9 hours at 35,000 feet

Let's start this one off with a very general statement: I love flying. 

I enjoy my little seat, tray table, and tiny window (I'm a window seat kind of girl). And the longer the flight, the better.  So the fact that in the past year I've been on 5 international flights of about 9 hours each has been no problem for me.  And my flight back to Germany two weeks ago was no exception, even though it was only with Delta (I mean, Delta isn't bad, but my favorite airlines that I've flown before are KLM and British Airways). 

As many of you will know, flights these days are always packed to the brim. There is usually not a single empty seat, and a handful of people left at the gate who were hoping to be fit in. So as I took my seat, that old shimmer of hope of having my own row didn't even really come to mind. As the seats around me filled, I was joined in my row by a high school girl going to visit friends, and across the aisle an obnoxious graduate student who wouldn't stop talking. After it came out that he was a Florida student, I was a little less surprised by his creepy and inappropriate flirtations with a girl 8 years younger than him. Of course, once the inflight movies started, I would be able to plug in and block out their small talk for the rest of the ride. 

But just as we headed to take off, I started to notice quite a few empty seats. And hark, yonder across the plane and one row up an entire two seat window row was completely empty! So as soon as the seatbelt sign went off I headed for the flight attendants: "If there is an empty seat, is it ok to change?" "Oh honey, if no one is in the seat, you can sit where ever you want."

Done and done.

So for the remaining 8 and a half hours I got to enjoy my mini-pretzels and ginger ale (my favorite airplane combination since as long as I can remember) stretched out over two seats all to myself. 

And one thing I do love about Delta flights is their inflight trivia. I mean, I love trivia in general, but inflight trivia is pretty awesome because you play against the other people on the plane. For the most part I think it was between me, 21F and 32A. 

But even without the movies and pretzels and trivia, I'd still be pretty happy just enjoying the view out my tiny window. Especially getting to see sunrise at 35,000 feet. You have to admit, it's pretty cool. 

a very brief and not particularly helpful German lesson

Since not much is going on in the way of me having a life this month, I have been racking my brain other ways to annoy entertain the internet. Then it struck me. I have been in Germany for the past year, basically for the sole purpose of improving my German (I mean, and teaching English...). So I have compiled a list of my favorite German words for...

1. Gegenüberliegende

This is my favorite word in the German language. It has nothing to do with its meaning - an adjective that basically means "across from." For example, if your friend calls trying to meet up with you at the usual beer keller, but today you've decided to meet at the one across from it you would get the dialogue below (don't worry about that pesky little "n" at the end, we'll save adjective endings and cases for another lesson). No, what I really like about this word is just how crazy it is to say. In the Emily Phonetic Spelling System (EPSS), it is pronounce gay-gen-EEEW-ber-lee-gen-da (keep in mind that there almost no such thing as a soft g in German). I mean, just say it, falls right off the tongue perfectly! 

2. Vergnügen 
This is another word that I enjoy mostly just for pronunciation. But the meaning also plays an important (and ironically appropriate?) role. EPSS pronunciation: fair-g-NEW-gen. Definition: Pleasure. And, indeed, I find this word quite a pleasure to say. 

3. Doch
Now this word is awesome because of it's meaning. It's an expression that doesn't exist in English. If you were to translate it, it would probably change in every context, but a more or less standard definition of it would be like "Ya-huh!" When I was first introduced to this word it was only in the sense that if you get in a "No!""Yes!" battle with someone, instead of "Nein!" "Ja!" you say, "Nein!" "Doch!" of course, you can also insert doch into sentences to be a cute and pithy way of saying something like "on the contrary." But, as I said, there is really no direct translation for this word which makes it hard (at least in my opinion) for English speakers to really learn how to use correctly. I usually just throw it into sentences, whether or not it's an appropriate or correct use. But hey, I like it, so I'm going to keep doing it.

4. Fremdsprachenassistentin 
To be honest, I hate saying this word. I always trip all over it. But it's my job title. And it's a 24 letter word. If that's not badass, I don't know what is. EPSS: FREMT-sprock-en-ah-sis-tent-in. 

5. Genau
If you ever want to fake being able to speak German, just learn this word. EPSS: geh-NOW. It means "exactly". But it's way more all-purpose than the English "exactly." When I first came to Germany in 2005, I realized almost immediately just how important and well-used this word was in everyday speech. It is pretty much the go-to response for any statement:  "I love Emily's blog""Genau!" / "I just really want to put on some lederhosen, eat bratwurst and drink a beer" "Genau!" / "Most American stereotypes of Germany are actually false" "Genau!" / "except in Bavaria" "Genau!" I could go on, but I think you get the picture. So when in doubt, just say "Genau!"

So there you have it, five of my favorite words in the German language. Please be sure to study before our next very brief and not particularly helpful German lesson!

Some ways that German schools are exactly like US schools... except not at all.

Every year, students finishing Gymnasium (the highest level of high school in Germany) must take the Abitur. The Abitur can be most closely related to the SAT in the US even though it's really nothing like the SAT. But it is the big final test which affects the students later acceptance into college or other potential career paths. And the students, after completing their Abitur usually come back for one last Abischerz. This literally means something like Abitur joke, but for all intents and purposes is the equivalent of a senior prank in the US. 

Now, I've never actually seen an Abischerz, but from what I was told by teachers or my other ETA friends who had them, no matter what the actual prank entailed, the seniors carrying it out were usually already drunk upon arrival and continued drinking at school. And, unlike US senior pranks that are usually done under the cover of night leaving results for the whole school to marvel at (or scorn) for the next day (such as hanging the parking man's golf cart from the back of the football stadium or painting over the parking lot numbers, to name a couple I experienced in high school), the Abischerz is done during a school day, as a sort of "performance" (for lack of better word), usually involving some sort of audience (teacher) participation. Now, like I've said, I've never actually seen an Abischerz, so I can't really say for sure how much of what I described is entirely accurate, but it's what I've gathered from my various sources. 

