, handy when “opening her up”
3) Driving at 150 mph is TERRIFYING.
4) Throwing innocent toys out the window driving the above speeds is scary, for both the toy and the thrower

So having my german family part of our family the last 12 years it is only natural we keep in touch. "Bruder" is recently engaged to Natalie. Everyone loves Natalie and we are all so happy for both of them. Their timing could not have been more perfect for everyone and there should be a wedding in September and kids shortly thereafter. I guess what they say, when you know you know, is really true. I’m still not a firm believer but I guess it is growing on me.

Patience is a virtue in all aspects of life and I keep working on that trait. Maybe one day I will learn. I just booked my tickets to go back to visit my german family and attend "Schwester's" cousin's wedding as her date. This will be my 2nd German family wedding and I am VERY excited since the last one was so much fun! She is also marrying a Mexican and that culture knows how to party as well. It will be a very merry time for everyone.

The German family clan, from left to right (around the table) Regina (Mom), Oma (Grandma, I can't remember her name for the life of me!), Me, Hans (Dad), My Mom, Doris, Klaus, and Natalie

The happily in love couple. They are so cute together!

Prague

Mom and I arrived safely in Germany on Thursday afternoon just in time for a dinner with Doris' family and a small celebration for my birthday. Doris' mom makes amazing food and cakes so we got treated very well. My mom also got to meet Klaus' (Doris' brother) new fiance. They will be having a wedding in September, I hope I can make it back!

Doris looked up the Prague special online and called the train station to confirm. You can buy the tickets at the automats and they leave about every 3 hours. We decided the 9:20ish train would work perfectly for us so we headed to the station with a good 30 minutes extra so that we had time to buy the tickets. What the lady didn't tell Doris was where to find the tickets on the automat. Since it was a holiday, hardly anybody was working and the train station was packed. Time was ticking away and we still hadn't found out how to get the tickets. They were tucked away in some odd little area on the machine and we couldn't find them. We were on the verge of missing the train and about to give up hope but I found a nice man helping stranded travellers and he showed us how to get the tickets. We had about 7 minutes till the train left, it was already waiting up on the platform. That started our 5 hour journey on a cramped, hot train to Prague.

Minus being squished between people, we were happy to have a seat. The train was an older one with cabins that contained 6 seats each and a hallway that ran the length of each car. There were 3 of us travelling and there wern't a lot of seats open in 3s. We got lucky and found some but that didn't leave much room. We were happy though, because as the train went on it only got fuller and people were camping out in the hallways by the end of it.

We finally made it to Prague!

Doris, Mom, and I in front of the Charles Brige, the Vtlava river, and the city's Castle.

We checked into our room at the Olympik hotel. It wasn't in the main part of the city so that we could keep it cheaper, but the hotel also lacked a bit of "elegance." The hotel was a bit out of date and after looking at 2 rooms we chose the "suite." We got a room with a king (two singles pushed together) and a couch that pulled out into a bed. The cute little bell boy that helped us didn't speak English or German so we were left to basic words and actions. He split the king bed apart to two single beds and told us "No Sex!" We all laughed. Then he pulled out the couch and showed us how that worked and how "soft" that was. Mom tested it, it wasn't soft. The little man went and got some cushions (similar to couch cusions but the size of a twin bed) to put on top of the couch bed. He put 2 side by side then informed us that that bed was the "Good Sex!" bed. We were happy to have that clarified, it was a very confusing fact we were pondering. Mom gave him all her change as a tip and he seemed happy.

We decided to head off into the city. You could buy tickets at the metro stop or the lady sold them. Well she only sold day tickets and wouldn't give us change for buying gum. I actully wanted gum! So I bought a bottle of water and gum then she had to give us change. We finally got enough for tickets and headed into the city to see the bridge and the old plaza. Everything was packed! Not just busy, but unpleasantly, elbow throwing packed. It was aweful! We made it 1/4 of the way across Charles bridge then decided to turn back and headed to the square where we just fought more crowds. We wanted a restuarant and tried to find one but it was booked up the whole night and asked for a recomendation and he sent us to one around the corner. It was quite tasty!

My mother and I on the Charles Bridge. The weather was amazing the whole time!

