More Holiday Greetings

It’s a rainy day in Pitsidia. We thought it only rained here for an hour or so (quick storm, then sun) so during our walk today we ducked into a chapel as it started to rain. The chapel is situated on a cliff and the view was gorgeous, although it was damp and cold as we waited. An hour and a half later (despite our prayers) it was still raining, so we walked home in it. It was still lovely, and the walking kept us warm. Next time, though, we’re bringing the ponchos.

So is life in Pitsida. We’ve been going for bike rides and walks through valleys and olive fields. The weather is mostly good – when the sun is out, it’s warm. At night, or in the shade, it’s cold, and in our apartment , it’s cold and damp (built for the many months of summer heat, I suppose.) As I mentioned last time, no internet or TV here, but that means I will (or at least should) update the blog more often. Also, I’ve got lots of movies and tv shows to watch (Andrew, I got all three seasons of “Dexter” before leaving Berlin – haven’t seen it yet…hope it’s good!)

Speaking of Andrew, I can’t believe I neglected to include in the blog my family’s visit to Berlin on the momentous occasion of the Obama victory. It was great fun to explore Berlin with Lou, Josh and Andrew, and then spend all night in a bar waiting for the election results (which came at about 5AM, our time.) I think Josh posted a video on Facebook – I’ll try to put it on my profile page.

Back to Crete. In addition to walking and biking around, we’ve been out around town a couple of times and had a nice BBQ dinner in the garden. On the 25th, we’re going to a local pub (run by a German/Polish couple) for Xmas dinner. We’ve been promised a duck dinner, and Matthias is just hoping they make enough (he can easily eat half a duck!) Apparently, it’s very quiet here now; the tourists are gone and many of the long-term residents have fled for the winter. But there’s still a small community about, and a few local bars and restaurants open. Enough for us, anyway…especially since Matthias has put us on a much-needed diet. Fortunately, greek salad drenched with olive oil is on the “diet”, so I can’t complain… Speaking of which, I was just writing this to kill time until it’s time to eat….which is….NOW.

Seasons Greetings

Season’s greetings from Crete! We (somewhat sadly) left Berlin nearly a week ago, waking up on our departure day to the news that Athens was under siege! We didn’t have any trouble, although we saw lots of burned out buildings and broken windows in Athens and Iraklion. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My German language course came to an end on November 17th, the same day Matthias came back. I was sad to say goodbye to the people I befriended in the class, but I was excited to see Matthias. We met at the airport that night. Of course, the weather just turned COLD, and poor Matthias nearly froze on the way home. A few days later, Jennifer and Brenda came to visit. It was so nice to see them and we had a great time – eating, drinking and sightseeing. We even got an early taste of some of the Christmas markets in Berlin.

As the CELTA teacher training started to wind down, we all started to look forward to completing the course. It was a tough three months, but definitely worth it (in my opinion) and I’m going to miss my classmates and teachers. I really liked teaching – at least in that controlled environment – and hope I get to do it (for a living) sometime soon. So, although I was sorry to see the class come to an end, and to say goodbye to all my new friends, I couldn’t complain about our next destination.

Crete is really beautiful, and it’s so nice to have our bikes here. It wasn’t too bad taking the bike on the plane either, although it would have been really hard if I had to do it myself. When we got on the Metro in Athens, the conductor told us that bikes weren’t allowed, but we could ride with the bike if we took the front wheel off (??) Then he told us to “be careful” in Athens because of the riots (not sure how we were supposed to “be careful”) but luckily our hotel was right by the train station and all was quiet. Actually, the hotel was brilliantly located, and we enjoyed the next (sunny) morning walking around downtown Athens. Getting the bike on the Metro to the ferry terminal was another drama – because it was so crowded – but no one told us we couldn’t go…

The overnight ferry ride was nice and comfy (we were able to stretch out on three seats with our sleeping bags) but when we got to Iraklion we were worried that the bus driver wouldn’t let us put the bike on the bus. That would have meant that Matthias would have had to ride 60km over the mountain – in the pouring rain, no less – to the village of Pitsidia. But, fortunately, the bus driver was amenable. And, when we changed buses in Mires, we saw our new landlady – who let us into our apartment as soon as we arrived. The apartment is basic, but cute, and has a nice garden – it will be fine for the winter. Unfortunately – no internet (in the whole town as far as I can see.) but we’ll go at least twice a week to the internet café to maintain contact.

And, finally, the bike riding here is really nice. Though I was wrong to think that riding to class everyday in Berlin was keeping me in shape. I guess I forgot about something they call hills. That’s what makes the scenery so beautiful, I guess. We’ve been to the beach and to nearby villages, so far. And we’ve also met some nice (and interesting) folks here. Hopefully, I’ll have more adventures to report on soon.

Here's a link to a few photos. More to come (hopefully) soon. http://picasaweb.google.es/jrosenyc/December2008#

Fall Classic

Before an entire calendar month goes by without an entry, I’ll add one. It’s not that I don’t have anything to write about, it’s just that….well, I don’t really know what it is!

