We have been very busy the last few days...Actually, we have been busy since we arrived here in Germany. Sandra, Rolf's sister, came from Switzerland to stay with us for the weekend (That is her in the picture above). I was so pleased to meet her and I enjoyed the time we spent getting to know one another. I showed her around Erlangen and the three of us took a day trip to Nurnberg to savor some gluwein. We went out for drinks and stopped by the famous schnitzel haus for a feast of a meal. Literally, you cannot see your plate because the scnitzel is overflowing off of the plate(Photo at the bottom)! On Monday, we packed up what we could in Sandra's car and headed south for Munich. We officially moved into our little apartment on Kleinstrasse! We spent a few hours arranging and rearranging furniture and then contemplating what things we would need to replace, i.e. toaster circa 1914 and a sunset toilet seat. For now, the space is optimized and we can enjoy the view we have from the third floor. It snowed yesterday and it was solid white outside with huge snowflakes falling. It was beautiful and I think that was the second time in my life that I have even seen snowfall. To celebrate our first night we ate at an adorable and quaint Greek restaurant around the corner and then negotiated a price for a bottle of champagne that we later spilled all over the floor when we uncorked the bottle......I have started work....I started shadowing that is.....I follow the parents around as they perform the duties that I will take over once I know what the hell I am doing. I will be driving here and I'm most concerned about knowing my way around the city. I have to pick the kids up from school (which are on the opposite sides of the city), take them to tennis lessons (which are at two different locations), and manage not to get lost and stay on time. I still have to pass a German language proficiency test for my visa and iron out several other details that will follow with the visa procedure.
Besides that stuff.....German culture.....Now, I lived in Thailand for over a year and had virtually no culture shock...I obviously did not mentally prepare myself in the same way I had before because here I have experienced a great deal of culture shock. Ironic, considering German and American culture are more similar than different. In Thailand, if I spoke even one word of Thai, I would receive praise and encouragement. Here, if I TRY to speak the little German that I know, it's perceived as unimpressive and just plain not enough. I've run into people who would like to practice their English with me and others who refuse to even exchange gestures because the of the language barrier. When I smile at people as I walk through the streets, people become confused because that is not so typical here in Germany to acknowledge strangers. I have began staring at the ground as I walk. Money is a bitch, too. The exchange rate is so bad, I lose 30 bucks for every 100 that I spend. Money has fallen through my hands like sand and I am anxious to start receiving Euro once I officially begin work. At least our apartment is paid for. But it doesn't feel good to lose that much money that I had to earn back when I was in the States. It's all part of the transition and Rolf has been by my side this whole time to help ease.....uncomfortable feelings about such matters.
I did have one particular special experience recently. I was introduced to Rolf's landlords in Erlangen. They were an older couple who invited us right in to sit down and chat about modern politics. He wore suspenders and a plaid scarf, and she wore an apron. She showed me her collection of traditional, hand-carved carousals and pictures of the grandkids. He showed me beer steins from the brewery that they own together and talked to me in German even though I had no idea and he knew I had no idea what he was saying to me. I admired their home and felt as though I was getting a window into the culture that I will soon become a part of.