Doris and I on the old plaza where the Easter market was taking place

Doris and I with our duck

For dinner at the restaurant we had a started with duck. It's quite popular here and Mom had heard that it was tasty so we got a plate. I have never really had it but it was very declicious! We all had traditional food consisting of goulash, potato paties, sausages, and cabbage.

We wondered around the square more and saw the historical astrological clock. We couldn't handle the crowds any more so we headed back to our hotel. Since it was out of the city we had to take the subways everywhere. Their system is pretty good but they decided to build it 6 miles under the ground! These were the steepest, fastest escalators I have ever seen.

The tunnel going down. It would have made a great ski slope!

On Saturday we headed up to the castle. It's a bit of a hike up and Mom and Doris were a bit tired we we took it slowly. We apparently had the same plan as the rest of the tourists and by the time we made it up there it was packed with lines coming out of every which way. There was a HUGE line for the info office! Last time Doris and I went there were no crowds. We visited the castle at night and were the only ones there. It was almost creepy. Not this time, people after people after people. We didn't go into the church or museums or anything with a line. It wasn't worth it.

Doris and I at the castle.

A view of the city from the castle. It was so beautiful!

Doris and I with a view of the Charles bridge and castle in the back ground.

After fighting the crowds at the castle we walked down and headed the direction of the Charles bridge. We had to walk across it at least once for mom. On our way we found a cute restaurant near the water with a great view of the bridge. The sun was shining and we wanted to take advantage of it and sit and enjoy it. We had some wine, beer, and hot coco and wanted to split a cream brulee. Well minus the fact it took an hour for the desert, it was very enjoyable. We then walked across the bridge and headed to the plaza for a look around. Doris wanted to take us to her favorite restaurant but it turned out to be closed down. There was a place in my book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, called U Fleku. The book said to go, that the beer was brewed and only served there (not bottling or distribution) and they just serve you. You don't order, or have a choice. You sit down, get a schnapps (similar to Goldschlagger) and have a beer. It is a dark beer but light and tasty.

We made it to U Fleku!

We all ordered something for lunch and it turned out to be pretty decent. Mom got more duck, and I went for sausages. Doris munched off our plates. There was more than plenty of food for all of us! An older man came and played old classics from different countries on the acordian. It was a great time.

An ancient Jewish cemetary

After lunch we wanted to see an old Jewish cemetary in the Jewish quarter but since it was Saturday, everything was closed (Sabbath). We did get a glimpse of it though, from a museum window. It was an odd museum that had old clocks and clothes, and advertisements from hundreds of years ago. There was also and exhibition of the lady who created plastic blow up toys such as pool rafts. Yup, somebody had to invent those, and she was from Prague.

On Sunday we just hung out in the square. We wanted to go see the cemetaries, but there was a line so we just went and had some ice cream instead. It was a great time. On the train ride back, we got there early and was able to secure a cabin for ourselves for the entire journey home. The window worked so it never got too warm and we were able to snooze and read and enjoy the company.

Doris' mom had dinner prepared for us on Sunday evening when we returned and we got a sneak peak that the cake she had prepared for Easter lunch. It was a great trip and I'm glad Mom finally got to see Prague, after Doris promising to take her there for 10 years. It has become more expensive since it has become a tourist destination, but definitely still a place to see before you die!

Halle, Deutschland

On Friday afternoon I jumped on the train and started my journey towards Halle, Germany. For those of you who don’t know, Halle is where I spent the year as an exchange student. It is about 20 minutes from Leipzig and an hour and a half south of Berlin. It was very interesting and educational living there for a year because both of my host parents were raised under communistic rule. I got to hear their stories and learn a little piece of history first hand. When I spent time there over New Years I mainly hung out with my friend Evi and her family and didn’t spend much time with my host family so I wanted to make this weekend all about them. It was really nice to be at home again and I’m very glad I took the time to go see them.

I didn’t arrive until late Friday evening, just in time to go home, eat a snack, and then head to bed. Since I can’t sleep in anymore, my host mom, Andrea, and I got an early start Saturday morning. Uwe’s, my host father’s, dad has passed away a few weeks ago and he was meeting up with his siblings and friends to clear out his apartment. I guess the young guys never showed so the “old men” had to do it all by themselves. I told Uwe it’s just the kid’s way of making sure the “old guys” stay young. He wasn’t too amused.

