Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Weekend of Fun

This past weekend was a four day weekend for us and we packed in as much fun as we could manage without even going far. Thursday night we ventured out to part of downtown Mannheim for a carnival that was in town. We went with some friends of ours, Jim and Chrystal, and their 2 kids. It was by far the BEST carnival I have ever been to. We didn't get a chance to ride a reall exciting ride because they had just closed it when we got around to but we still had a blast. I managed to get my hands on some choc covered strawberries that were delicious!

These were not the particular ones I ate but just wanted you to get an idea. We also managed to play a lot of silly carnival games and get silly carnival prizes but it was a lot of fun. We did manage to get on the ferris wheel before it closed and Jonathan LOVED that, not really! Haha! He was lucky that I didn't discover the cage could be spun around until the very end of the ride. It was definitely a very fun night. I would love to put up some pictures but Jonathan's card to his camera does not fit in his laptop so hopefully I will get a way to put those up soon.

Friday night we went to some of the high school football game since it was homecoming for them. We didn't stay for the whole game however since they were getting killed. We then went to watch Toy Story 3. It was definitely a winner.

Saturday was our lazy day. I went to the grocery store while Jonathan went out to the mall in search of some shoes he could manage to dirty up. We ate dinner and went to hang out and play cards with Amber and Ted at their house.

Sunday started with church with my hubby and Chrystal. After church Jim and Jonathan went to go a run/scavenger hunt type thing with a friend of theirs. So Chrystal and I took the kiddos to Burger King for lunch. After lunch I had to finish up on some school work before heading back over to Chrystal's to help make breakfast for dinner for the guys and us once they got back. Where we played Battle of the Sexes thanks to my sister-in-law, Lisa, and followed that up with Sequence.

Monday was somewhat of another lazy day. Jonathan had soccer practice and I went to watch and read and generally just enjoy the nice weather. We have had a lot of beautiful days here lately. So that was our weekend in a nutshell. We are still patiently waiting on our stuff to get here. We are hoping within the next week or so. Chrystal and I are making a trip to the self-help store today to get paint. I want to get the walls painted before our stuff gets here. Anyhow, I have to go jump in the shower because we are leaving soon!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Ten Things I Have Learned So Far

I have been making a mental list of these things for a while now and thought it might be fun to put them up on here. So without further delay here are the top ten things I have learned while living in Germany so far.

1. Always have at least 30 euro cent! I pity pregnant women in this country. You feel like making a trip to the mall? You better go before you go or have change in case nature calls. That is right, you have to pay to use the restroom in public places here. Forget about stopping in a restaurant or cafe unless you want to endure numerous evil glares from employees for using their toiletta without purchasing anything from them first.

2. Never go without a leash. Nevermind that it is understood rule around here to have a leash on your dog when outside. This place is crawling with dogs and little kids, two of poor little Cash's favorites. It is pure torture for him to not be able to reach them when all he wants to do is be their friend.

3. Ashudengan. This is German for "sorry" or "excuse me." I have sadly not learned very much German so far but this word has come in handy more than any other. Although, do not expect to hear it very often from the Germans. Thy are not known for their consideration for others but then again they were not raised in the south as I was.

4. NO personal bubble. One thing you notice upon going anywhere remotely crowded that there is no such thing as personal space. I never would have imagined it more dangerous to manuever myself through the mall than through actual traffic. Making a left to cross over the walkway in the mall can often be more difficult than making a left turn across a busy road in a vehicle. This is also where the excuse me comes in handy...sometimes!

5. Marketplace Heaven. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday there is a market place in downtown Mannheim. You will find the court swarmed with fresh produce, cheese's, flowers, and breads. It makes shopping at the grocery store far less enchanting. Whenever I go to the marketplace I feel like I have pulled back in time to a fairy tale town where you can manuever your way through booth after booth of the most delicious looking strawberries and grapes you have ever seen.

6. Happily ever after. We were told of all the castles but I never dreamed of anything like this. It is romantical to imagine what these grand structures looked like back in their prime. We have already been to a few different castles and obviously things are really never what you imagine they were but it sure is fun to!

7. No casual Friday. I never considered myself a slob by any means but I, like most people, like to just have a jeans and t-shirt kind of day. It is much harder to have those kind of days here. Going to the mall here feels like everyone is looking to be cast for Germany's next top model. Everywhere you look people are dressed like true fashionistas. Skinny jeans, high heel boots, scarves, and oh so cute jackets! It is a nightmare for a bargain shopper!! :)

8. Pet Parade. As I mentioned in a previous blog a few weeks ago, dogs are pretty much allowed anywhere you go as long as they are on a leash. Jonathan and I have learned the hard way that just because you are allowed to take your dogs places does not mean that you should. Cash had one trip to the mall and that will be his last for a long while if not ever because of his "accident" in the shoe store. Crazy dog!!!

9. Weather Forecast? What is that? You really never know what the weather is going to be like here. They do have so-called weather forecast but the weather forecast is hardly reliable here. It could be sunny and beautiful one minute and down pouring within the next hour!

10. Confusion is now an everyday thing. I never imagined myself as someone who could or would ever live in a foreign country. Confusion has become a part of my daily life. I mist admit that I feel that I am blending in a little better. Just the other day a lady turned around and said something to me in German about this older couple and was laughing about something so I simply laughed right along with her.

I still have much to learn and experience about Germany but for now these are the top ten. I have enjoyed myself immensely thus far but as everyone knows it can be all sugar and creme filling. Maybe within the next few years I will have another top ten. Guten tag!