Prärie Girl

New Arrival

2006-09-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

Das neuste Mitglied der Familie Wimmer/Schmieder kam am Samstag, den 2. September an.
Er heisst Marvin und wir sind verliebt.

Der erste Tag im Juni.

2006-06-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

I am home and it (my drive to / job teaching) is over. I feel like I was barreling down the highway at 120 mph and then suddenly slammed on the brakes. And here I am.
The first 3 days of TIME were wonderful and I woke up slow in the cool twilight of our bedroom and felt no push, no panic. Today, however, was different. I was actually excited about a doctor’s appointment I then missed having had my dates mixed up. I am glad that class begins next week. Although there is plenty I could do, I have done a great deal of it and feel a little useless right now. And it is always in these quieter moments when I miss my friends in Munich most.

We spent the weekend at Mom and Dad’s with our nephew who is perfect. That was a nice, relaxing time. Perhaps I can share more soon, certainly some pics. This blog may also be moving . . .

Some highlights from May would certainly include Jens and his socks doing yardwork on the evening we grilled for the first time this season.

Kaffee und Kuchen am 30.04

2006-05-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Introducing Americans to the wonderful German art form known as Kaffee und Kuchen on my Sunday birthday.

Der letzte Tag im April.

2006-04-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Heute ist mein Geburtstag, und ich habe einige Freunde zum Kaffee und Kuchen bei uns ab 15:00 eingeladen. Falls du in der Nähe bist . . . .

Gestern Abend waren wir Indisch essen und haben danach den deutschen Film "Alles auf Zucker" im Uni-Kino geschaut. War echt lustig, wenn auch keine "politisch-korrekte" Darstellung von Juden in Deutschland.

Vieles ändert sich ab nächstes Jahr. Ich werde wieder auch Studentin und Dozentin für Deutsch hier an 2 Unis. Details reiche ich nach.

Schneetage! Endlich!

2006-03-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

Heute hatten wir keine Schule weil es ca. 10 Inches Schnee (ja, ca. 22 cm) fielen.
Ich musste das alles alleine räumen, da Jens in Deutschland ist.
Morgen schalfe ich wieder aus.
Habe gerade Lola Rennt geschaut und fühle mich gut und erholt, warm, müde und nachdenklich.
Ich gehe jetzt ins Bett. Morgen gibt es Muskelkater vom Schnee-Schieben.

Entschuldige die Sendepause. Kamm selber heute zum ersten Mal seit Monaten zum Nachdenken.
Denke auch an Euch.

Hab gerade mein letzter Post angeschaut. Der Schnee blieb heute auf dem Dach und ist nicht weggeschmolzen. Die Arbeit am 2. Januar war es wert.

Nicht mehr so kalt . . .

2006-01-28T11:47:00.000-08:00

Der Winter heuer ist sehr mild, aber Dezember war sehr kalt. Fast Russland-kalt. Unser Schlafzimmer hatte morgens oft nur 13 Grad (Celcius). Wir haben uns deswegen entschieden die Isolierung auf dem Dachboden zu erneuern, da es fast keine mehr gab (nur der kümmerliche Rest von altem Rosshaar aus dem Jahr 1932).

Wir haben alles selber gemacht mit umweltfreundlicher Isolierung, die man selber einblässt. Mein Vater stand draussen in der Einfahrt mit der Maschine, die den eng verpackten Stoff auseinander wühlt und durch einen dicken Schlauch hochblässt. Dad hat ständig die Bündel aufgemacht und die Maschine damit gefüllt. Jens hat den Schlauch gehalten und alles gleichmässig auf 30 cm Dicke verteilt. Ich hatte das Kommando und habe auch das Licht für Jens hingehalten. Mit Hilfe meines Vaters hat das Projekt nur ca. 6 Stunden gedauert, und unser 2. Stock ist jetzt deutlich wärmer. Nur seit Weichnachten war es kaum kälter als null, und letztes Wochennde hatten wir sogar 20 Grad!

Weihnachtsgrüße

2005-12-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch wünschen wir aus der Prärie am Abend des ersten Weihnachtstages.

Christmas is a great time of year to say good-bye to the old year and hello to friends. I hope you have also found the time to reflect and catch your breath.