Andrea and I just walked around town poking our heads into shops and enjoying the time to catch up. It was rainy and rained off and on all morning. Andrea found a beautiful shirt and then she insisted on getting me a birthday present. I’m not one to shun presents. I was still jealous of Kelly’s big LL Bean bag that she uses for weekend trips and since I had brought all of my stuff to Halle in a canvas shopping bag I figured I needed a weekend bag. We went to the store and found a cute brown and white one. It looks like this:

Now, Kelly ain’t got nothing on me! And…I won’t be asking to borrow her bag anymore. I’m sure she appreciates that. I love my new bag and it will be so useful. In this country the roller bags aren’t always the easiest because there are so many stairs everywhere and cobblestone streets. It makes trying to roll things a little less fun. Which I also wonder how and why rollerblading is so popular around here.

Anyways, Welcome to Halle! The church in the below picture is the only 4 towered church in Europe. It used to be 2 separate churches but then was later joined together after one was destroyed. Martin Luther has even given a sermon in this church. It is so neat to be such a part of history. The composure George Frideric Handel was born in Halle and stayed for 17 years of his life.

Halle, the word, is thought to have been drived from the pre-germanic word for salt. The city is officially known as Halle (Saale) because it is situated on the Saale river. The word Saale also contains the Germanic root for the word “salt.” Salt harvesting in Halle has been going on since the bronze ages. The town was first mentioned in history in 806 AD and became part of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. They have Giebichenstein Castle (that is now in ruins) that was first mentioned in 961.

Halle’s industrial heritage (as copied from Wikipedia):

Salt, also known as White Gold, was extracted from four "Borns" (well-like structures). The four Borns/brine named Gutjahrbrunnen, Meteritzbrunnen, Deutscher Born and Hackeborn, were located around the Hallmarket (or "Under Market"), now a market square with a fountain, just across from the TV station, MDR. The brine was highly concentrated and boiled in Koten, simple structured houses made from reed and clay. Salters, who wore a unique uniform with eighteen silver buttons, were known as Halloren, and this name was later used for the chocolates in the shape of these buttons.

The Halloren-Werke, the oldest chocolate factory in Germany, was founded in 1804. Old documents are on display and a chocolate room can be visited at Delitzscher Street 70. The original "Halloren-Kugeln" are sold in a box of eighteen little pralines.
Within East Germany, Halle's chemical industry, now mainly shut down, was of great importance. The two main companies were Buna and Leuna, and Halle-Neustadt (Halle Newtown) was built in the 1960s to accommodate the employees of these two factories.

Halle also has a diverse scientific and cultural history as well. My mind really isn’t working this morning (or I’m lazy) so it’s another copy and paste from Wikipedia.

The University of Halle was founded here in 1694. It is now combined with the University of Wittenberg and is called the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. The medical school there was founded by Friedrich Hoffmann. The university's botanical garden, the Botanische Garten der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, dates to 1698.

The famous Baroque composer George Friderich Handel was born in Halle in 1685, where he spent the first 17 years of his life. The house where he lived is now a museum and houses an exhibition about his life. To celebrate the composer, Halle stages an annual Handel festival every June.

The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is one of the oldest and most respective scientific societies in Germany.

Halle accommodates Germany's oldest Evangelic Bible college, known as MarienBibliothek, with 27,000 titles.

In the past Halle was a centre of German Pietism and played an important role in establishing the Lutheran church in North America, when Henry Muhlenberg and others were sent as missionaries to Pennsylvania in the mid 18th century. Henry Muhlenberg's son, Frederick Muhlenberg, who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, was a graduate of Halle University.

The Silver Treasure of the Halloren is displayed occasionally at the Technical Museum Saline. It is a unique collection of silver and gold goblets dating back to 1266. The ancient craft of "Schausieden" ( boiling of the brine) can be observed there too.

The Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte houses the Nebra sky disk, a significant (though unproven) Bronze-age find with astrological significance.

