The Wild Blue (and beyond)

2010-09-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

Dear World,
it's been something like 12 and a half months since I moved to Germany, which added to the two prior visits I'd already made, makes something like thirteen months of my life that I've been in this country. That is, 3½ or 4% of all the time I've ever spent, anywhere. I thought you might be interested.

Fall (Herbst) is coming soon. Last year at this time, I was wearing short sleeves and shorts all the time, and sweating well into October on the way from Heydenmühle to Lengfeld and back. This year it's cooler, as they say, "fall is in the air." I'm much more comfortable than I used to be, at least most of the time. When I'm in German-speaking groups I still have more trouble understanding the answers after I ask a question, than if I just keep quiet and try to pay attention. Despite that, I haven't stopped asking questions. I'm enjoying a long weekend in Mainz with Veronika and we're settling into the idea of another year: another year of back and forth from Heydenmühle to Mainz; another year of hellos and goodbyes; another year of wondering, what's happening next.

Work continues to go well. There's constantly a mood in Torhaus inspired by the question, "What can we do better?" Or maybe the question is rather, "What do you need?" At any rate I'm still convinced that it's a good place to be working, and it hasn't gotten boring yet. I've got my new Visa and I've got my new status at the Heydenmühle as Mitarbeiter (coworker). I'm no longer a Praktikant (intern). The distinction hasn't made too much difference in the daily responsibilities of my job, but I am attending a few meetings and all of a sudden I know a lot more of the people who are around in the Heydenmühle. I am officially more responsible than before, for instance sometimes I have to be on call even when I'm not working. So far I haven't been called with any problems. And that's the latest. I've got as many questions as answers, when it comes to the work, but since that's appropriate for the mood of the house, I can't complain.

Yours,
Noah

2010-07-29T02:49:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't been following the story, things are different now. To begin with, summer vacation has come and gone. I once again had the experience of living with Veronika for more than a few days at a stretch and I look forward to more time like that—but not for a while. August 18th will mark my first full year in Germany, and like I said, things are different. I can get by here now, and more. I understand a high percentage of everything I hear during the day at work. In other contexts I mostly catch the gist of the conversation. But I'm still a long way off from 100% inclusion. That said, when have I ever been part of things 100%, 100% of the time? (Seriously though, I am lost and left out more than I used to be.)
So what's new, besides that I went to Barcelona with Veronika?
Work. Work's different. I moved out of Lengfeld and down to Heydenmühle proper. The new address is

>Ausserhalb Lengfeld 3
>64853 Otzberg
>Deutschland

I'm also not just anywhere in the Heydenmühle, but sharing a room with the (already there) office in Torhaus, where I work. The commute is a lot shorter! And I've got my own bathroom. I'm still working on getting the last of my furniture sorted out and getting everything nicely "eingerichtet." We've also got a new team working in Torhaus, and after half a week we're off to a good start. I have admit that it surprises me that I'm so excited to think that we'll be able to keep building, and not have to stop every few months to train someone new, and not have to work with people who are only there one or two shifts a month, who might be good at what they do & might be able to offer more than simply two hands but don't just because they don't offer us enough time for it! Yes, it seems like it will be a good year.
I was walking to the train station today going across the fields. After surviving the mud pit I came up the hill. The sun was shining. The wind was blowing. it smelled the way it always does (thankfully not quite as sour as sometimes, Winter having ended really a long time ago). It smelled, you know, evocative; familiar. It was one of those smells that made me feel comfortable. Which shouldn't be a surprise. I did, after all, walk that way to and from work for most of a year.

Since this is a log, I will once again apologize for the as always unplanned lack of entries for such a long time: Sorry I haven't posted for ages. I hope you appreciate the update.

2010-05-29T14:46:00.001-07:00

Well, that's the real life... or that's the feel of it, somehow. There's such a bustle of voices outside, and I can hear someone clapping. I'm here at the Heiliggrabgasse apartment on my own for possibly the first time. Well, I've been here on my own before. But I just arrived (tired, it's nearly midnight) and ate some leftover pizza from the roomate. Veronika and her sister are in Darmstadt at the Schlossgrabenfest (i think that's what it's called) and I'm here on my own for the whole night. After two nights sleeping in the tiny bed in the office in Torhaus, it's nice to be here. And tomorrow morning, my parents are arriving. Sometime between 7:30 and 8:00, I think. all this makes me think it's time for bed.
so... off I go. goodnight.

2010-05-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

...so much for a series of small, detailed entries describing my time on the Schlei. Life moves on, and it seems that this is my vacation-time. This past weekend, I was in Turunç, a small town (with a big hotel) in Turkey. I was pretty amazed to be there - I've never taken a trip like that before in my life. Veronika's sister found the deal for us, and we flew and got picked up from the airport and taken directly to the hotel, and brought back a few days later. It was warm, it was sunny, there were pools and ocean and waterslides and it was really, really nice and relaxing. Drinks and food were all part of the package, though the haircut I got was a little extra. In two more weeks, my parents, sister and Grandma will be arriving. I hope the weather here in Deutschland is nice by then. It's been solidly cloudy for weeks.... Well, we'll see.
I've heard that my visa is approved! I am still waiting for the official paperwork. So far we only have word-of-mouth confirmation, over the phone.

Windmühlen

2010-05-07T02:53:00.000-07:00

The first thing I noticed about the North of Germany is that no matter where you are (outside), you can look around and see a windmill. One of the big ones for electricity. There are also old windmills around. I think I saw ten or so of them around, some looked pretty, all painted, new roofs, wings (are they called wings?) looking like they're ready to fly around.... I didn't actually see any in use. Most of them used to be grain mills, and one was also a sawmill. Some of them are also standing around just looking weathered, with the spinning parts detached and nowhere to be seen, the tops capped by tarpaper.

2010-05-06T01:29:00.000-07:00

Work update: a month spent at the Schlei, not so bad. Intense, good for the working relationships, no details at this time.

Future work update: waiting for a response from the Arbeitsamt about whether I can work in Germany or not.

General update: maybe soon, after I shower, if we're lucky....

2010-04-01T03:40:00.000-07:00

oh whoa whoa WHOAwhoawhoawhoa I signed my contract and I've visited the Ausländerbehörde and now I just need to go see Mr. Mohr again and tell him what the woman in Dieburg told me and then, well, we'll see. I just need permission from the Arbeitsamt to work, and if I have it, then the Ausländeramt gives me permission to live here without asking any further questions. They're happy to work through my papers for me. They just ask the folks at the work-office first if it's okay to go ahead with it. So that's it, and that's that.

I would not be in the least bit surprised...

2010-03-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

One (I) would not be in the least bit surprised if everyone who used to wait for my twice-weekly updates has stopped reading this blog. I am updating now, or at least I believe so. Perhaps you'll only notice in a month? Perhaps never? I am not going to promise a better wait-time before the next entry. But I will spend a few minutes now, to fill you in on the news....

Veronika is away for the week so I miss her, but I've got tons of time this weekend. Weather's rainy and grey, but somehow it gets sunny every so often. I cleaned and rearranged my room. Wow! I never rearrange my room! I like it - I hope it proves just as comfortable to live in as it was before.

JOB SEARCH: I didn't find any jobs in Mainz. I think it's far too early to be searching for a job I can only start in August, and anyway I started sending out application already at the beginning of February! The good news is that the lovely folks at the Heydenmühle have already drawn up a contract for me. I haven't seen it or read it yet, but on Tuesday at the latest I will do this. Meanwhile I've decided that I'd like to stay on working in Torhaus, despite the folks in Winkel (Haus im Winkel - House in the Corner) telling me it would be sure nice if I would join them there. I've been looking over different options for a 40-hour work week that Dave would be happy with and that would also give me the maximum amount of time in one block, I could spend in Mainz.
&

WORK: I have to say, I feel like I'm only just now coming into my own ("einsteigen," someone said, which is the same word for getting on a train) in Torhaus, as far as not just getting on with the work and getting to know the people there, but actually trying to take some real forwards steps, thinking of things I could do to really help out. I've started trying to introduce K** (who is apparently deaf, though nobody realized it until he was 30) to symbolic communication that he can hopefully use functionally. Functionally use. Naturally. What other communication is there besides communication that functions? Well, well, well. Also after 7 months of working with J** we (Dave and I, I guess, but really just myself) are ready to reestablish some clear routines that should give him a stable floor to stand on, so to speak, so he can work on making progress in such social areas as he might want to (or we might like him to).

I'm getting ready to go on a house-vacation for four weeks! We leave Heydenmühle on the 5th of April and come back on May 1st. The destination is a vacation house near Kappeln in Schlesswig-Holstein, far in the North of Germany. It should be a nice, and relaxed time.

Größere Kartenansicht

So, my mom and dad and sister and grandmother are also planning a vacation from the end of May through early June, to come visit me here! Wow! They got their plane tickets so it's really real now - time to talk to my boss about a couple extra days off.

&with that, I will wrap it up. Thanks for reading. :-) Noah

Zwischenseminar 2B

2010-03-03T05:03:00.000-08:00

That is, the in-between seminar of the second group, part B. In Berlin. Yoohoo!

So ever since I've been here in Deutschland I've been trying to replace John, Joe and Anna, and the truth is, they're irreplaceable. Not only have I not found any people who are very much like them, but I also haven't found any close friends, people I feel comfortable dropping in on, or even people whom I know where they live. But here at the Freunde der Erziehungskunst seminars I'm together with the same group of people that I was thrown together with when I first arrived here in Germany. Actually I was in Germany for a week before the first seminar started, but that's not the really important part. Things are good at the seminar. There's a large group of people. During our free time we hang out with those it's easiest to hang out with: either people who speak the same language or people we just kind of recognize a common interest with. At least that's how it happened for me. During the actual meaty content of the seminar, we spend time with everyone. The work of the seminar is also social, and it facilitates connections with those to whom it's not quite so easy to just drift closer. The mood reminds me of drama club, and of being in plays. Big Group. Tons of different ideas. Lots of down-time and lots of focus together as well. The truth is, I haven't been in too many of this kind of circle before. What makes it unique is that we know it's coming to an end. And that we all speak better and better German each time we meet up. So, that said, I'm looking forward to July!