Lovely Rita hat heute Geburstag!

2005-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Liebste Rita,
ich wünsche Dir alles Gute zum Geburstag. Du fehlst mir besonders jetzt zur Weihnachtszeit --das Weihnachtsgebäck, das du mit deiner Mutter tagelang hinzauberst und bei der Arbeit nur mit mir alleine teilst, bis zu deinem Geburtstag (oder bis du "offiziell" die strategisch wichtigen dazu einlädst).

Ich habe zwar jetzt wieder nette Kolleginnen und Kollegen, aber keinen, mit dem ich so gut auskomme und vor allem keinen von dem ich so viel des Bayrischen lernen könnte. Jens versucht das bisserl Bayerisch immer noch weg zu trainieren und mit allemonnisch zu ersetzen, aber ohne Erfolg.

Ich hoffe, du hast nicht zu viel Stress und freust dich auf Weihnachten.

Happy Birthday!

Fröhliche Weihnacht überall

2005-12-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

It sure is Christmasy in our new digs. I will add more pictures to this post tomorrow when I take some of our holiday decor after getting home from school and having 3 beers.

Things are insane. It is more of the same which is why I haven't bothered to post. We work and then sleep. The days are short and cold. My drive is long.

We hosted Thanksgiving here on Jackson Drive for my folks, sister, husband and nephew. I bought an 18 lb. turkey for 6.5 people. Oops.
This is what we all looked like after cooking, eating and drinking. Thought you might enjoy the photo session. The final photo is also what Connie's Christmas cards will look like, in case you get one. Both her girls FINALLY living normal lives nearby where she can show us off.

Oktober war orange

2005-11-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

Oktober war relativ langweilig für uns. Wir haben einfach hart gearbeitet. Ich habe 100.000 Meilen auf den Passat erreicht mit der täglichen 100-Meilen Fahrerei.

Wir haben auch unseren Garten für den Winter mit überschüssigen Blumenzwiebeln von meiner Mutter in Ordnung gebracht. Sie hat Freitag und Samstag abend bei uns übernachtet, und meine Eltern fragen sich warum wir noch keine Kinder haben! Ha!

Wir waren Anfang Oktober im Pumpkin Patch und haben uns mit fünf grossen Kürbisen eingedeckt.

Jens hat seine erste Jack-o-Lantern geschnitten.

Wir mussten unseren größten Kürbis von den Eichhörnchen retten. Die haben eine Kürbis-Orgie gefeiert auf der Treppe vorne wo wir die Kürbis draussen stehen hatten.

Die "Trick-or-Treaters" kamen am Montag abend zu uns, und wir waren bereit mit jeder Menge Süßigkeiten.

Unterricht läuft einiges besser obwohl nicht jeden Tag. Die guten Schüler haben mich unheimlich gern (und umgekehrt). Die schlechten Schüler sind bei mir schon durchgefallen (was fast unmöglich ist, weil ich SAU nett war und sehr viele Punkte sehr oft verschenkt habe), und diese Idioten sind dadurch teilweise jetzt weg. Wir lachen öfter, und die Schüler denken, dass ich ein bisschen verrückt bin, was mich freut. Das stimmt aber auch.

Der Herbst war hier wunderschön -manchmal kühl, aber oft warm. Das Laub war golden, rot, gelb und orange! Die Farben waren einfach so schön (besonders in unseren tollen Nachbarschaft), und ich habe leider nie meine Kamera dabei gehabt. Einige Blätter hängen immer noch auf den Bäumen, aber die meisten sind fast weg.

Wir denken an Euch. Das Wetter hier ist zwar einiges schöner, aber wir vermissen Euch und Deutschland trotzdem sehr.

my cousin K

2005-10-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

My cousin is travelling through central Asia on an amazing and tough adventure wrought with much inherent difficulty and discomfort. It fills me again with Wanderlust, but it also reminds me that I am indeed growing older. Have a look at her adventures --she truly is invictus.

It's never too dark to be cool . . .