This year, however, my school had seen enough of the drunken debauchery of the Abischerz. So they decided, instead, to have only a half day of school one day to be followed in the afternoon by an Abifeier (this one means Abitur celebration, more or less). It was sort of like field day in the US... kind of. The seniors set up the entire courtyard of the school with giant inflatables, a mechanical bull, food and drinks, a stage, and constant music. On the stage the principal sat "chained" to a chair, basically symbolizing that he had no control over what was going on, that he couldn't get up and monitor behavior. Four teachers were selected (I'm not quite sure how, probably because they had a lot to do with the graduating class) and spent the afternoon dressed as teletubbies and forced [nicely] to partake in activities (i.e. starting a conga line, competing against students for best time on the mechanical bull, etc.). 

According to one of my teachers, this was the biggest event the Abi-students had ever put on, the first time it was really something for all the students (remember, German high school starts at 5th grade), and the first time there was no alcohol involved. And while I did see one or two beer bottles going around, it was for the most part "good, clean fun," if you will.

So, in short, after the test that is something like the SAT, except not at all, they took what was usually something like a senior prank, except not at all, and turned it into something like a field day, except not at all. 

And those are all the painfully inadequate US/Germany comparisons I have for today...

How I always seem to take the same picture

When telling people where I live in Germany, I always reference the closest big city - Nürnberg. And it recently came to my attention that I've never really posted about Nürnberg.

Visits to Nürnberg this past year were pretty regular, especially whenever I had visitors in town. It has an incredibly picturesque Altstadt (old city) and an overall very stereotypical "German" feel about it. I mean, it was once claimed, by the Nazis, to be the most German city. 

Aside from being a great shopping destination, it has a lot to see including a castle, the Nazi Party Rally museum, some very strange and disturbing statues, and lots of big, beautiful churches (ok, it's Germany, there are big, beautiful churches everywhere. It's a little ridiculous.)

One big, beautiful church in particular - the Lorenzkirche - is right on the way from the main train station to the altstadt. Which means we pass it almost every time we go to Nürnberg. And somehow I always end up taking a picture of it. Perhaps to prove that it is just as big and beautiful as I left it...? 

September 17, 2010

October 9, 2010 

April 19, 2011

July 29, 2011

But you have to admit, it is a pretty photogenic church 

it's good to have goals...

and my goal for next year is to collect all 6 seasons of LOST.

Dream big, I know!

It all started when I lived in Switzerland and realized how much easier it was to travel with digital information (i.e. movies saved to my external hard drive as opposed to carrying the actual DVDs). Since then I have collected over 130 movies, 2 complete TV series and some random other episodes of various shows. All obtained by completely legal methods... of course.

As far as LOST is concerned, I caught on to the craze pretty late in the game (in the middle of the 5th season, I believe), but I've been really wanting to go through the series again. So my new goal for the coming year is to collect all 6 seasons.

And with each season being $35 on iTunes, if someone could deposit $210 into my account, you would really help me reach my goals more quickly.

Things I Forgot I Missed, part 5

After arriving at the airport and being surprised by my friends (remember how my friends are a lot cooler than yours?), they wanted to take me out for my first American meal. Since it takes about 2 years to get through customs at Atlanta airport (that's another story entirely), meaning I didn't actually make it out till about 11, the original plan for Chik-fil-a was scrapped and switched to Steak-n-Shake (I mean, c'mon, we were going for the painfully American here!). 
 
It was at Steak-n-Shake that two very amazing things happened. The first, I had this fantastically delicious milkshake (go team). Second, I was reminded just how wonderful it was to be in a world where costumer service existed. 

Now, that isn't to say that no one in Germany is capable of good costumer service, or even that people aren't at least nice when you go out. It's something you don't even notice until you go back to the costumer service standards of the US.  There is definitely something to be said for people who are working for tips. I guess it is part of the same culture that has Americans classified as polite to a fault and completely superficial. But what can I say, I like my people super nice, even if it is a little fake. 

Things I Forgot I Missed, part 4

There were two things that my students were always interested in/amazed about with American culture: 

1. you can drive when you're 16

2. everybody has a car

Of course, while the latter is a slight exaggeration, it really isn't too off the mark. Which brings me to the 4th thing I forgot I missed until my return to the US last month - Driving. 

I've always loved driving. So how, you may be wondering, does this count as something I forgot I missed? Shouldn't it fall under the category of something I remembered I missed? Well, I also love riding bikes and trains, which are both my only modes of transportation in Germany and rare modes transportation in the US. So when I first came in September, the loss of my beloved driving time was overshadowed by the excitement of bikes and trains. 

 

Over the year the excitement wore off a little bit (like when I found out I couldn't ride a bike in the snow, or that trains are, on average, always about 15 minutes behind schedule), but for some reason, the idea of a car never came back into my head. Maybe it's because I don't know how to drive a stick shift (for shame, I know), or that the idea of driving on the Autobahn terrifies me, but over the past year, the closest I've gotten driving a car was sitting in an old BMW at the museum in Munich. 

It wasn't until I hit the open road in Georgia, driving to Atlanta on my 4th day back, that I remembered just how much I loved driving. Windows down, music blasting, a sense of freedom that can't be provided by the limitations of bikes and trains (am I getting too poetic now?).  And I was glad to find that even after 11 months, I had not lost my touch at parallel parking... regular parking, on the other hand, is still lacking.