2010-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Here I am once again in Mainz. Veronika and I have a few days together, then I'm off to Berlin. A very short while later, she and her sister are off to Chicago. We'll probably all have a lot of fun, but we won't see each other for two weeks. I'm looking forward to my Seminar in Berlin. It's nice to have a group like that, and I'm particularly interested to see how we're all progressing in our German and we'll be able to communicate better with each other. There's a big contingent there that speaks English that it's always been easy to talk to, but now after half a year it should all be opening up. We're about 20 people in our group, and twenty in the other group that's having their seminar parallel to (and somewhat mixed with) ours.

The job search goes on. I've now heard back from two out of three places to which I've sent in applications, and at the moment neither of them want me, but I've got until August 22nd.....

2010-02-22T02:59:00.001-08:00

I am writing for the first time since I've actually gotten my BA in the mail. I've sent out three job applications, and heard back from one of them (no). I will be attempting to contact the first place I sent an app in today, and then waiting for a response from the third (assuming it's necessary). I'm going to send in a few more applications later this week, and when I get back from Berlin, it'll be time to start exploring if I should keep working in the Heydenmühle. A 20-hour job wouldn't be bad at all, if it comes with a contract that lets me stay in the country here and permission to work anywhere else. But I don't know how that will all go, anyway.

As for the work, and life in general, they have their ups and downs. I'm really nervous about finding a job, but I ought to relax. After all, I'll be able to sort something out eventually. I have some frustrating experiences at work, too, but that's the nature of the beast, that and, "the thought that life can be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains."

I'm excited for Berlin. I'll be there Saturday!

2010-02-06T00:36:00.000-08:00

so: Another week come and gone. Today is Saturday and the end of the weekend and, in keeping with how calendars actually look, I start the week tomorrow morning with working. I am, actually, looking forward to the day, but isn't vacation (or weekend or whatever) always nicer? The more I start to think about it, and the more time I spend wondering if there was ever, in the history of mankind, another way of doing things, the more I doubt it. Work is work and it's got to be done, and the only thing a person could do that might change the feeling of it, is be able to decide when they work and when they're free. You may not know it, but calendars in Germany actually start on Monday and end on Sunday, thus showing the weekend at the end of the week. Something sensible about that, no?

The long-awaited Cover Letter is now complete. Not bad for the amount of time I put into it. (and the amount of time I spent dragging other people into it!)

Oh! And I've got a new house-mate, who's friend who also works with us in the heydenmühle brought his nintendo wii... watch out world - I haven't played Mario Kart since college... until yesterday! (Thursday, really, but close enough)

job updates

2010-01-30T04:52:00.001-08:00

So... I still have not sent in any of my job applications. I'm glad that I set "end of January" as my deadline, because the closer I come to it, the more I realize I'm missing things! Here's my to-do-to-apply list, that all of you can see:

write cover letter (to be used for applying to Berlitz places)
fill out application form (to be used for applying to Inlingua places)
get together collection of references (I'll have two from Beaver Run and one from Heydenmühle)
get my diploma from Prescott College.....

That's not a very long list, thankfully. I just wish I weren't missing everything. I've started looking around for online advice on writing cover letters, but it hasn't made the actual writing process go any faster. Neither does writing this, but it seems like a fine spot to at least try to get my thoughts in order.

Long Weekend

2010-01-24T04:33:00.000-08:00

In the fashion that's been the norm at least since I've been working in Torhaus, our new practicant (intern, I guess, is the proper word) had enough and quit. Except in his case it had nothing to do with ideological differences or personal differences or general slacker mentality. Rather, it had to do with the organization who helped him arrange his practicum (I know, internship) and, well, he had to get money somehow, and since none was arriving by way of Heydenmühle, he's gone-ers. I hope you noticed that this post has a title. Not all of them do. I covered his shifts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when he couldn't come in. I worked between shifts on Monday because U** was sick and we shouldn't leave him alone in the house. I stayed every night from Sunday through Tuesday in Torhaus, because it's a pain in the ass to walk back and forth from work after 9:00PM and before 6:30AM the next morning, and because two of the nights were mine anyway. I don't know why, but I had Thursday off. That was special. I normally work Sun through Thu these days, and getting the extra day was amazing. And then, as thanks for having worked every single shift between Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, Dave said I could take Sunday off too. That put me in Mainz already on Wednesday evening, and it's Sunday now, and I'm still here... though I'll be leaving in a couple hours.

It's been a really nice time here. I'm getting on with my job applications, but the truth is I can't really make them until I've collected recommendation letters from all the people I've asked, and gotten my diploma from Prescott. I'm going to start out with applying to some language schools in Wiesbaden, which is just across the river from Mainz. That would be a lot closer than Frankfurt. I'm going to put in an application to the school in Mainz too, although they are not advertising that they need an English instructor. And what about working at the airport? There are American airlines doing business there - maybe I could work for one of them? That would give me some amazing travel privileges, and it would also be closer than working in Frankfurt. What else could I do? I don't really know. I haven't heard back from the guy opening the Curative Educational Waldorf school, and I have a feeling that even if he would want me, I wouldn't make enough money to survive, much less improve the state of my savings. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a job teaching English in Wiesbaden. And my ears open in case there's something else I can do.

I'm a little glum now. Not to go back to work, which is okay, but to go back to Lengfeld. I also like my apartment, or at least my room, but I won't see Veronika again until Thursday night. Well, whatchagonnado? She's at work now, at Muffins, which only opens in ten minutes. I'm going to pack my stuff up and head over there, and then I'll be on the train back home at ten to four.

2010-01-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was not finished with my degree yet, and I thought it was a good idea to post to this log as often as possible. I remember when I arrived in Germany and everything was brand new, and I had lots of time (strange - I still have lots of time), and I thought it was a good idea to post to this log as often as possible. Well I guess that's all alright. I continue to enjoy my work. I don't manage to go any faster helping K** get ready in the mornings than I used to, and today since I was ten minutes late for work anyway (First Time!!) I was late enough finishing up with him, that Dave came and commented. It's alright. I still did get him ready, and then go and get J** ready, and though J** and I were late for breakfast, that's not such a bad thing. No one's doubting that he'll get enough to eat. And he was ready to go when it was time to leave for work, which is as much as anyone expects. Dave reminded me of that. Without saying, "relax, don't worry about it, don't let the clock get in the way of your work or let it stress you out so that you're not all there for J** when he needs you," he helped me feel relaxed about it. And I suppose it was a good morning, then, for all that. I probably should have slept there at the Heydenmühle last night. It was Veronika's idea, but I didn't have the night shift on my schedule, and I walked home with Fabian, a new intern (praktikant) who has to walk to Lengfeld to catch the train home anyway, which was nice, so I slept in Lengfeld and then I had to wake up early and walk to work. There's way too much snow to be riding my bike over the fields at the moment. Well, right.

In other news, I am thinking more and more seriously about finding myself a job for next year. There are a few language schools in Frankfurt where I might be able to teach English. The current project is to get a good "Werbungsfoto," that's the little picture that goes in the corner of the "Lebenslauf," which is the same as a resumé or curriculum vitae. Then comes the more serious stuff.... Can I get it all together within a week? I should be able to. It's honestly not that much. And then of course, I'm still waiting for my diploma from Prescott College. Without that, and with them, still sending me mail that would only be relevant for current students, I can't really believe that I've graduated. But I did get that e-mail saying, "congratulations and we'll be sending out your diploma by the end of January." I e-mailed them, also, today, just to make sure.

2010-01-11T00:56:00.000-08:00

I did my housekeeping again last night. When the work was totally new, it was easier for me to make and keep resolutions. When I first got here a few months ago, I went to bed early and woke up early. Now I went to bed late, and still woke up early (you kind of have to...). Now that I'm settling in here, and feel more comfortable, I don't feel like the work is such a break from the rest of my life - there isn't so much contrast. While that's not a bad thing, it also means it's not as easy for me to see myself from the outside, as it were, to force a change when I think I want one. Um... well, that's where I am right now. I know I said all that, but I don't think it's exactly bad. Still, definitely worth noticing. It's 10:00 am, and I'm about to head home. I'll try biking uphill in the snow but I have a feeling I'll be walking all the way.

2010-01-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! Jetzt haben wir Zweitausendundzehn! So that's something, anyway, I remember writing 1989 when I first learned how to write. I guess that was 21 years ago, more or less. I don't have a job yet for next fall, or a place to live either, but I'm sure it will all work out. I've already been in Germany for a full 3 1/2 months. The year is going by. I still haven't posted any photos from my apartment, so it must be time to do that soon. Things aren't so new there anymore, but it's still a nice place. Too bad it's so far from Mainz. And... for the first time in three years, I didn't make it down to the Rhine to see the fireworks, but the weather wasn't so good anyway so I guess I didn't miss too much. Anyway, look down, I've just uploaded one photo from my room, so you can see a little bit of my apartment. When I've taken pictures of more of the place, I'll let you know.

2009-12-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

Today is December 26th, the day after the day after Christmas eve. That means I've been hanging out with Veronika's family since the 24th, third year in a row! On the 24th we had the traditional meal - I don't know if it's always been traditional or only as long as I've been involved, or somewhere in between - Rouladen mit Knödeln dabei. Sehr lecker. Then after dinner, on into the living room to unwrap presents! There's none of this early-morning-on-the-twenty-fifth business that you hear about all the time if you grow up in the US, though if I understood that part of the supper conversation correctly, the kids used to hate sitting through the meal because they were so excited that when it was finally over they would get to find out what they got for Christmas! Well, I understand. Today we were off at the Grandma's (she was also there on Thursday) for coffee and cake (Christstollen! und Linzertort für etwas anderes) and yesterday we spent the day at the Grandfather's. Now Helene, Veronika and I are back at the apartment in Mainz, and everyone (especially Helene and Veronika, although I've tried to help too) have been cleaning and tidying for almost two hours.

I like my Christmas presents! I got new houseshoes and Veronika had my watch fixed and I've got a 1 liter coffee/tea thermos from Alfi (chic!) and chocolate and a regular cap for my Sigg water bottle so I don't have to use the bike-thing all the time and new calendar with pictures of Veronika ;) ... a German Cookbook! In German, with traditional recipes arranged according to region. I'm pretty happy about all that. So I've still got a few days break. I'm second-guessing why I would have volunteered to work in Heydenmühle during vacation. I've got to make a trip there on the 30th, and Veronika can't come with me because she's also working on the 31st in the morning, then I can already come back to Mainz on the 31st in the evening. I'm sure I won't mind to be home, though, maybe do some of my own laundry or who knows what. But I'll be in a rush to get back here!