2005-09-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

oder "Käfsche":
dieser Kumpel von Jens (und von mir jetzt eigentlich auch) ist derjenige, der verantwortlich ist, dass wir uns jetzt in Nebraska befinden. Stefan hat auch sein Diplom in der Geologie in Tübingen gemacht und kam vor über 5 Jahren ahnungslos nach Lincoln. An der UNL hat er auch seinen PhD in Geologie gemacht und arbeitet jetzt als Hydrogeologe für das Department of Homeland Security (OK, das stimmt nicht ganz, aber fast) in der Nähe von San Fransisco.

Stranded out west

2005-09-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Jens and I are about to go to sleep in a hotel near Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona where we have been stranded after missing our connection this evening on our way back from San Fransisco. I was the maid of honor in a wedding this weekend South of San Fran.

I had to stand up as the maid of honor. The happy couple was Daniel and Elena, friends from Munich. Daniel is an American with Swedish parents who grew up in San Fransisco. Elena is his lovely, Russian pianist wife. It was a lovely ceremony at the church Daniel grew up in. The reception was held in his Swedish mother's gorgeous garden with a view of the San Fransisco Bay.

We also got to visit Jens' German geologist friend who was integral in bringing Jens to the university in Lincoln. Despite all that, we really do like him and had a lovely lunch with him and his wife at a local vineyard.

American High-Schoolers: Part II

2005-09-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

I give them homework. They get full credit just for having it completed --not correct-- when they arrive to class. They often come without it finished. Lazy jerks!
We go over all the answers in class. I even write them on the board if they wish.
Once in a while I collect their assignments and grade them again after these in-class corrections (to keep them on their toes).
And do you know what?
They STILL have answers wrong. I have seldom in my life experienced such laziness, such sloth.
Whoa.

Becoming a bit frantic but cannot save the world.
I can only teach a few ambitious Midwestern teenagers to speak a little German.
They do not yet realize how cool it is that they know how to say "Servus" .
Some of them will. Someday.

Wienerschlinger

2005-09-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

College football and the Nebraska Cornhuskers is a phenomenon which takes place each fall here in my home state. We went to the opening game against the Maine Black Bears where Wimmerwurst was a corporate sponsor and Jens and I were thus privileged to VIP passes and free beer.

Important Nebraska Fun-Facts: when Memorial Stadium is full on game-day (last Saturday it held 77, 400+), it becomes the 3rd largest city in Nebraska. This venue has the most consecutive sell-outs of any other in the U.S. (250+).

I also got to shoot the Wienerschlinger ("Vienerschlinger" auf das Gerät geschrieben damit die Amis es richtig aussprechen). This is a type of high-pressure air-gun which launches pre-cooked and packaged hot dogs (also known as wienies here in Nebraska) high up into the stands --it literally "schlings" the "wienies."

The more about my life I put down here in type, the more surreal the whole thing seems. This is all so normal to everyone here.

Lots of love from your Prärie Girl.

Demolition Derby aka Figure 8

2005-09-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Mid-August we went to watch my cousins (2 brothers) race their junky stock cars in what is known as "demolition derby." The race this time was not the usual sort of demolition derby in which they try to ram each other until their opponents' cars no longer function. The goal of this race, known as a "Figure 8," involves being the first to complete a predetermined number of laps around 2 barrels on a relatively small dirt "track." This tiny track is shared with up to 10 other cars and therefore there is still some considerable ramming. This strange art-form takes place all around the Midwest during the summer months.

My cousins placed 2nd and 3rd, winning about $600. It will all be reinvested in more junk cars, parts and the jet fuel they tank them with. It is a bizarre and novel pastime and extremely entertaining for us German tourists, although I don't think we will become regular fans on the circuit.

Katrina and the poor blacks

2005-09-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

Katrina has revealed some of the beauty of the American spirit along with great amounts of the ugliness of poor America. Leon Wynter read this essay from his blog on National Public Radio last week and sums it all up much better than I ever could.

My heart goes out to the victims of this disaster as well as to the victims of other disasters, both preventable and inevitable, much farther away. These final days of August and first week of September were full of much death, loss and sorrow for many around the world. Hearing their stories watching the sunrise on my gorgeous drive to work each morning has more than once moved me to tears, and that is important.