Halle Zoo contributes to the EAZA breeding programme, in particular for the Angolan Lion and the Malaysian Tiger. Halle is also known for its thriving coypu (or nutria) population, which is native to South America.

So now that you have the official history of Halle, I'll give you a bit of personal history. On the pictures of the church, you can see the bridge across the two front towers. I celebrated my 19th birthday in Halle as an exchange student and I was a bit home sick so my host parents prepared an amazing party for me. They arranged that the towers be opened for us and we got to climb all the way to the top. When we got up there, there was a bottle of champagne and glasses waiting for us. We got to take pictures on the bridge and watch all the little people below. It was such a fabulous surprise I think of it every time I see the church. The tower and bridge aren’t normally open so it was a very special occasion.

Another cool thing in Halle, they have a paternoster which is basically an open elevator. There is a chain of boxes/cabins that are continuously rotating. So to get on and off, you have to jump on when the box comes by and jump off in time. It’s a bit scary. I’m also not a big fan of rotating doors, so it’s the same concept, just elevator style.

At home, the kitchen is the place to be. It’s where everything happens - food, drinking, talking, laughing, everything. In Uwe’s kitchen that’s not the same. He likes his space. He doesn’t like anyone else in there while he is cooking. I just don’t get it. I always thought it was the perfect time to catch up with him. He isn’t going anywhere and if I was lucky I got to taste test his great cooking. He still wasn’t a fan, no matter how much positive light and happiness I brought into that kitchen. Things still haven’t changed. He was cooking; I wanted to hang out with him. He did seem to resist it a whole lot less though. I guess after 5 years he has given up. It's interesting how “soft” all of these “old” men become. I guess it just takes guys a little longer to realize life is easier if you don’t fight everything. Andrea had to document me harassing Uwe. The picture is evidence that some things never change.

On Sunday, Andrea and I lounged around and watch Little Women (in German) and I cried. I'm becoming such a softie these days! It was so nice to just relax and hang out with my German family and not have any pressures. I needed it since I was going to be tested on the journey home. At least the weekend was good, it made up for the horrible journey home. If you missed that post, it's HERE.

Now the bigger news at hand, Kelly is leaving me :( She has super important stuff to do back in Houston and they finally realized how amazing and smart she is and they can't do it without her. We just don't know when, but the count down has started and we will be out eating all of our favorite things so she gets a nice, last taste of Holland.

A Historical Sunday Funday

After a late evening rocking out to Q.E.D. none of us really wanted to get up Sunday morning. We wanted to get on the road about 9:30 but I don’t think we left until about 10:30. Such is life. It’s nice to have a bit of flexibility. We figured since it was still early, we better t go to the Anne Frank house before the line gets long. We figured a cold, rainy Sunday in February there wouldn’t be a line. We were wrong. The line went out the building and around the corner, half way down the block. Well, we were going to see this piece of history no matter so we go to the back of the line. It moves at a slow but steady pace but it does get longer faster than people are let in. We’re glad we decided to bear the line. It did take about an hour or so but we didn’t completely freeze. The “fun” part of standing in lines: people watching. I found a car that if I follow it, will take me to Texas. I don’t know a lot about mechanics and what not but I’m pretty sure this car can’t swim.

You aren’t allowed to take pictures in the Anne Frank house so I have no evidence that I was there (besides the ticket stub I threw away) but it was such a great experience. This was the 2nd time I’ve been to the house but it was still emotional and humbling. I’m really glad Kelly and Stu got the opportunity to see it and experience a small part of history.

When the Germans found the hiding place, they cleaned everything out. When Anne’s Dad, Otto, came back after surviving Auschwitz he said that all the rooms should remain empty as a memorial to his family who all died in the concentration camps. There is a glass building built up and around the house so you can’t see it from the outside which is disappointing, but at least it has been preserved. The tour takes you through all of the rooms and artifacts left behind such as the actual diary and other hand written letters. It’s amazing the insight that she had at such a young age and going through such difficult things in life. Compared to what those people had to go through, our society has become a bunch of “sissies.”