So, it's a bit late for Christmas and Chanukah and for Solstice too, but I wish everyone a wonderful midwinter!

be well,

Noah

2009-12-21T05:24:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here in the office in Torhaus for the last time this year, waiting for the floor to dry in die kleine Putzkammer, so that I can go in there and put everything away, and then I'm done with my work!!! Today I'm going to Mainz! But actually, honestly, sorry I didn't say so sooner, I am working during the vacation as well, but not that much. So at the moment I'm just going to finish up here, and leave. I have to go home and pack. I hope that I'll be on my way in ten minutes, but it's probably really actually more like twenty. Then I'll be in a rush at home to pack everything I need. If I do really well, I won't be in too much of a rush. I don't know. I'm excited, that's all.

2009-12-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

thursday. I got to Mainz in the afternoon (I was lucky to manage to get off the train at the right stop since my tiredness and the rhythmic movement of the train made me fall asleep as soon as I sat down), I went to the apartment and soon after got prepared as much as possible for a party (outdoors)...these days it's pretty cold in Germany and this evening was no exception...I already left the party early, not because of missing fun but because of dying feet...the Glühwein and hot soup helped to warm up, but just for moments and then the cold sneaked back into the body, without minding gloves, scarf or anything. Being back home, home sweet home, was like heaven.

2009-12-16T02:12:00.001-08:00

Everything's under way... I got an initial response from the new curative-education waldorf school that's going to be opening in Mainz, and the guy there sounds excited to hear from me (he said "doch" a lot in his e-mail, so instead of simply sending him my resume I should send him doch my resume, and doch means something like yes, as in, "I'm going out mom, see you later." "No, you're not, you haven't finished your homework." "Doch I am going, goodbye," or in this case, I guess you'd translate it as really so, anyway, it makes him sound more excited to hear back from me). The registrar from Prescott got in touch with me to say they don't have an evaluation of my senior project in yet... that's a little bit worrying. I wonder if senior project is the same as my Demonstration of Competence, in which case they should have an evaluation kicking around there somewhere... but they've got everything else!! I'm looking forward to seeing a copy of my diploma. I'm also looking forward to tons of time off, which I've got, with a few breaks to work, coming up soon. But that's okay because I'll get to use my vacation days some other time.

2009-12-13T09:36:00.001-08:00

I've also figured out how to post my essays: Via Google Documents.

Synthesizing Essay.

Required Research Paper.

If you're not among the number I've e-mailed yet, happy reading. I hope the links work the first try! The synthesizing essay is cool! The RRP is also cool, but there's a 4 1/2 page section describing details that, like the specific makeup (ie. how many per city) of the fleet of 1000 ships that Helen's face launched, may be interesting but boring to read.

2009-12-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

No official word yet, but here's the latest from my wall on f/B:

congratulations! i am in the prescott library, just came out of the ceremony with my ba! you and john are also on the list of graduates, so no worries!
greetings from gary

That makes me pretty happy! I'm at work at the moment. I worked my first Sunday. That was pretty nice. Easy, easy start - I wasn't in Torhaus until half past nine or so, but I brought along the rolls for breakfast. I've spent the whole day working with J**. Everyone else went to the Weinachtsmarkt in Michelstadt un J** and I drove a bit further, and went for a walk in "The English Gardens" nearby there, then drove back and picked the others back up. Now they're out to eat at a chines place and J** and I are waiting for them to bring us back our take-out orders. I've already helped him with his shower and shaving and all that, we only need to still do tooth-brushing and foot-massaging. I'm working the night tonight, and early shift tomorrow, which is a nice continuation, then I'm off from nine 'til 4:30. I'll be standing at the mailbox, waiting for my degree to arrive...

the beginning of the end

2009-12-09T01:47:00.000-08:00

Everything is in. Everything is approved, except the math test that hasn't arrived in Prescott, AZ yet but that won't be a problem. I'm just waiting.

RE: Required research paper submission.

2009-12-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

From: "Nancy Mattina"
Date: 6. Dezember 2009 18:11:40 MEZ
To: "Noah Augarten"
Cc: "Gary Stogsdill"
Subject: RE: Required research paper submission.

I approved this paper today. Thanks and best wishes for the remainder of your program Noah. Nancy

synthesizing essay

2009-12-06T07:35:00.001-08:00

Today I've been spending the day in Mainz. I have to go back in a couple hours, because I work in the morning. I arrived yesterday late. Today we got up late, then Veronika and Helene spent most of the time baking christmas cookies (Plätzchen, though cookies that aren't for christmas are just called Kekse) and I went about making a playlist of christmas songs from the 'net. I also did a bit of writing for my paper, the synthesizing essay. Theoretically it should be easy for me to write... it's supposed to be a summary of my experience of earning my degree. But there's such a huge, huge volume of ... of life that I've been through since then. And writing poetry has been very important to me - I still write a bit, not too much but enough that I just cracked open a new blank journal - and I haven't mentioned anything about it because it isn't so directly related. But such a huge part of my life is related to getting this degree, from my first try back at St. John's to my arrival in Beaver Run and everything I did and went through there, and Manfred Maier who helped me so much with all my work and Veronika who has done everything possible to keep me together and on task, and then all of my theoretical learning which is the content, though not the context, so to speak.... Right. I've made a few beginnings at this essay. The one beginning is 8 1/2 pages of the major themes in my life. The other if 5 pages of the anthroposophical picture of the human being, which may not be right or correct in the sense that you can take it at face value and see what it's talking about, but is certainly a detailed and apt (metaphorical?) description of things. And I think maybe I will start again. I remember back when I was first applying to St. John's and I wrote a thirteen page application essay. The requirement for the synthesizing essay is that it is at least five pages long. Maybe I should just go crazy and throw it all in there, but even one of the important themes is that I've learned to pull things together and not be so scattered all the time. Including learning to get to the point, be concise, usw. It would be great to stuff everything I want to, onto seven sheets. Well, if I don't finish it tomorrow, it'll be done on Tuesday, one way or another.

end of the road (line, chapter, etc)

2009-12-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's it. I am within days of having all my college work done. If all goes well, they'll be putting a diploma in the mail to me... soon. I don't know when exactly. I'm happy and nervous and excited, you can imagine. I don't really know what else to say. When I finally am finished, I'll post my final paper somewhere, here or f/B, whatever, somewhere where people can read it and believe that know that I learned something.

pt. ii

2009-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest, I also didn't enjoy the exercise very much. I mean, on one level I did, but on another level, it just doesn't seem right to imply that people can be ordered and compared to each other like that. At least not real ones. This "Abi&Greg" story is, however, as far as I know, entirely fictional.

Abigail and Gregory, or, The Mobius Strip

2009-11-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

Alright all you loyal readers, here's a challenge for you. It takes the form of a story, set in an indeterminate time, between five people, two houses, one river, a defunct bridge, a neverending storm, and a small ferry which proves itself thoroughly seaworthy. Please note the characters, and when you are finished reading the story, put them in order from one to five, according to who acts with the best morals. For instance, if you think that Sindbad acted best, give him the number one. If you think he acted the worst, give him the number five. This is a discreet exercise, so as there are five characters and five numbers, each number must go to one and only one character. You will not succeed if you simply give everyone a three. So, to continue...

Once upon a time, Abigail and Gregory were in love. They lived on opposite sides of the river and unfortunately, a storm was raging and the bridge between their sides had been washed out. They could no longer visit each other. Abigail knew of a ferry, and went to it. Sindbad, the ferryman, said he would normally be happy to help but because of the storm he was afraid he might die if he tried to help Abigail across. He told her he would help her, but first she had to sleep with him. So Abigail returned home to ask her mother for advice. Abigail's mother said, "It's your life, child. You must decide for yourself what is right." So Abigail spent quite a while thinking, and fearing she would otherwise never see her beloved Gregory again, she returned to Sindbad, granted him his request, and he helped her successfully to the other side of the river. Abigail made her way to Gregory's house, and when they saw each other, they were both overcome with joy! However when Abigail told Gregory what she had done in the name of love, in order that they might be reunited, Gregory's joy left him. He told her that she was no longer a part of his life, and she must leave. She did. She knew only one other person on the other side of the river, and that was Gregory's best friend, Frank. She found Frank and told him the whole story. Frank then went to Gregory, slugged him and left him lying on the floor of his house, and returned to where Abigail was waiting. He told Abigail that although he did not love her, if she wanted, he would marry her. The End. (If you will you can imagine someone saying, and they all lived happily ever after.)

You've heard the story, and you've heard your assignment.

2009-11-20T23:55:00.001-08:00

some habits are closer than daily / some stories will never be avoided. / When aer the ounds made? When does the world scream? / When is a sleep-sleep? WZhen can anyone still dream - / without the starlight, without the cold? - / without the patience, when adrift, when afloat, when falling hard again, tubbing toes, knocking heads on the low wall doorframe by vthe foot of tye stairs there - again. Learn it's there. Again. Some words being too loud - / a& others being too soft, n& intentions being what they are, history moves dsslowly - &d some stuff is more than history and some habits are more than myself

Tuesday (10.11.09) Evening

2009-11-12T00:34:00.000-08:00

It's really something to reckon how the time goes by. Two hours: Six o'clock, started with supper. Ten to seven, started to finish it. At seven I set about drying up some of the dishes, those little jars from the brotaufstriche die benutze ich für meine kräuter. Seven-thirty the two jars had paprika and an asian-herb-mixture in them, and labels taped on, and I was done cleaning up the kitchen. The next half hour took me through figuring out my clothing for tomorrow and taking a shower.
My sister told me she couldn't really believe a year was already over! She said when she arrived in Korea she thought the year would go on forever. And then the end came. Surprise!
I believe I'm in the middle of my eighth week here, now. ...and after spending half a minute double-checking, I found out that today was the beginning of my eleventh week! I've been in Heydenmühle ten full weeks already. Today was J**'s Birthday! Happy birthday. I gave him a question to think about: Was ist die Unterschied zwisschen pflegen und lieben? He got a writing block for his birthday, from M**. It's not what you'd expect him to be walking around with, any given day. If he picked up mine, for instance, I'd probably take it away from him out of concern for it's ... (ten minutes blanking on the word I want here! It means... not being ripped. being self-consistent. being of good quality. [try dignity] I mean the continued-being-of-the-writing-block-as-a-writing-block). So. I lent him my pen and he drew circles on three pages. The third was was the most regular and perfect.
So at the moment I have, I believe, thirty-nine weeks left in Heydenmühle, which includes vacations. I'm already more than a fifth part done.
I should add, if I can't find another way to stay in Germany when the year is over, I believe I'm allowed to extend my practicum an extra six months... but I'd much rather spend an entire year more, or a little longer, and spend it living in Mainz.