American High-Schoolers: Part I

2005-09-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

On my hall-duty this morning I saw the following T-shirts:
"Love is for Losers"
"Doesn't play well with others"
"Stupidity is not a crime. You are free to go."

There are many more, but I always forget to write them down.
One of my students showed up yesterday wearing the Deutsche-Nationalmannschaft Trikot and beamed with pride as I complimented him on it. I am also my students' hero because I did not send them home to change for violating the dress code with their Hofbraeuhaus T-shirts they obtained this summer (no one is allowed to wear beer advertisements since they are all underage). No other teacher realizes it is beer.

Looking forward to a 3-day weekend (one of the few we Americans are privileged to). Time to sleep again. Oh yeah, sleep!
Photos bald wieder, versprochen!

Lebenszeichen

2005-08-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ich habe die erste Woche als neue Lehrerin für Deutsch an der Fremont High School gerade so überlebt. Morgen früh um 5:00 geht die 2. Woche schon wieder los.

Ich stehe um 5:00 auf, fahre um 6:00 los damit ich um 7:15 in der Schule bin. Wir haben 4 "Blocks" wobei ich nur 3 Unterrichte. Ich habe meinen "Planungsblock" als erstes am Tag, und wenn er um 9:30 vorbei ist habe ich nicht mal Zeit zum pinkeln bis die Schüler um 15:07 weg sind. Mittagessen ist gerade 29 Minuten lang. Um 16:00 fahre ich wieder nach Lincoln, und letzte Woche habe ich jeden abend noch 2 Stunden zu Hause gearbeitet.

Ein Block ist 90 Minuten lang, und ich habe die gleichen Schüler und den gleichen Unterricht jeden Tag. 2x Deutsch III und 1x Deutsch II. Ich muß den Kinder den Stoff von einem Jahr innerhalb von einem Semester beibringen, da ich sie pro Tag doppelt so lange habe. Verstanden?

Keiner hat mich auf American High School Students vorbereitet. Wahnsinn. Ihr leeres Starren und ihre Dummheit. Es war am Freitag aber schon besser. Fanta 4 "MfG" war voll der Hit.

Ich schicke hoffentlich demnächst bald wieder Fotos. Der Bruder von Jens ist da und ich muß einfach ins Bett. Tomorrow is coming whether I am ready or not. And if I am not ready, they will eat me alive.

Wohnst Du noch oder lebst Du schon . . .?

2005-08-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Jens and I left my parent's house in Northeastern Nebraska yesterday morning for IKEA in Minneapolis, MN. This is the closest IKEA to us (in the middle of nowhere), a six-hour drive from my parent's, nearly eight from Lincoln.

We got there at 3:00p and had the most intense IKEA shopping spree ever. Six hours of extremely focused note-taking and decision-making and schlepping. We had trained for this moment all summer. We ate their meatballs and D'aim cake. We stocked up on the cheapest tea lights in the universe. We were racing to the end at closing time.

At 9:00p, pumped full of adrenaline, we left the Twin Cities after seeing nearly nothing, but with a Wimmer's van full of Swedish treasures we have yet to assemble. We drove ALL THE WAY BACK. We had intended to camp, but we had left the store at dark. As usual we said we would stop and get a motel if we were too tired, but by that time we are SO CLOSE to home. Jens dozed as I drove us to within 2 hours of my parent's home. He drove the rest of the way and we arrived at 3:00a Sunday morning.

Cooled off

2005-07-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Monday evening it rained cats and dogs. Yesterday it was gloriously cloudy! I NEVER thought I would ever crave clouds after Germany, but I have! Today it is sunny and cool. I went running in the cool air this morning. Now I am sitting in our living room on the new sofa where I can also finally use my notebook again because it has its new battery. Later this morning the last of the furniture we can afford (some bedroom stuff) will be schlepped up the stairs.

Hopeful of this arrival, we painted the bedroom this weekend. The room has gone from "espresso" color to "wool skein" (a nice beige). I'll post some pics after the delivery, but I unfortunately have no pictures of the process itself. The room was at least 95 (that's 35 C) as we laboriously applied 2 coats over 2 days. Jens' solution for keeping cool during the ordeal also prevented him from ruining any clothing with those troublesome paint smudges.