Well, being the sissies that we are, we were hungry after the Anne Frank house. We were walking back to Dam Square to catch the tram over to the Heineken Brewery when we came upon a Dutch pancake house. Well, we are on a mission to make sure Stu gets to experience all things Dutch, so we decided this was a great lunch place. I love the simple Dutch pancakes with cheese and ham but I thought I’d get a bit crazy and order the Mexican Pancake. It wasn’t bad, I don’t think I’d order it again, but it had a nice kick and lots of veggies.



We finally made it to Dam Square where I’m walking with a map in my hand looking at it when we see a giant crowd of people standing around. Well, I decide to walk around the crowd towards the tram stop that we need and I get yelled at by some clown looking man. “YUP! YOU FOUND ME. I’M RIGHT HERE. THE SEARCH IS OVER!” I was, to say the least, a bit embarrassed and confused. I just got yelled at by a clownish man in front of a crowd of people for wondering around slightly lost.

Anyways, we get on the right tram and head off to the Heineken factory. This was our first time using the trams because usually we just walk (and get a workout in). The weather was cold though and the factory was pretty far away from everything so we figured we better suck it up and figure this out. It wasn’t too bad. You can get a day pass for unlimited rides for €7 or for €7.60 you can get a strip that has 15 “slots” on it. Each ride, though, uses 2 “slots” per person. We had 30, that’s good enough for what we needed to do. We even have some left over for the next person. They don’t expire in the calendar year. Each tram you get on, the driver stamps them and away you go. We arrive at the brewery with little issue to start taking some pictures of the outside. You can see my excitement.


They have recently re-done their “museum” so that now it is the Heineken Experience. And boy was it! When you walk in the first thing is a digital bar and bartender giving you the rundown of the history of the company and its founders. It is still to this day run by a Heineken family member, and a woman! We had to take advantage of the photo op that was available:


The next room had all of the huge copper vats where they used to heat up the hops and malt and all sorts of other stuff. They had a great idea and you could look into the vats and on some of them they had little projections on the dark insides showing what would have been going on. I thought it was such a neat idea! There was also a station where you could help out the brew master by grinding the barley and helping stir them. I couldn’t go without putting in a bit of hard labor:

Now, we thought it smelled like horses in there but we figured it must have been the barley oats that give it the horse-ish smell. Nope, there were really horses in the next room. It is where their stable was for the real Heineken horses. Apparently, they will still pull the wagons around town and deliver kegs. Another great marketing/promotional scheme. The horses were so pretty! You could only see them through the glass partition so I couldn’t get a good picture but thankfully Stu was along who happens to be in the 6’3” range and could hold the camera above the glass to get a picture. During my photo op Charly decided to scratch and Freddy thought it looked like a good idea so he wanted to copy. They are such pretty animals!


After the horses we got bottled. Yup, we as humans got bottled. Well, via the 4D experience. It was a lot of fun that people of all ages could enjoy. You walk into a little room where you stand on a little platform that moves and shakes as you go along the bottling process. The moving platform is complimented with spray, heat, and wind. I now know how beer feels while being bottled.

After being bottled we got to go have a little taster. They had neat star shaped bars where we all stood around and answered questions and got some more beer drinking tips and lessons. Since I paid attention another exibit I learned that the foam head on beer serves to keep the beer carbonated and fresh by keeping the carbon dioxide in and the oxygen out of the beer. It is also the lightest part of the beer, primarily made from hops which is why it tastes bitter. American and England aren’t big on serving beer with the head but I learned it is better; you just have to take bigger drinks to get below the foam head. I figured that wouldn’t be too difficult. So because of all of my great new knowledge, and not being afraid to speak in public I answered the questions right and got an extra sampler of beer. I knew paying attention would pay off someday!

The next stop is where we got to bottle our own beer. Well, I’m sure it wasn’t the exact beer, but we got to create a label that has our name on it. I now own a beer that says “Brewed in Amsterdam by Amelia Christensen.”

After that there was more interactive areas where you could create your own music video and send video messages. What a fun idea! There were also crazy chairs that you could sit in and watch commercials from the past 50 years. Such simple things, but so neat. They also had a bit of a museum set up that displayed all of their old beer bottles and labels. At one point Heineken wanted to make recyclable bottles so they created the WOBO, or the wall bottle. They are square bottles that basically interlock with one another so that poor people could use their empties to build a house! Now, if that isn’t helping out the world, I don’t know what is. I am standing in front of a small WOBO wall.