2009-11-11T02:07:00.000-08:00

I guess anyway that Germany's treating me alright. What do I do for the next hour? I forgot to bring the book I'm reading to work, figuring I wouldn't have any time to read it. Naturally, I've got an extra hour that I hadn't expected. So instead of furthering my education, I will take this time to fill you all in on the latest.
The Latest!
I've got a right weekend coming up! When I'm done with work today (I know, it's wednesday) I will be free until Friday evening. Naturally, I'm taking the train to Mainz. On the way back, I just might stop in Darmstadt and pick up a cheaper ticket-option, in an attempt to save myself some money for the rest of the year.
What else can I say? I started writing another blog entry yesterday evening, but of course I didn't have any internet connection with which to post it. It'll make it's way on here sooner or later.
Ah! Yes, the next Freunde der Erziehungskunst seminar starts on Saturday. I'll be spending five days in Karlsruhe, and catching up with all the folks I met last time. I have a feeling it might also be very good for my German-learning, but then, most things are very good for my German-learning these days.

Bus Race

2009-11-03T00:50:00.000-08:00

So people always ask me, "how's Germany treating you?" Here's an anecdote...

Saturday night I was resolved to make my as-often-as-possible sojourn to Mainz. I was finished with work and out of Torhaus at about five to nine. The train was leaving at 9:40 (plus a few minutes, but better to be there early than not to catch it at all). I biked home with great speed and gusto, and at something like ten past nine I was in the kitchen, happily sharing with Stefan my plan to leave! I packed up my stuff all rapidly, having prepared it the previous afternoon, the last time I was home. I had a full 20 minutes to kill at the Pfarrhausstraße apartment! Soon, after getting some water ready for a more luxurious journey, after taking in some laundry that was dry and moving the wäschestande to my room so it was out of my flatmates' way, I walked briskly to the station. I punched "41" and "bahncard" into the fahrkartenautomat and got out my wallet. I could already tell there was a problem. I fed my 5€ bill into the machine, and all my change except for two pennies. It was still asking for 1.35€! I was screwed. I stood there doubtfully. The train arrived. One person got off. The doors beeped their warning, then closed. The train waited. I didn't get on it. The train persisted in waiting. I had never seen it wait so long here at the Lengfeld Bahnhof. I have little doubt it was waiting for me. It's such a small train after all, and the conductor saw me. Finally I moved a little away, and the train sped off along the track.

Walking home helped me deal with my frustration. I prepared myself to shamefully face Stefan and Jasmin, whom I had also seen and told that I was leaving. I only saw Stefan. He told me there was another train going later. There wasn't, anyway, I don't think so, not on Saturday. I called Veronika and she looked up what I would have to do... Bus 678 Richtung Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof bis Reinheim. Tauschen zum Bus 693. I would have one minute to wait in Reinheim. Then, at Darmstadt, I could wait fifteen minutes, then take my usual train RB75 to Mainz Römisches Theater Bahnhof. Alles klar. So... I packed up some vegetables and cheese, went to the bank, got money, and returned to the train station. I bought my ticket, looked at the clock there and thought, that's odd, the bus was supposed to be here two minutes ago! Did I not see it behind me (a possibility, it's a good 30 feet from the road to the fahrkartenautomat and you can't actually see the bus stop from there)? I ran back up to the stop. Twenty seconds later the bus came. Alles klar. On the way into Reinheim In asked the driver what bus I needed to get to Darmstadt, and he told me it would be waiting. The bus I was on, was three minutes late. So we pulled up behind the other bus, I got out, and the other bus pulled away. The driver of the 678 threw up his hands and declared, "Er sollt mich warten!" He told me to get back on, I would drive with him.

Whoa. I mean, I made it to Darmstadt in time. That was the last stop n 678, but the 693 was an express and it would've been less stress! I made it with about a minute to spare, and I met Veronika in Mainz at about a quarter past midnight. I don't think I would have made it at all if the driver weren't so concerned about me.

2009-10-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. If you're reading this, there's a good chance you already know me well enough to know that these sorts of regular things, things with a regular rate of recurrence, have been trouble for me all my life. I like routines and patterns, but as soon as there's a certain time of day involved, or an *obligation* that's part of it, something in me ticks back and balks from it. As soon as there's a weekly event, I'm bound to be away three times in a row for two months consecutively..... which is to say, writing this is a sort of challenge for me. It's a nice challenge. I like the idea of sharing my thoughts publicly, and I like the idea of journaling coherently enough that a public can actually understand me. Chances are you're a pretty elite public, to begin with. As far as I know, you're my best reader, Dad. :)

So what's on my mind? It's Thursday, and I'm almost ready for bed (I'm planning on posting this Friday mid-day, when I have internet connection). I'm just writing my blog and listening to some music first. Jasmin (that's a man) and I ate fish and vegetables. I drank a beer. We worked on our German homework. I find it pretty amazing how diligent this guy is. Someone used a perfect word to describe him. Now I don't remember it.

I conducted another interview for my paper on work. I'll have to get my paper turned in within the next couple weeks, if I'm supposed to graduate in December. This is, after all, the real life. And having proudly stated that I am moving forward with my work, I wish you a very good night.

...whoa. Now it's Friday night, a full day later! As before, I'm posting this from the office in Torhaus. I don't really know what I have to add. R** baked her first cake ever today or yesterday, and was amazingly proud to have done it. I'm happy to be able to sample a piece tomorrow. Then I can also call my sister and tell her I ate some cake and I thought of her. Thirty. Wow.

Trying to be perfect in a WG with three other men.

2009-10-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

I hope no one's offended if I take a minute to complain publicly...

HOW COME HALF THE LAUNDRY NEEDS TO HAVE FALLEN ON THE FLOOR BEFORE YOU THINK TO GET IT OUT OF THE WAY AND FOLD IT UP!!!??? HOW COME I HAVE TO MOP THE KITCHEN FLOOR BEFORE I COULD SIMPLY START COOKING!!!??? HOW COME WHEN THE HALLWAY HAS A PILE OF DIRT A METER LONG, I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING (TWICE) BEFORE IT OCCURS TO ANYONE TO GET OUT THE VACUUM CLEANER!!!???

Hmm. I'm a little offended. I don't feel any better, and my all-capitals are kind of ugly here. Oh well.

Trying to keep things clean in an apartment with three other guys? Not easy, and a bit frustrating.

2009-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Now it is 7:00 on Tuesday. I'm quite pleased to share that I've finished my wall-shelf! I haven't hung it up yet. That comes sometime later this week. Once that's accomplished, all I need for my room is something to... well I'm keeping my eyes open for a nice laundry hamper with a seat on top, if such a thing is alright. Otherwise I keep my ugly plastic hamper and just get a comfy chair. But in any case, what it boils down to, is that once my room is finished, I'll take some pictures of, like, "Noah at his desk!", "Noah taking a book off the shelf!", "Noah hanging up a shirt!"... and so on.

I've had the word that I will have free calling to America beginning November 1st. Until then... well, whatever. I'm looking forward to the weekend! (I just had my first day of work today). Oh, and I watched Snatch two days ago! It was good. And I did good, too. I only watched it in the evening, when everything else was more or less done.

Thoughts are thunking regarding the end of my Prescott College career, with a degree.

2009-10-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday. A day off again... the beginning of a two-day weekend. I've just cooked for myself, but enough for two. I roasted two carrots, two parsnips, and two celeriac in the oven (with olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkled on balsamic vinegar when they were done). On the stove, I cooked up some spaetzle-from-a-bag and fried mushrooms with a little onion and garlic in butter... then mixed them up together with an assortment of cheese. Very good. But I cooked enough for two people, and I'm only one... next time, no roasted veggies on the side. The mushrooms would be better on the side, than mixed in with the noodles, though.
Sunday. This morning I woke up to Veronika calling. She didn't make it to Singapore, but by now she's on her way to Los Angeles with her sister, until Friday. So I'm eating alone. I'm doing my third load of laundry, so my basket is empty now. It's good, this kind of weekend. I've had some ideas about my big paper, and I've got time to play around with it. I spent an hour studying German with Jasmin.... I cooked lunch and I've still got time to do something with my day. Hah. Half past two, now, so in ten or twenty minutes I get a cup of coffee... meanwhile, who knows. Time to get crackin' on that essay.

...add to that list of Things I've Done Today: talking to my parents on the phone; starting to watch Snatch. If I have any self-control (that's code for, I have no self control...) I won't finish watching it until bedtime tonight.

...add to that list: taken the practice College Level Elementary Mathematics (CLEM) test, and scored 92 (2 points off for a careless error, 3 points off for thinking that greater was lesser, and three points off for... well, the same. Those last two were rather grammatical syntactical than mathematical syntactical errors. Regardless, that's enough for me to take the official version, if I can find out how); e-mailing Gary@Prescott to tell him the news about the CLEM, and to give him an update about how my Big Essay is going; and... finishing my leftovers for supper. Though I think I'll still have another piece of bread when I get back home, across the street, over there. I'm actually online as I type this little addition, so I'll post it soon. I'm really in the present now, not the future. Veronika ought to be on the ground in Los Angeles in about two hours! Lucky her!! Add to that, I e-mailed Becky (from beaver run). Does anyone have any written material supporting the importance of craft or work for developing adolescents?