What to do evenings when it's still 37+ outside

2005-07-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

We bowled with Jens' geologist colleagues. They are in a PhD program together focused on diatoms and want to start a bowling league team called "The Diatoms." Yeah, they're nerds.

What else do we do around here? That seems to be a popular question.
We garden (mow the lawn, water everything lots, dead-head geraniums), drink Mexican beer, learn lots each week at the university, read the New York Times, spend money on home improvement, ride our bikes around town on the great bike trails, swim at the campus Rec Center, and basically try to STAY COOL. We also plan to camp and canoe a few weekends in August along with a short trip to Minneapolis to visit the nearest IKEA (6-hour drive).

It has been 95+ Fahrenheit the last 4 weeks. The irony is, I roast on my bike on my way to class but have to pack a sweater since the buildings on campus are air-conditioned to 70 degrees, a 30-degree difference inside and outside. At home, we set the air-conditioner to 80 for fear of our electric bill. But it truly does feel cooler because the air-conditioner takes out the 75%+ humidity.

Arctic-cold winters and sweltering, tropical summers with the nearest ocean 1500 miles away and nearest mountains 550. It is a paradise here. What it does mean, however, is that Nebraskans are TOUGH.

"Well, do they?" or "Things you don't see on German lawns"

2005-07-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

As seen on someone's lawn leaving town.
The sign has been there for at least 3 months.

Tante Ali & Mama Holly

2005-07-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hier bin ich mit meinem Neffen im Schwimmbad. Das zweite Bild ist von Hayden und Mama. Er ist wirklich toll, obwohl langsam nimmer so gehorsam. Bei Jungs fängt sowas sehr früh an. (Habe mich bemüht, in Amiland nicht fett zu werden. More on that later.)

Sehnsuchtiges Andenken an Juli 2004

2005-07-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Weinkaufen in Veneto und Wandern in den Dolomiten.
Italia. *sigh*
Liebe Grüsse Steffi und Robert!

Bisserl Sehnsucht

2005-07-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hier ein Photo von Juli 2004.
Greetings, my dear Munich!

Brain Boot Camp.

2005-07-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most difficult things I have ever undertaken and accomplished. And accomplished.

It was also where I have been the last 12 days (in case you missed me).

The discovery of avocadoes

2005-07-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

I helped my nephew, Hayden, discover avodadoes about three weeks ago.

Eingelebt, fast.

2005-06-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

So sieht das aus. Langsam fühlen wir uns daheim. Es ist eine Menge Arbeit, aber es macht Spass. Wir sind recht häuslich, gell?

Sprüh-Schlamm. Hilfe.

2005-06-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Americans living in big cities in the US driving the huge, gas-guzzling SUVs (sport utility vehicles or Geländewagen) have been feeling guilty. How could they justify driving such a vehicle when it was truly just a matter of prestige? It was honestly just way to show that one not only had the money to purchase such a car, but that they could also afford to fill it with gasoline which has doubled in price over the last three years (currently $2.25 / gallon). Unfortunately men are dying for that fuel.

Unlike my father, they were never driving off-road to fish or hunt. They never had their dirty, wet dog in the back, driving home on gravel, country roads.

Well, my friends, the answer has been found. And because this is America, you can buy it in a can. In order to make those yuppie wimps in the city feel less guilty under the scrutinizing eyes of a public increasingly critical of the war being waged to gas up their huge, unnecessary vehicles there is now spray-on mud (see Der Spiegel if you cannot believe me).

Invented by a young English entrepreneur, the product is produced in the UK. This means, however, that the soil these rich losers are spraying on their cars to give them that rugged, all-American look is not even American.

Sommer Wetter auf der Prärie

2005-06-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

It is hot. Should be above 90 degrees most of this week (that's 32+ Celcius).
Besides being nearly too busy to notice, I am suddenly confronted with responsibilities home-owners face during hot weather. I have to water the lawn. And my geraniums. And my herb garden. The vast amounts of German rain (even in the summer) made it easier to plan travel without worrying that your garden would be scorched to death.