What makes Heineken beer so special is that “A” yeast that is used to create it. It was one of the first beers to come out with standard yeast so that no matter where it is made, it will have the same taste. A student of Louis Pasteur developed it. Those smart people seem to hang out together!

After the tour we got to enjoy 2 free beers. That’s worth half the admission cost right there! They have a great atmosphere created for the bar area and throughout the entire Experience. I wanted to post a picture of Kelly and I drinking, but I forgot and it’s so hard to do after the fact. Kelly’s blog has plenty of great pictures! After the Experience we wanted to take a canal cruise. I also needed to get my train tickets for my trip to Halle, Germany so that I could still get the cheap price. I told Kelly and Stu to go try the food in the wall (to continue Stu’s Dutch food experience) and I’d get the ticket. Well the ticket took forever and I ended up missing the canal cruise, but Kelly and Stu went and I take it they had a good time. I will have to go one of these days! I took the train back home, bought some groceries, and settled in to call my German host parents and tell them I am coming.

After a while into my call to Germany my cell phone rings and it is Kelly. I have no idea why she would call, but I figured it was important so I answer. She needs me to go pick her and Stu up from the other train station/stop in Haarlem. There is 2??? Apparently, there is. It’s by IKEA. Do I know where IKEA is? Nope. So I get in the car and pull out of the garage and try to find it on TomTom. TomTom can’t find it. I start to worry and the thought of driving towards the giant IKEA sign sounds slightly promising but I’m still worried Kelly and Stu might freeze to death. I have the bright idea to Google the address! Sure enough, Google has it and it gives me the proper address I enter it into TomTom and head on my way. I pull into the giant black, empty parking lot and wonder where in the world they are hiding. I call Kelly and she starts shouting that she can see my headlights and gives me turn by turn directions to their side of the parking lot/bus stop. I could hardly see 2 silhouettes’s jumping up and down in the darkness. I found them! They thoroughly enjoyed the warm car and we headed home. They grabbed their bags out of the car and I see a blue Doritos bag. Now, Kelly has been on the search for “Cool Ranch” Doritos since we’ve been here but she hasn’t had any luck. She finally found a bag of “Cool American” which is the Dutch version of “Cool Ranch.” There is some minor debate around the apartment whether they are made with real “American” or not.

It was an adventurous day. Monday and Tuesday we have taken it pretty easy. Monday we had ravioli at the house and watched some Olympics and yesterday, we went out for another 4 course meal. We wanted Stu to experience the Dutch 4 courses. The only downside, the Dutch are so slow! We were there almost 2 hours and none of us were prepared for that. Kelly and Stu still had to pack for their trip to Munich and I was just tired. They got home and managed to pack a bit and get to bed at a decent hour. This morning still came very early though! Their flight left at 7am which meant we left the house at 5:15. I gave them a ride so I had to be up too. It was really early! They are off and I’ve received the BBM that they made it and I haven’t heard anything bad, so I guess that means everything is good! I am happy they are getting the experience. They are going to have a tour of the Hofbrauhaus, Neuschwanstein Castle, the concentration camp Dachau, and a day trip to Salzburg, Austria. They are going to have such a great time and I’m happy they can see those amazing places together. I’m just going to be left alone for 4 days so I have to find something to keep my busy. I guess I can watch Olympics and start a new book. That should be enough. And sleep, I can always use more of that!

Is it Worth the Money?

I often ponder many things and today I figured I would present the subject of my current ponder, the Mercedes car. Now, we see them all over the roadways in all shapes and sizes but we often see this one:

Now, I do not find this car cute, or pretty, or cool. It is approximately $25,500. That is a pretty penny. I guess you are still getting the Mercedes name, motor, and luxury but I could think of a better way to spend that money…and get a lot more car for your buck.

Now when most people think of Mercedes they think of luxury, style, class, not the above blob. If I were able to choose a Mercedes to drive around in my retirement days, I would choose this one:

This is a pretty CL Class Mercedes, more of what one expects from the name. Now for $138,000 a person better get the best car Mercedes makes. I don’t even know if it is the best, but it sure does look cool. I guess that is why people get the blob, it’s an affordable Mercedes. I don’t think I could drive one. I prefer our new, black Opel to the blob. I bet it would have more get up and go though. Oh well, speed kills.