2009-10-16T13:01:00.001-07:00

I'm sleeping here in the office in Torhaus tonight, as it's my night for housekeeping. It would be somehow a crime if I went to bed without writing up a new post. What can I say? My complaints about my ear pain are over. My request for reimbursement for medical expenses is off to the insurance company. Speaking of which, my experience with the medical system in Germany is very positive, so far. I made two visits to the doctor, and only paid for the first. I paid cash, 26€ and a few cents! I paid for my prescriptions directly as well. The total costs came to around 80 or 90 €. Then I stapled all the receipts to a form I got from the Freunde der Erziehungskunst, stuck it in an envelope, and sent it off. The post costs 0,70€, (or was it 1,70€?) which I won't get back, but the rest should be deposited all back into my account in a matter of... who know when. As long as it takes. Apparently J** started asking for me! All last week I was sick, and didn't come to work. When I got back, I was in the bathroom helping K** and J** stuck his head in the door, and Sylvia came behind him and told me, «J** hat gesagt, wo ist der Noah?» I was a little flattered. That was Tuesday morning. Then I worked Wednesday morning, and Wednesday evening I worked again. Towards the end of the day I gave J** his foot massage, then cleaned in the kitchen, and finally I was getting some stuff together and getting ready to leave. J** was downstairs with Bram, hanging out with me. I told him goodnight. Bram was working the night on wednesday, and apparently didn't get much sleep because the entire night, J** was walking out into the hall, making noise, asking, «Wo ist der Noah?» In my opinion, that's a bit much. But... it sounds good to hear. I'm really pleased to have made a strong connection so quickly.

In other news, there's a good chance that Veronika's off to Singapore tomorrow! I wish her luck with finding a seat on the flight. And yes, by the way, she's back from Portugal. Oh, for a life like this. ... . I saw her in the meantime, and we've got a long weekend together next weekend, which is wonderful.

Morgen mache Ich Gulasch für mein Haus. My Fahrrad ist nochmal by der Fahrradladen weil ihn ist immer noch kaput, aber diese mal er willt richtige repariert sein.

5th day of Antibiotics

2009-10-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

I have the good news that today I can see Veronika again. It's sooner than I had thought. I thought she would only come back tomorrow. I also thought I would have to work today. However Dave took one look at my Krankenmeldung (I don't think that's the official word for it, but Daniela in the office took one copy and Dave took the other and nobody asked if I wanted anything for my records, so I don't have the right word.) and practically kicked me out of the house! It was just a few minutes before the beginning of the shift, so he let me stay for the meal, and to brush J**'s and K**'s teeth, and then I left about 45 minutes early. Since Veronika's returning today and I'm not working, either I will go to her in Mainz or she will come here to see me. Either way she's still planning on going to her parent's tomorrow. I don't really know what's better. I think I can see her a bit earlier if I go to her, since she's going home to Mainz from the airport before she does anything else. If I'm feeling up to it, that's a good enough reason for me to want to go there. I don't really have any ideas of any other reasons to be either here or there. Well. Monday morning I'm expected at work again. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to go, even if I'm not better I can manage a morning shift no problem. I'll be heading out to the Apotheke as soon as I'm showered and dressed and pick up my second prescription worth of Cefixin (that's the antibiotic I'm on). I can't tell if I'm getting better or not. Right now, of course, I feel more or less fine. But it's been that way every day. Mornings fine, evenings less so. It's half past eleven. I've been up for almost two hours. What have I done? Taken some care of myself. Now that I've got the Rollladen working in my room, it is so incredibly dark in here. I like that. The first day I didn't dare close them, having to wake up so early the next morning, I wanted there to be some light in the room.
Yesterday I cooked four chicken thighs-and-drumsticks along with a few vegetables. Today I'm making chicken soup for myself. First thing this morning (after taking my daily antibiotic), I put the bones on the stove to boil, warmed up my breakfast (leftover Hirse from last night), made coffee.... I ate, came back to my room and gave myself my eardrops. Then warmed up the salt-and-chamomile I've got in a pot of water, and spent twenty minutes leaning over the pot with a towel over my head, breathing. Then I took my nosedrops. Now it's now.
By the way I did go to the doctor again yesterday morning. The normal doctor wasn't there, but another fellow was there in her place. He said, yes, I have to wait, and maybe I'll be better. But he did prescribe the second barrage of Cefixin. He also prescribed the nosedrops, suggesting that if I'm only taking eardrops I'm creating painful pressure in my head. He gave me the Krankenmeldung I talked about. After I'd been to the doctor I went to the Mühle and worked on my shelves for about an hour and a quarter. It was so, so satisfying to sand down the surfaces! I got about halfway through the sanding, then I had to get to Torhaus for my half-shift. Afterwards I was getting my daily headache, and I didn't really feel like I could stay. I'll finish sanding next week sometime, and oil it new. It will be so, so nice. When I got home I didn't sleep. I rather spent the time in the kitchen, making my chicken, my Hirse, everything. And now I've got the pain at the top corner of my jaw, on the right side, behind my temple, in front of my ear. But no headache. (a few hours later as I'm posting - the Apotheke was closed for Mittagpause when I went, but I can go there again after 14.30 [ten minutes]. When I'm done with this internet stuff, and that, it'll be time to eat my chicken soup)

3rd day of antibiotics

2009-10-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

attn: this post was written Wednesday Evening (7.10.09)

It's not cream of wheat. It sure as hell isn't oatmeal (pardon me please all you oatmeal-loving people: eughwah!) It's Hirse, and it's my new best friend. Known in English as millet, it was, I believe, a primary ingredient in the bird seed (ever planted a bird tree?) we used to feed to our parakeets, along with sunflower seeds and other things that are easily edible to humans. When it takes me ten painful minutes to eat a slice of bread, it's nice to have something soft and mushy on one's plate. So yesterday, Hirse was my lunch. First, fry some onions in the bottom of the pot in olive oil, then add the hirse, garlic and rosemary. After a few minutes like that, in comes a few spoonfuls of soy sauce, a bit of honey, a chopped yellow pepper, two small tomatoes cut into big pieces, and naturally, boiling water. If I had known how long it was going to take to cook I would've held off with the pepper and tomato until it was closer to being finished. Regardless, it was rather tasty and ... easy to eat. So tonight (skipped work again on account of my big mid-afternoon headache, which happens to be better now immediately after eating) I tried to have a supper of bread and headache. That wasn't very exciting, and so I cooked up some hirse. Plain. Boiled water, dumped some in... I don't know the exact proportions yet. At some point I added some milk, and salt, and honey. Then more water, bit by bit, for a while, until it was nice and soft. I ate it with butter and sugar, and I plan to finish what's in the pot (warmed up with a bit of fresh milk) for breakfast tomorrow. After that, I'll go to the doctor again, and tell her I'm not better yet, and I should have a Krankenmeldung (if that's the right word, it should mean something like, sick registration, aka official-form-to-get-out-of-work). I had imagined going to the woodshop tomorrow and sanding the nice Wandregal (shelves to be mounted on the wall) that I brought there, then having lunch with my house seeing as I'm working the midday shift anyway, then going back to the woodshop, finishing up the Regal, including fresh oil, then coming home, mounting it above my bed and feeling good about my room. As long as my huge headache holds off, I can do that. Right now, for instance, I'd be able to. But I also slept for two or three hours this afternoon & even so my headache didn't go away until I was eating nice warm food that I didn't really have to chew. So all things being equal, I don't really know what tomorrow will bring. I do believe my headache will hold off until the afternoon, as it has for the last three days, so I can work one shift this week (yay) and get something done on my project. Anyway, now I will give myself some eardrops and listen to some music.

2009-10-06T04:28:00.000-07:00

Well I woke up late again. I tell you a situation like that makes me feel like such a child. I rolled over in bed for the third time in memory, or maybe more (I have to be careful to roll only to my back or to my left, because if I go to the right I put all the pressure on my not-so-good ear and then it hurts and I have to go back the other way) and I was surprised at how alert and awake I felt so I decided to check the clock... 8:20 it said. I said to myself, that's impossible, work starts at 6:30. But no, my clock was insistent, and the wall clock agreed: 8:20. I checked the switch on my alarm and naturally it was off. Still off or already off I have no idea. Well, I have no memory of switching it off early this morning, but I wouldn't put it beyond myself to do such a thing without waking up at all. More likely I just forgot to turn it on last night. I laid out a pile of laundry to put into the machine. I picked out my clothes so I could get dressed in five minutes or less. I put together all the things I would like to put into my backpack. I was ready. I set my alarm, and just left out for myself the last step of turning it on, and I got for myself a nice long relaxing sleep with no alarm. (Here, you launch into the radiohead song. But the song stipulates no alarms and no surprises. And I woke up with an awful enough surprise.) I know, I know, it's not the end of the world. But it will take a little while before things are totally natural. Someone in an authority position there will be disappointed with me. How could it be any other way? I don't know if I get paid less or anything, probably not, but it's the disappointment. And I can just imagine R** when she sees me next, demanding something in that voice she has when she speaks of the broken dishwasher nextdoor... "Sylvia hat alles gemacht allein! Das ist echt schlim!" or who knows. I should admit I don't even properly know why I'm writing about this here. I'm not going to ask Sylvia for forgiveness, exactly, though I will say I'm sorry.
...okay, some hours later, I've been to Heydenmühle and back, and Sylvia did not seem mad at all. I also talked with R**, and she was more concerned with finding out what had happened than with telling me off. I hope those were honest reactions! Anyway, if I'm nice about it, I'll bake some cookies before Saturday and bring them along.

status update

2009-10-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

Heute Morgen bin Ich zu die Ärztin weil Ich habe Öhrschmerz. Well, now I have five days of antibiotics and drops. I am able more or less to get around on my own now! Wow. Veronika is in Portugal. I sincerely hope I'm better before she gets back. Having this pain makes me a bit less happy than usual. The thing of it is, that it hurts the worst when I'm chewing! I eat slower than usual. Okay. I'll be fine. Last week I knocked out the fuse on a fancy sort of lamp we have in our hallway, and it's been a small adventure finding the replacement. Everyone says, "Aber das ist für Auto!" I think it's the same sort. 20amp, 32volt, or the other way around. Flat, small, red. Or yellow, I don't remember. I think I shorted it out when I laid one piece of metal between the two ... well, not wires... the two conducting rods, then turned on the lamp. I'd forgotten I had put it there. Or I shorted it out some other way. Oh well. I will find out when I finally have a replacement (two, to be safe). What else? I'm waiting until I have a flat rate for calls to the US. And it's coming soon! So if you want to be phoned (don't know when exactly, but, anyway, if you want to be phoned up) just let me know what your number is.

food!