Earlier this month we experienced a thunderstorm nearly every night. Jens was impressed by the power and noise. We have severe thunderstorm or tornado watches and warnings broadcast on television, listing the counties where the storms are located or headed. Jens also had first-hand experience with "golf-ball sized hail" which damaged their vehicles while out completing field work in western Nebraska.

Spring into Summer

2005-05-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

We live in a house that we are buying and not renting. And it is lots of work. But the lawn and garden are ours. The painting and cleaning are somehow incredibly fulfilling. We fall into bed each night not knowing when and where to stop, nor where to begin again in the morning because there is so much to do. But we love it.

I was driving home to my parent's today and took in a deep breath of the prairie. It has been a wet spring and everything is incredibly green. The corn, which will be taller than Jens in just two months, is now just a peach fuzz of tiny plants on the rolling hills. There were dark rain clouds to the north into which I was headed. The view of the contrast of colors of the deep grey-blue against the green of nearly everything on the ground made me feel how deep my roots run here. Heimat. Ist halt so.

Along Nebraska Highway 79

2005-05-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Gone West

2005-05-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Utah Prairie!

Jens and I took a road trip through Colorado, southern Utah onto Flagstaff, Arizona. We camped and hiked and generally basked in the MOUNTAINS. We put about 3,000 miles on the Honda in 8 days. We ate amazing, burn-your-face-off Mexican food from people who barely spoke English. We had breakfast with an old friend at Flagstaff's "La Bellavia" Cafe before heading out.
It was a fabulous week. See the rest of the sights here.

Web Cams & Your Prärie Girl

2005-05-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Before I left Germany, I did an interview online with a local ABC affiliate in Michigan. They contacted my friend's company in California looking for long-distance couples using the web technology to keep in touch. Hallie immediately thought of Jens and I.

You can see the resulting news report here .

In Praise of Germany

2005-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

WWII ended 60 years ago today. We are reminded once again of the atrocities performed by the Germans. I am married to a German with 2 grandfathers who fought in that war, one of whom died, for the Germans. The father of my good German friend was a 12-year-old soldier in Germany when this war ended 60 years ago, and he thanks the Americans for his life.

And the Germans are very, very sorry. Very sorry.

On this day, I wish to recall progress made and areas in which the Germans have outdone the Americans. Yeah, outdone us.

The Germans, having learned this painful lesson, no longer take their democracy for granted as (I will dare to say) Americans tend to. The average German is extremely well-informed of world history and of current events, both within Germany and abroad. They know and understand the laws affecting them, and the media (unlike in most of America) assumes the role of informing and explaining this to its citizens. Politicians speak without a script, and there is an honest public discussion of issues.

Few Americans know or understand that it was upon the German’s failed first-attempt at democracy that Hitler built his Third Reich. The Weimar Republic tried and failed. Handing democracy to people who never had it, nor really understood it, is like giving someone from the backwoods a PC and expecting them to found their own start-up company. It will not happen. There must be a time of transition and explanation along with a plan for integration. People need time to grasp the full power of this ideology. The United States had this: it was called colonization.

As the citizens of Germany were stumbling around with their confusing democracy (during a period of depression, no less) Hitler appeared on the scene with new ideas for creating jobs and restoring pride in the common man. They loved him. He was their FDR with a New Deal. Unfortunately his plans for growth were not public works projects, but rather skillfully disguised war-preparations. For a long time, Germans had no idea what kind of a lunatic was running things. And before the masses became informed, Hitler shut down any kind of free-press and replaced it with his famous propaganda machine.

This in no way excuses what happened in Germany. Nor is it in any way praising their tyrant leader. But it should serve as a reminder of what can happen when the citizens of a democracy stop paying attention. Democracy requires certain obligations of its citizens: that they become educated and remain informed, critical and a part of the decision-making process.

Germans are a proud people (like Americans) with a history of success (like Americans) and mistakes (like Americans). What Germans now have that America as a whole seems to be lacking is a sense of national and global social responsibility.

Germans know what war on their doorstep looks like, and they want no other nation to have to know that shame and loss and death and destruction. They are therefore generally pacifists and hopeful of the diplomatic process. You might be too. Ask an American who recently lost a loved-one in Iraq what they think of war.
Despite flaws in any such system, every German has health care. Public health care is a national priority.