So that was my random Tuesday ponder. We are getting ready for Kelly's boyfriend, Stu, to arrive on Saturday. I am very excited for her, I know how much she misses him. I'm also excited to meet him. He seems like a very nice guy. Next week they are headed to Munich for 4 days and I'll be left here all alone. I stock up on groceries before she leaves so I won't have to go out and eat alone....or maybe if I open myself up I can start making local friends. Why worry about it now, I'll worry about it next week when I'm left to fend for myself.

First Week of Work

I got in from Germany Tuesday evening and Kelly was there (in her exhausted zombie state) to pick me up from the Amsterdam Schipol airport. She got in earlier in the day and had a full day of meeting everyone, grocery shopping, and dinner at one of our co-workers house. She was brave! I don't think I could have handled all of that after stepping off the plane. We got our car, and I was nominated to drive. We both went into work for a half day on Wed. and got to experience the worst snow they have had here in over a decade. Lucky us. Our drive to work (from Haarlem to Beverwijk) should only be 20 minutes. The morning it took us 45 (we got lost) and on the way home, 2 hours (weather). I have not only been learning how to drive in Holland, but also on snow and ice in a little Opel. We have fun none the less. They also provided us with a TomTom. It has been decided that she knows the way around here better than I do. I am no longer allowed to over-ride.

Our apartment in Haarlem is HUGE. It is a wonderful 2 bedroom apartment with a nice, open living room and dining room. Our kitchen is adequate (especially since neither of us are chefs). We have a great little frozen pond behind our apartment and the Canal is across the street. Surrounded by (frozen) water.

There is a grocery store across the street where we walked to to get the last of our necessities that we couldn't find at our first stop. We also got a much needed hair dryer and straightener. We no longer have to go out into the freezing weather with wet hair! But, since we were so actively in buying things, we learned a very important lesson. America is behind the times in credit cards! Apparently, Dutch vendors only accept the cards that have the built in chips (Smart cards). American companies don't "have the technology" (said the Wells Fargo person). So unless we can find somewhere to accept the old fashion "swipe" cards, we are stuck to using cash for all of our purchases. Not fun! I guess you can't win them all. We walked down the shopping street (stores are open late on Thursday) and saw everything that Haarlem had to offer. It is a beautiful city...even in the dark (the only time Kelly and I are home).

We are slowly getting into the swing of things around the office, trying to learn every one's names and what they do. It has been a long week that is for sure! They try and teach us a new dutch word or two a day to enhance our learning. Today was "Zonder" (without), yesterday was "Verkoop" (sale), and "Klompen" (wooden shoe)was Wednesday. We are making progress. Hopefully the alphabet is next week!

Friday afternoon tradition here in the office is beer and chips. I am waiting patiently to experience this. They also gave us a giant grapefruit/orange like fruit from China called Honey Pomelo. We have a huge Baazar area next to the office where they have giant markets on the weekends and the Chinese market Thursday - Sunday. We also learned you can buy cheap eggs there as well. Maybe next week :)

This weekend Kelly and I are excited to see the city in the daylight and maybe venture out a bit more. It's supposed to be cold, windy, and snowy though so who knows how that will go. We'll try though! We are both looking forward to getting home and curling up on the couch for some English television. Its a cold, grey, frozen, foggy day out with lots of ice. Not enjoyable!

Dag! (See ya later)

New Years in Germany

I arrived at Doris' on the 29th of December and caught a train to Halle, Germany on the 30th to celebrate Silvester (German New Years) with my friends there. Since Doris and I didn't take into consideration the possiblity of traffic (and we were both on the phone) we managed to miss my train to Halle. Whoops. I was at a 50% success rate of catching my schedulded travel plans. Wonderful. We got another train, finally got ahold of Evi's parents (who were picking me up) and I arrived there an hour later than planned, but nothing horrible. I got to go through Leipzig's train station, though, and it was beautiful! They still had up all of the Christmas lights. I love this time of year in Europe. And as a FAST FACT: it is Europe's largest train station and all of the trains only pull in one way and go out the same way. Very unique. I got to meet Evi's new boyfriend, very nice I might add, and enjoy a wonderful dinner with her family and friend Caro.