2009-10-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

No pictures, but the tortellini were handmade. The dough consisted of a great handful of flour, a touch of salt and olive oil, and an egg (all this two times). The filling was roasted hokaido kürbis (very similar to pumpkin, but better tasting and a bit different looking), toasted hazelnuts... you know, let's do this in the order they went into the food processor: first, toasted hazelnuts. Then some fresh basil. Then some brie, then... the hokaido and finally a tinytiny of soy sauce, and salt. The sauce.... mmm. Fresh tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, simmered with roasted garlic in white wine for a while... Later I added the caramelized onions and the roasted red pepper and the cream, and of course some salt and pepper. Nothing else, I think. Served with a side of roasted zucchini. MMMMMMM. That was Monday.

2009-09-29T02:25:00.000-07:00

Today the world of Camphill and anthroposophy and anyone else related is celebrating St. Michael's day. The archangel Michael (pronounced, as I usually hear it, My-kai-el) is said to be the Zeitgeist in some kind of literal sense. He replaced Gabriel (I think) in the early twentieth century, and represents individuality, the force of individuality, and the struggle of individuality. For me, today is the second time in rapid succession that I've had surprises about the schedule here. This is the sort of surprise that follows me around. Last time I could've read the plan and said, oh, what do these numbers mean? But today I had no such warning of unrecognizable numbers, simply was told at 8:35. that I would be working until lunch. They've been flexible. I have an hour-and-a-quarter break now, which makes me feel cared for. At first I got all depressed-feeling, saying, oh, why does this always happen to me, why do I always fail to ask the question that would clue me in to what's going on, why am I always surprised like this...? But Veronika told me (by phone) it's okay if I only come back to Lengfeld after lunch, and that helped me relax. I can also admit, it's good to have this image of My-kai-el, sword in hand, bravely facing the world. It's comforting to imagine myself in that position, but at the same time know that the world is not against me, that actually I'm not even fighting, just glad to have things thought through rather than feeling assailed and still complaining. Of the utmost comfort: I came into Torhaus for my short break, went into the kitchen, and told Moni about my surprise. She said, "So ist die Leben." I said, "Dieses uberraschungen sind nicht nur für mich?" She said, "Auch für andere." "Für andere?" "Für alle Leute. Du bist nicht allein."

2009-09-27T23:20:00.001-07:00

How can you just go on...? I should probably begin by saying, I've been busy the past few weeks. That would be a good start. Well suffice to say, I had a lot of enthusiasm for this here blog at the beginning, and I still have quite a bit of enthusiasm but, well, I've been busy. Anyway, it's worth writing again, and I've got a good six hours ahead of me, which includes the time I'll spend making lunch, and that'll be great, and I've got a chance to put in a little update here about what I've been up to lately.

I've now got my Aufenhaltsgenehmigung which is permission to stay in Germany for the duration of my practicum in the Heydenmühle. I also picked up an Ausnahme (exception) from the driver's license office while I was in the administrative building, which means I can go on using my Pennsylvania dl until the end of my... practicum in the Heydenmühle. I hope that's okay with Pennsylvania. I consider my long-term plans: what do I do at the end of my year? Well, I wish to find a job in or close to Mainz, somehow, somewhere. I don't really know where. When my German is better, I will get serious about that search. I'm thinking, "in the new year..."

Veronika's at work right now, I'm here in the apartment. It's 8:30, I'm warming up a bagel, and pretty soon I'll eat, and get on with the day. I'm planning on making us a lovely lunch, which is more or less all I can offer. I will get it all prepped up, then go and visit her at Muffins. What's on the menu? We'll see. I've got to go shopping first. I've printed out my study guide for my math test, which I've got to remember to bring with me, so I've got something to do there. I didn't bring my novel to Mainz this time, after all, and there's really nothing wrong with a math test study guide.

We went to *KEA twice in the past week! I've bought myself a new bed, which begs the question once again, what will I do once this year is over? Well I hope I can keep it, for the first year after, and then sell it, or put it into storage, or ship it to the US..... who knows?! None of the other furniture in my room belongs to me. Anyway my room is now 99% complete! I just need a new nightstand because the old one doesn't fit next to the bed anymore. Something narrower... I like my desk (donated by someone who works in Heydenmühle) and my wardrobe (also purchased at *KEA, even though I didn't want to buy that there, but I saw one that's not bad, so, that's how it goes) and everything. I need a picture to put on the wall over my dresser. Maybe I want a picture over the bed, too. Maybe I want a board or something on the wall by the desk. But anyway, I've got my room now and I'm happy about that.

Not only have I got my driver's license sorted out, but I'm clear with Heydenmühle about driving as well, at least, so I believe. They own one five- or six-seat car, and five nine-seat buses. I can drive both, now. The buses are almost never used outside of workshop time, so it's easy to, for instance, book one for a trip to ... that giant furniture store.

...break for breakfast, a bagel, and a cup of coffee. When the coffee's gone, I'll be out shopping for a while. The plan for the morning (again): shop, cook, shower, make sure this entry is finished and written, and over to Muffins...

Important as well: my work. I think my work is going well. It's tough for me to write about. There have been little tense moments with the other coworkers, but in both these cases I've been able to look, from the safe distance of an hour or a day later, and see what I can learn and what they were trying to teach me. The tense moments with the folks we work with don't bother me nearly as much, and I'm also keeping my eyes open for learning experiences there. When I first started working, I was presented with a training-in method: one week observation only; one week practice with eyes on (that is, an experienced coworker's eyes on me); one week practice with availability (that is, I could at any moment ask a more experienced coworker to help me with what I was in the middle of); and fourth week & forward, independent practice. Okay. It was a nice idea for helping me to learn routines and rituals, but every day is a new day. Sometimes I still feel like I'm in the middle of the first week. I watch something happening and I have no clue how I'm supposed to react. It's a more or less new situation, and I don't want to do the wrong thing, so I do nothing. Invariably, someone else will step in and help me out, and at worst I feel a little ashamed and at best it actually gets through to me, what I can do in the future. It's work, indeed, and like I said, I think it's going well. The factor I'm paying attention to there is that I am usually enjoying myself. The other factor which is at least as important, is that things seem to be going well for the residents of the house as well. We're getting to know each other better, feeling a bit freer, and all goes on.....

Oh, I think I'm done writing for now. I've got veggies roasting in the oven. I'm going to attempt Hausgemacht Tortellini. The filling will be hokaido kürbis (kind of similar to pumpkin) and hazelnut. I've got to get on with cracking open the nuts, too. See you later....

2009-09-17T02:43:00.000-07:00

I have the official word on pictures of the people I work with: pictures are okay. Names are okay (in my opinion first names suffice). A few words about the activity we're doing are okay. Information such as birthdates are however confidential. Information about the person's disability is also sensitive. So, in the coming days and weeks, expect to get some very brief introductions to the people I work with.

2009-09-17T00:53:00.001-07:00

Right, so, I didn't wind up cooking. We went to the Altstadt Café instead. That was very nice. I did get up a bunch of photos on my f/B page. By now most of you have probably already seen them. I don't know what the policy is about pics of the folks I'm working with. Probably I can't post them, at least not publicly. Maybe I can find out. Be well.

Zimmerstreichen

2009-09-14T01:53:00.000-07:00

Well, my room is a lot nicer now that my green wallpaper is covered in paint and my plastic beaverboard with faux wood finish is also covered in paint. The room now exists in white and red. It's both warmer and brighter than before. I haven't slept there yet, having returned to Mainz again yesterday evening after throwing away the plastic sheating that'd been down on the floor and returning all my furniture to my room. Veronika did most of the work. The entire first coat was finished on Saturday before I came home from work! I came into the apartment, and there was Veronika sitting on one of the living room couches, the mess of my room spreading through the whole livingroom there, and I peeked into my room and there was the plastic on the floor and the one chair for getting to the high spots and every surface looking pretty much white. It took a lot of paint to cover what was there. Sunday, yesterday, since I was off, I got to help finish up. I think it's beautiful, but I left before the paint dried! I'll be back this evening to see it again. And tomorrow evening after work I'll be going with Manfred to pick up a desk. I'm glad to be getting that place in order. I'm starting to really enjoy having my apartment. It's the first time in years I've had any place to relax that's neither work nor my bedroom. In the apartment there's a kitchen and living room and even the bathroom isn't part of work! So I have a few photos of my room, bare of furniture except for that one chair, near the end of the painting process. I'll put up one or two here, and then I think within the next few days I can get a new album opened on f/B for my home and the way to and fro from work. That's all for now. I'm trying to decide whether to make lunch for Veronika and myself or not. She's at work for another three hours. Last week we went out to a Japanese noodle restaurant that was very good. Anyway, I'll let you know next time.