They are one of the greenest industrialized nations on earth. An example for the rest of Europe. Everyone recycles. And everyone knows that America generally does not. Public transportation works and people use it.

These are just a few of the things where Germany is setting a positive example. And those Germans are hard on themselves! I cannot imagine another more self-critical nationality!

Today was a day of reflection and remembrance for Germany. It would be great if every nation had one such day per year to be confronted with its mistakes and to reflect upon its past.

30 am 30.

2005-05-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I turned 30. On the 30th.
That alone would have made for great party invites.
Alas there was no big party. My husband and family did however take great care of me.

Jens gave me a tree.

My little sister gave me this:

The Artisan was a nice Vietnamese woman at the nail salon.

Here are some more photos of my toes and from the rest of the evening eating Fondue and drinking expensive cocktails.

Sundown on a Decade

2005-04-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is the sky looking out over the river valley from Mom & Dad's patio on the night of April 29th. My last night of twenty-something.

I began the decade of my twenties in Tübingen. I celebrated my 20th birthday during my first trip (which was a semester) abroad. Summer threw me a birthday brunch in the kitchen of our Studentenwohnheim. The kitchen was horrible but the brunch was great. And Summer (ja, wie die Jahreszeit) is still a friend.

If I knew then what was in store for me from 20 to 29 . . .
I must remain confident many more adventures await me from 30 to 39.

Amerikanischer Kühlschrank

2005-04-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Das ist nicht der Kühlschrank in der Küche einer Wirtschaft sondern der Kühlschrank im Privathaus meiner Eltern.

Ein Blick nach innen:

(eine Seite ist das Gefrier-"fach" und die andere Seite ist "nur" der Kühlschrank.)

Aller Anfang ist schwer.

2005-04-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Verdammt schwer. Mein (runder) Geburstag steht an. Und obwohl ich mich freue bei Jens und meiner Familie zu sein, ich würde viel lieber mit Freunde in Minga feiern. Tiefpunkt wo alles plötzlich in Frage kommt.

War das richtig, was wir hier machen?

Stay tuned for something more upbeat tomorrow.
Miss you, Germany.

Mein Haus, mein Auto, mein Job

2005-04-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's been one week . . .
Innerhalb nur einer Woche in Ami-land, habe ich es geschafft die oben-erwähnten Sachen zu erledigen. (Jens ist leider unter Wasser, da das Semester bald endet und Prüfungen bzw. Schreibarbeiten anstehen. Er freut sich aber auch.)
Letzten Donnerstag habe ich meinen Arbeitsvertrag unterschrieben.
Morgen mittag hole ich das Auto ab.
Ende Mai ziehen wir in das Haus ein.

Für meinen Geschmack, ist das alles a' bisserl zu schnell, aber einige Chancen haben wir auch nur einmal.

Das Haus und Auto seht ihr hier .
Trotz allem, vermisse ich (vermissen wir) Deutschland schon arg.

Flughafen Chicago: Port of Entry

2005-04-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

First Impressions jotted down at ORD:

Ill-fitting clothing --especially men's khakis.
Women extremely styled (make-up and hair and jewelry), but bad shoes and again, the general ill-fit and out-of-date shaping.
Businessmen talking LOUDLY into cell phones. The bigger the man (determined by pant size, belly), the louder they speak. Generally trivial drivel to wives or friends during which they are certain to clearly indicate their importance by mentioning where they were and how long they have been traveling.
A general readiness for exhibition: people conversing in a manner that hopes to draw your attention and in the best case, your comment and participation.
CNN blaring. What if I don't want this noise? Or this station?
Dirtier. Generally less organized and nowhere nearly as spic & span as a German airport. Admittedly, it is hard to beat the Munich airport for cleanliness and modern design.
Many fat people. Not just overweight or mollig, but FAT. Everyone seems to be fighting with their weight somehow.
A kind man who happened to be on my connecting flight loaned me a quarter at the popcorn stand since I only had $2.60 of the needed $2.85. My other money was a $100 bill which the Polish woman operating the stand could not break after running to all the other stands on the concourse. I think he was embarrassed as I thanked him so profusely. THAT would not happen often (at all?) in Germany.