After having slept half the day of New Years Eve Evi and I went into town to visit my host family, Uwe and Andrea. It was so good to see them again!!! I wish I could have spent more time there, but since the party was right around the corner, we had to get going. Everyone started coming over to Evi's and the evening of fun and celebration began. We had a great dinner and played a game. I have no idea what its called, but its basically a mix of pictionary, charades, and Catch phrase...in German. Caro and I (picture) were on a team and were in the lead the whole way but ended up coming in second at the end. Still pretty good for a non-native speaker!! We counted down to the new year, toasted our champaign and then headed outside in snow for the fireworks. I love how everyone goes into the streets and there are just fireworks all around. Since Evi lives in a small village, much few fireworks, but still fun none the less. It snowed every day I was in Halle. I loved it!

The next day (Jan 1) was pretty worthless so we made plans to go out for a wild Saturday night in Leipzig (Jan 2). We lounged around a lot of the day but did make it to their new-ish mall for a small shopping round (nothing purchased) and headed home. George was already waiting for us with a rope and a sled. We were going sledding!!!! I have never actually sledded on a real sled (on plastic saucers at White Sands). So since Halle is flat, we hooked it onto the the bumper of his van and started our journey. It was a blast! I wore all of the protective gear as well. Didn't want to get hurt!!! The next day I caught a train back down to Nurnberg to spend some more time with Doris.

I got on the schedulded train this time, it was late due to weather, but at least it wasn't my fault! There was so much snow and cold weather many of the trains were suffering delays. Halle probably got around 10 inches of snow while I was there. So it was a beautiful white train ride down to Nurnberg where Doris and I hunkered down for the evening. It was cold and her mom made an amazing meal. We didn't want to do anything after that! The next day, we got the bright idea to go shopping. We had so much lucky it was unbelievable! We had a great time, got coffee in the city, worked our muscles caring big heavy shopping bags and rewarded ourself with sushi for dinner. We then hurried home to watch Pretty Woman (in German) and have a relaxing night with her parents. The next day I was catching more flight to get back to Amsterdam to start my new life!

Travelling to Europe...

My first blog ever....my first blog post ever....here it goes!

I wanted to be able to share with everyone about my life and what I am up to....especially now that I am living in the Netherlands. It makes things a bit more interesting. I will catch you up on my last 2 weeks, when the saga began.

After packing up my life in Houston and moving home for 4 days, unpacking my truck, and repacking my suitcases, I headed off to catch my first flight out of Lubbock. There were a few minor weight issues (3lbs each bag), I got all checked in, said my last good byes and headed off. After arriving in Houston from Lubbock, I had a wonderful 4 hour lay over that was enjoyed with beer and reading. Our flight leaving Houston was 30 min. late arriving (thank you Christmas attempted bomber and extra security) so we left late as well. Since we got a late start in Houston, and the pilot apparently didn't call ahead to have the busses waiting to unload us, we had to wait on them. It takes a few busses to unload a 747. Due to all of the delays, I missed my flight to Amsterdam. I got to spend an extra 3 hours in London so it was a good thing I was so exhausted to realize all of the great shopping opportunities that surrounded me. I was also too pre-occupied with trying to re-arrange my flights from Amsterdam to Nurnberg, Germany to really enjoy my time there. Apparently, German airlines cannot help you change flights until you have already missed it. Lucky me. So I finally arrived in Amsterdam, changed my flight to Nurnberg (caught the last one) check my luggage into their storage area there (amazing!) and went to wait 4 hours for my next flight. It turned out to be delayed for an hour as well so I had 5 hours in the airport trying to sleep and read. I felt like a homeless person in the corner!

I finally arrived in Nurnberg 6 hours late. Its a good thing Doris is still young so she could come get me. Her mother waited up for me and served me my first German meal in several years. Schnitzel. My favorite. That was a great meal to finish my odessy to Germany. I am glad to finally be back in my second home!