week and weekend

2009-09-09T02:28:00.000-07:00

Lookat that! I'm back and working again. What is it about the week and the weekend? How can the difference be so great? Well I am sitting at the Torhaus computer. I spent the weekend sleeping in a different bed every night (haha–no, but seriously). On Saturday afternoon Veronika and her mother came here to see a performance by Luna Melisande, which was not bad. I was only there for two songs. Veronika stayed at the Heydenmühle afterwards and joined Torhaus for supper. Saturday, by the way, was a nice day. Morning I tried to cook but it was packaged food and Rotkraut (red cabbage) which Sylvia basically made while I went and helped Dave move a dishwasher to another place and where we picked up a bike for me. Yes, I know I have a bike already but this is not mine, now, although it is one I can use for the year while I'm here at Heydenmühle. The other, naturally, is in Mainz. So once we were done with work we caught the Odenwaldbahn to Darmstadt Eberstadt and spent the night at her parents place. The next day we went to Mainz (they drove us!) and brought along Veronika's beautiful new Schreibtisch. We had supper at Ban-Thai and spent the night there in Mainz. The next day she had to work. We went out shopping in the morning, then she worked, and I looked for a English-for-German verb conjugation book or grammar book, but there were only Deutsch für Englisch oder Deutsch für Deutsch – not helpful. After work we came back to Lengfeld together, and spent the night there, then yesterday morning Veronika went by train back to Mainz. I'm also now a registered resident of Otzberg-Lengfeld, with a local bank account. By the way here is a picture of Torhaus. I know I put up the photos of my first bike (the one that's really mine, that I bought, in Mainz) here on my blog but I think that f/B may be a better format for sharing whole photo albums. I took several shots of where I work here and, in a few days when I've gotten pictures of where I live and my walk to and from work and all, I'll put a select few up here and the whole batch up in the other place. So, looking here, the house begins at the near corner and continues back. The blue part is also part of Torhaus (hence the name Torhaus, I suppose, seeing as, if I remember right, Tor means "gate" or is an old form of the word Tür or something). So today I've got my work cut out for me. Work starts in twenty minutes and it's just me and Bram for coworkers. We'll see what he asks me to do. Yesterday after lunch I brought J** upstairs and helped him wash up and brush his teeth, the first time I'd done that on my own. That felt good. In a way it felt more like real work than sitting at the table helping people eat, which I've done with A** so far. (Sorry about the names - I'm not sure what the laws are like here. In the US I know you can print first names but not last names. I could make something up but somehow then I'll start thinking of them by the made-up names and... nevermind, I just don't want to go down that road.) Not that it's not real work to help A** eat. Part of it might be that I got thrown into that, whereas I was fully prepared for working with J** because I spent so much time watching other coworkers help him. A** has also been kind of skeptical of me, but it could be that she's always skeptical. So much for that. This entry is long enough. I don't know what I'll do for the next ten minutes, but I want to get away from the computer. This afternoon is Haussitzung, then work again in the evening.

Freitag

2009-09-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that the work feels most like the old work did. That is, I came here this morning, and I'm still here, and I haven't left yet, and I won't leave now even though it's break time (on account of the rain) and I will work again this evening, and after evening shift I will stay for the night, and then tomorrow I'm also working from nine 'til nine... and after that I have free. I am happy to say that Veronika plans to come here tomorrow with her mom for an open-air Mozart concert. I haven't seen her since Monday, and it's beginning to feel like a long week. I must sort out my Bahncard stuff and my Cell phone stuff. Does anyone local know of a good cell phone plan that would let me phone the US without too much expense? I have an idea, actually: perhaps I will get a decent contract for within-Germany and then I can buy a pay-as-you-go sim card with cheap international rates. Maybe a little bit of a pain to have more than one phone number, but maybe not so bad. I will see what I can see.

I did a good deal of homework yesterday. In addition to my Work Essay I also have to write my synthesizing essay (this I started) and study for my math test. In addition to my homework I am attempting to understand or translate the Konzept von Torhaus. It's an interesting sort of document. I've got the first few sentences clear.

this morning I had some ideas...

2009-09-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I had some ideas, but I'd be hard-pressed to tell you where they went. I want to tell you that I'm working on some kind of WG-Ordnung, at least for myself. I came to work early, before the sun was properly up. Anyhow it's one of those gray days. Even though the sun is up, you wouldn't know it. It's dripping wet and I have keine Regenmantel oder Regenschirm. Well. The third atmospheric group (huh? I mean the third orientation-seminar group) from the Freunde der Erzeihungsunst Rudolf Steiner e.V. comes today, to have an introduction to leben in ein Lebensgemeinschaft. I'm looking forward to seeing them, and finding out what this group is like. Dave has led me to believe that I am required to see them! I'm not so sure, but I don't mind.

Ah. I remember! Yesterday evening I discovered that in Germany, if you don't do your shopping early, you may go hungry, at least in a small Dorf. If I really had not had any food I could have come back here to Heydenmühle. I left the WG at about 18.00 and walked around with my eyes open looking for a place I could get a würsty or something (is that real word?). But there was nothing. I went home and took two slices of bread from one of my roomates. Then I ate the mango which Jasmin had given me. Nice, but a bit underripe. Finally I ate the croissant I'd picked up that morning. ...and that was my adventure in learning to plan ahead. Today I will remember to bring some food back with me.

2009-09-02T08:37:00.001-07:00

A quick sort of introduction:
I'm working at the Torhaus in the Heydenmühle and living in the Saars WG at 5a ... in Lengfeld. Weekday work is broken into three shifts (Morgenfruh, Mittags, u. Abend) plus nightshift and weekend day. I've got a forty-hour work week, though night shift isn't completely counted. In the case I'm working more than one shift a day, there's plenty of time in between to walk home (even walk!), do something, and walk back. If I had a bike out here there'd be even more time. I'm enjoying myself and learning tons of names. It's a good life.
Fragen?

Dear folks back home

2009-08-31T03:54:00.000-07:00

Today I say goodbye to the life of leisure and rejoin the working world. I have been between jobs since July, but this evening I will go to Torhaus in the Heydenmühle, my new home. I will meet many new people, among them Dave, my new House-Father. I'll bring my suitcase, duffel back, backpack and all up to my new room, and there I will say goodbye to Veronika. I'll say goodbye again outside... I'll be might surprised if it doesn't go something like this. Then I'll set my alarm for early in the next morning and start unpacking.
...moments of note in the orientation seminar: der Besuch der Lebensgemeinschaft Bingenheim; der Letzte-abendbrot Party, complete with wine and beer; the massage... The massage was brief and so painful I only let Mr. Masseuse get halfway through. I only felt half-fixed afterwards. But maybe that's okay. As he himself said (Portuguese making its way to English by means of a Spanish-speaking translator) once, after much serious massage, he could barely move the next day for all the soreness. I wasn't the first to be subjected to The Treatment that day., but I was the last. Seven or so people were sitting around the Wohnzimmer when I got there and they made me lay down on the couch. I think that was the same day as our visit to Bingenheim, only later. The evening before, Fina, who spent a year there as a Freiwilliger, gave a presentation in which I was led to believe that of the 500 or so people living in the small Dorf of Bingenheim, approximately 400, more or less, are somehow involved in the Lebensgemeinschaft. (Incidentally, at a party two nights ago, I discovered that in Germany, roomates or, more precisely, flat- or apartment-mates call themselves WG's, from Wohngemeinschaft. I'm pretty sure that both this word and the other translate tidily to English as "life-sharing," though it's also likely enough that Wohn implies "living" rather than "life".) Well, it's possible, especially if you count connections that are rather loose. The school is built on an Alte Schloss, and is absolutely beautiful. Workshops are located all around and the houses, as well, are in the surrounding area. To look at many of the buildings from outside, you wouldn't be able to guess if they're part of the enterprise or not. Some buildings, of course, are built with the trademark Anthroposophical architecture, and others have the Lebensgemeinschaft Bingenheim logo on them. I worked with Marcel, a young man who just started in the woodshop a few weeks ago. His motor problems are so acute he can't (or doesn't feel comfortable) walking without someone's hand. However he can push a wheelbarrow, and so he did, taking several turns to every few of mine. I really enjoyed the short time I spent with him. That put to rest some of the concern if I really want to spend another year doing this kind of work.
And finally, the last party and the last day. I don't have much to say. The food was tasty (we had good food all week long), the wine potent... afterwards several people had something like a samba workshop – the movement was much too much for me: shocking and fun to watch. And the next day we went as a huge group to the Frankfurt Hbf and one by one said our goodbyes as each person headed toward their institution. I went back to Mainz.

Mein Fahrrad

2009-08-29T03:39:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to put up some pictures of my bike for a while! Here they are:

I hope you enjoy these shots. I also need to tell you about the last few days of the orientation seminar, but I need some time to think.

comment policy

2009-08-26T14:06:00.001-07:00

this is not a policy
(I welcome the kind of comments that say, "that post was too long," as well as those which say, "that post was too short," or even, "that post was a perfect length." I enjoy comments such as, "your prose is so heavy and convoluted I had to read it three times before I understood a thing - and I still have questions!" as well as those like, "the words you wrote pulled me along and made me feel as though I had taken your place in your life, while I was reading." A comment explaining whether this variety of writing was appreciated or not, would also be appreciated. Finally would most certainly welcome all kinds of comments regarding my fluency in German, especially those in which mistakes are pointed out and solutions are explained.)

2009-08-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

(This post was written yesterday, but I've only just now had a chance to publish it.)
Gestern ich habe dass werden an Heydenmühle ein anderen Freiwilliger auf dies Seminar gekommen gefinden. Wenn euch Deutsch sprachen, bitten sagt mir wenn mein Deutsch ist richtig oder falsch. My bad mood also returned, but luckly only in a dream. How strange, though. I've had all kinds of dreams, but never a bad mood dream. I remember being cranky and irritable and yes, it was about packing.
The afternoon was full of administrative details–registration and visa application information, information about when and how to claim insurance, DeutcheBahn information, and more. The grounds around Fritz-Emmel-Haus are very nice: plenty of trees, fairly wild. The grass is not short but lush and the only weeds are white clover and plantain. The rose beds have old bushes, each pruned small, in several varieties. But the earth in the beds seems dried out. Well, the gardener has been working every day (Der Gärtner hat jeden tag arbeitet) and I guess if I came back in a month I'd find the soil darker, or covered with healthy mulch... the point is only that it's nice here and relaxing and the city noise is distant and a few people play guitar, so that's nicer.

Erdnussbutter

2009-08-24T12:21:00.001-07:00

Ich habe mein presentation über America gemacht! It was not so amazing but I guess it was interesting. The part that held my attention the very best was when it was over and time for frage (questions) and someone asked, first, if we could then eat the peanut butter the next morning for breakfast. I was so embarrassed but I had to say, tut Mir leit, nein, ich muss zu meine Freundin das zurückgeben. But I kind of hid behind the presentation board and just got that out very quietly, to one person, and scrambled my words (is what I've written here even good German?) and said something, "Ich muss, um, give it back to someone." Anyway a minute later Someone Else asked, "Does it still belong to your family?" She asked in German. I couldn't understand. I was so shy and embarrassed. I got help with understanding and finally answered, "mehr oder weniger," to which she replied, "Ja oder nicht?" "Nicht," I had to say. "Wo.... " um... I guess she said, who does it belong to? I answered, "Meine freundin," and I think I turned bright red everywere. It felt like it. Then the next presentation started (Den die nächste presentation gefangen) and I was saved. That was only the end of my presentation, and the highlight, or lowlight, or something. Well. It is what it is. I think I'm okay. I talked about George Washington Carver, who was a great man. (He helped transform broken down, post-bellum cotton farms into successful enterprises–and he did it by talking to the farmers themselves, not to some corporate goons who pushed the farmers out.)

first full day of orientation

2009-08-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

A quick update: Things are going well. Lernen ein sprach ist fast leich weken. Auf Englisch: Learning a language is like waking up. At least I think that's what I said. That's what I tried to say.
Tomorrow is Veronika's Geburstag!

2009-08-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

I said goodbye to Veronika at the train station, Mainz Römisches Theater, and the train glided... it feels like it's gliding but it's noisy as you'd expect form a train and it does shake and wobble and sway a bit–over the Rhein on its way to Frankfurt. I took out my book immediately.
The morning was alright. Veronika was feeling iffy and wanting food and drink. I needed it too. Thomas complained of a terrible headache. We all (us three and Helene and Ulrike, Helene's friend from their time in Minneapolis together) went to the Eisgrübbrauhaus for breakfast buffet. Why not. Then we came home and slept and I woke up in a terrible mood, showered, talked a bunch of useless garbage about the things in my mind, and packed. Veronika was understanding. She tolerated my bad-mood-ideas patiently, wasn't bothered. I was glad not to have to keep them to myself. And then. . . . it was sad to say goodbye. I don't know whether I'll see her again on Friday or Saturday.
16.15 I saw Frankfurt Hbf written on the wall as the train came to a stop at a platform and disembarked. I panicked for a moment: if this was the wrong station, the train might leave before I would have a chance to continue my journey. I saw the name of the city written down again. The place confirmed, I made my way upstairs to wait by the ReiseZentrum. It is in a central location facing the platforms for the long distance trains. Unmissable.
Frankfurt Hbf is beautiful, with two large central plus two (one on each side) smaller high, vaulted roofs. The buttresses supporting the roofs are open structure, like a railroad trestle. The roof lets in tons of light. I couldn't tell whether those are windows or it it's open to the sky.
I am there before the representative from the Freunde.
I met several more people over the afternoon. It is exactly as difficult as I thought it would be not to speak German. I feel very alientated. But–that happens sometimes.

We come together
from eighteen nations–
or eight or ten
at least,
together in loneliness
discouragement
of the sort'twas
founded back in Babel
though all that's one
for we are here
in common warmth.

The Day I Went to Orientation

2009-08-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

This afternoon at approximately 17.00 (siebzehn Uhr!) or, you know, five o'clock, I will be at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (that's Main Train Station. Many towns have a Main Train Station and the word Hauptbahnhof is far superior) looking for someone holding this sign. I will actually arrive there closer to 4:15 and I'll bring a book with me. I'm wondering who will be first: me or the person with the sign? I'm a little excited right now. I suppose the most people I will be dealing with will speak English (sie werden Englisch sprechen) but what if they don't? And if they do, how am I ever supposed to learn German? Orientation will be at the Fritz-Emmel-Haus in Kronberg im Taunus. I will let you know how it's going.
I should probably also mention the proper night I had out drinking yesterday, but maybe I won't. However I would like to say how great it was to see Thommy (Tommy? Thomas, anyway, is acceptable) again. He's got some internship for his business studies nearby. Anyway, the last time I talked to him he called me in Whitestone from Seoul.

The First Day

2009-08-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hah I was so tired last night, and hungry, and the noise outside woke me up shortly past two and I finally brushed my teeth... It is indeed a noisy summer. Veronika's apartment is in the old part of town and it's an old town, I guess. And noisy. It's a nice apartment in a noisy part of town. They don't talk all night, but every so often a group of people walk down the street talking drunkenly loud. The food is good. It was from a place called Hafeneck. Winzerbraten. Vintner-meat. It was a tasty piece, looked pretty similar to ham, cooked very soft, mmmmm. With kartoffelknödel gestopft mit pflaumen and apfel-rotkraut which may have been the very best red cabbage I've ever eaten. The rest of the meal was pretty good, typisch Deutsch, ja, and the cabbage was excellent excellent. In more important news, I bought a bike today! It was from a somewhat sketchy used-bike place. None of the bikes were perfect, not even this one: no lights, no rear splashguard or basket or anything, but it's a nice, light crossover-style, big enough for me (yay! –I had my last bike from when I was thirteen and was complaining about the size before I was out of high school) 21-speed with neat-o shimano gear shifts and shimano gears and even front shocks! But I have no idea what make it is. For some odd reason the entire frame is painted matte black. All in all an anyway good day. The bike came first. On the way home from picking up the bike (despite the confusion about where the bike lane is where Veronika is, that is, evidently she got off the bus one stop earlier than I thought she would and started calling me, but I didn't hear her and rode past and then she had to walk until the next stop to get me....) we stopped for ein Spaghetti Eis. That's an invention. (Tasty sundae thing. You should try it.)

The Flight

2009-08-20T03:31:00.000-07:00

The flight? I was at the airport much, much earlier than I needed to be. I checked in electronically, then asked where I had to wait–the ticket lines weren't open yet, but the guy setting up told me anyhow. I stood- front of the line, and everyone there already fell in place behind me. I imagined jealousy. I felt proud of finding the way or, um, being willing to ask, or being in the right place at the right time, or, I mean... anyway. (little things.) That was that. I tried to drop off my bags when the first booth opened, discovered I was eight kilos over (baggage subject to weight concept, not piece concept) and paid the exact same $50. I left my bags (step 2) at a point from which they would be loaded. A TSA worker, uniformed, told me it was the right spot. I waited at the ticketing desk to pay. I waited... altogether, here and at check-in, maybe 45 or 50 minutes. I paid (step 3) and returned to the check-in counter to exchange my receipt for my confiscated (step 1) boarding passes. (step 4.) On to explore the terminal, 2 minutes through security, and lots more waiting. comfortably. I did remember to refill my water bottle before I got on the airplane.
I lost track of time. I finished the last couple-hundred pages of twilight–simple book, light entertainment, reminds me of my youth, and watched a movie on the airplane. I had to wonder if Veronika was flying. If she would be there in... what time was it when I was writing?
Over the ocean,
time disappears. Currents
are the guess of the pilot,
the whale, and their
ilk only. Taking off
with the sun in the window
& New York disappearing
so quickly... just a
mess of Suburbia that
spread around that time
all across Long Island
the big old trees
& the houses among
them making their
own sense then
fog then expanse &
bright & finally
portland, halifax,
a watch fated never
to remember the correct
time, travel, as such,
and wonder.
–My watch said 10.30 The movie was just over. My book had been down for an hour and ten minutes. ...making it 4.30 in Germany. Veronika could arrive anytime in the next eight hours, or else I'd be there first.
Will she?
I wondered about my Dublin layover–what's that about?
What else was I supposed to mention about the flight? That during my first airport visit a very young girl (four, maybe?) asked me if I was wearing my serious hat. I tried to say, yes, I left my other hat at home - I had to choose - but her parents spoke to her about her silly hat which she'd left at home. Her dad actually answered for me: maybe he left his silly hat at home. I wasn't comfortable enough to offer confirmation. Maybe she heard me too, actually. I think I got her attention when she pointed out a plane to her father that was (only she knows) newly touched down or newly parked at the terminal. She asked where it came from. He said the planes came from all over. I desperately wanted to say, you might be able to guess based on the paint job, on what airline it's from. He played his PSP. She looked at me and said, "Hi." "Hi." "Is that your serious hat?"
I could also mention that I was on the tarmac in Dublin for the second time, getting ready to take off, twelve hours after I'd landed. I got my shoes shined at the dublin airport. I've always wanted to. I had about ten hours to kill and the shoe-shiner asked me, "Why not?" He was Latvian. He didn't do it though–one of his partners did. She did a good job. I'd have liked to get new laces, too. Save the laces, they look better now than when new, worn, but taken care of. Mr. Shoe-Shiner disagreed. While his partner was taking care of me he invited a gentleman with fancy shoes (snakeskin?) up, shined, polished, finished, and sent him on his way. He wanted my shoes to be polished in brown or magogany, but I chose neutral as it wouldn't stain the stitching. If he'd had his way, the leather would be more or less evenly coloured. I'm happy because I've never seen it done professionally before and now I know the right set of supplies to do a good job. Shall I tell you? I'm happy because it's nice to have someone take care of you for a few minutes. Eminently soothing and relaxing. And did I mention they give out free samples of liquor in that airport? Tiny, but enough.
I slept an hour, or two, no more than thre. The flight to Dublin wasn't long enough for me to be properly tired until the last few minutes. I found a section o fthe terminal there under construction, quiet. People from the shops went there on break. I stretched out on a bench and slept. Luckily I finished all my water before I got off in Dublin: I had to pass security again. And I remembered to fill it again shortly before I left: taking care of myself.
And all the while, when I let my mind go to it, I had to ask myself if Veronika would be there. I will find out.
What about passport control? Yes, on my arrival they only asked me, Wie gehts? So that was easy. I had to get my duffel bag from bulky baggage claim, so although my suitcase was about the third piece of luggage to show up, I was still there waiting after everyone else. I asked for help, they suggested bulky baggae, it was alright. I was there. I came out, trying to call the apartment in Mainz to see what's the what, and there was Veronika waiting for me! Oh how wonderful.
There I was, all ready, starting a new.... a new chapter.

2009-08-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Into Massachusetts... soon I'll be getting on facebook (my friends do insist) and saying that I've left Beaver Run and arrived in Germany. But I'll do it in my own time. Not 'til I'm there. I have a week and a half ahead of me here at home. Home home. My sister's been in Korea for almost a year and a ton of her stuff is also here at the house, and now I'm adding more. What're my poor parents to do? Well. I didn't ask. So I'll never know. Somehow I doubt anyone's reading this yet.........

2009-08-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Just a small update: I'm getting ready to leave Beaver Run. My party is tonight! And Saturday I'll be driving up to Massachusetts. I'm pretty happy, having had a couple days at the beach and stuff like all that, yup. Also finishing up college work is nice.

Getting ready...

2009-07-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

...to push off. I started putting books in boxes today for the trek to massachusetts. I also booked the rental car. I'm waiting for Veronika, but I've got two weeks of work before that. I'll check in later.