Actually, things are going pretty damn great. Berlin is fab – Matt and Dean came to visit in September, followed by my parents, and then Matthias’ cousin (once removed.) And Matthias seems to be enjoying Greece – keeping it warm for me! He’s coming back here on November 17^th, staying for three weeks, and then we’re both flying there (with my bike in tow) on December 7^th – one day after my ESL teacher training ends. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Classes are going well. The German class (photo) is good, but unfortunately I don’t get enough practice speaking German outside of class, especially given that my ESL teacher training class is totally in English (of course.) Unless you count watching reruns of Roseanne and The Simpsons in German. As of the 17^th of November, I’ll have taken 300 hours of German (half of the government-subsidized 600 hours I’m entitled to) and I suppose my German has improved. We’ll see – the test will be if Matthias has the patience to converse with me in German….only then will I be good enough!

The ESL teacher training is HARD, but really good. The people are great, and I think I’m really learning a lot. I just had my “mid-point tutorial” and found out that I’m doing quite well, meaning if I keep trying to improve, I could “pass with a higher grade” (the better news is that if I just go through the motions, I’ll still pass!) And better still: I already had my first teaching “job”. Someone heard through the Berlin grapevine that I was taking this course and asked me to give a few hours of private lessons to a friend’s mother. My first bit of employment in almost three years! But who’s counting….

I’ve met lots of interesting people here as well, but that will have to wait for another entry (if there ever is one) since I’ve also had so many fun visitors! It was so great to see Matt and Dean. Even though they still haven’t sent me their photos (hiss!) I can report that the trip was a success – they saw lots of art, we drank a respectable amount of beer, and Matt tried some German food that would make even my father grimace. (I’m warning you, Matt – if you don’t send me some useable photos, I’m going to post the one of you eating the pig leg!) It was a great visit.

And, on the day that Matt and Dean left, my parents arrived. As an alternative to a hotel, we shared a charming, arty apartment (photo) in Friedrichshain (old East Berlin), which turned out to be a great idea since I didn’t have to worry about making time to see them (I could always meet them at home after my classes.) They did lots of sightseeing, we all did lots of eating, and I got to practice my ESL lessons on them (they’re pretty good at English, I must admit.) And, Matthias’ parents came to visit – twice! It was a great visit, and despite our ever-growing political differences, we’re still getting along quite well (and still talking on the phone almost every other day.)

So, this was the middle of October, and Berlin was enjoying a lovely stretch of great weather (which has just ended, by the way!) After my parents left (on the 11^th of October) I moved into my new apartment in another great part of town (Neuköln, for those who might know it) and had a short visit from Matthias’ cousin Sina, who just turned 18. I was nervous about the visit, since I didn’t know her that well, but we had a really nice time (at least I did) going to museums (thanks Matt for the tip on the Berlinische Gallerie – it was great!), walking in the historic district, and going out to hear live music.

Wow, I’m tired just writing about this! And now the election on Tuesday – and yet more visitors! Cousin Andrew is coming on Sunday, followed by Josh and Uncle Lou on Tuesday. There’s an all-night event here on the 4^th that I’m going to try to drag them to (hell, look out for us on CNN international!) And hopefully on Thursday I’ll be able to hold up my head in my various classes!

So, Jen - have I tempted you to get out and get those tickets?

Still Going

I understand some people are still checking in from time to time, so I suppose the least I can do is update this thing, even though I'm afraid I don't have all that much (interesting) to say. But hey, I'm in BERLIN, which is pretty cool in itself. And Matthias is on his way to GREECE - also cool, but deserves an explanation.

After Matthias quit that awful job in (that boring town of) Steinfeld, I pushed for moving to Berlin, where I could enroll immediately in German classes and at the same time get certified to teach English. What I/we didn't know was that Berlin has the highest unemployment rate in Germany, so Matthias' chance of finding a (decent) job, or even something meaningful to do, was slim to none. Add that to the fact that due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, we ended up in a tiny, crappy studio apartment for August and September. So, after much discussion, we decided that since winter in Greece didn't seem like a bad idea, he would go early and (among other things) find a good place for us to set up house. He didn't plan on leaving so soon, but he found someone who was driving there and who could take him and his bike. It's only been a few days, I haven't heard from him yet, and I already miss him (of course.)

As for me, I'm busy with German classes and English Teacher Training. The German class is quite fun. I go three hours per day, Monday through Friday. The students are from all over, which makes it interesting. No doubt about it, German grammar is incredibly difficult, but since I'm not required to take a test or anything, I don't get too stressed out over it.

The English (ESL/EFL) teacher training class is quite another story. It's intense, and I'm only taking it part-time over three months (many people do it in one month!) After the first week, we already have some pretty tough assignments, and I have to teach my first lesson on the 23rd (gulp!) But the people are great, and I find it quite interesting. And of course it's good to be busy so I don't have a lot of time to miss my husband.

Speaking of busy - the visits I was hoping for are starting to materialize! Matt and Dean are coming next week, followed by my parents, and then a quick visit from Josh, Andrew and Lou in November. Though I don't have a lot of time, or space to accommodate more than one person at a time (though as of October I will have a much better studio), I hope others will consider a visit. Unless, of course, a visit to Greece sounds more appealing! But don't make plans too far in advance - with us, one never knows..... The only sure thing is that I'll be here until the beginning of December, when I hope to get my CELTA ESL teaching certificate.

Bis bald!

Obamarama

Ready for this one? We are now in BERLIN! Long story short - Matthias left his job in Steinfeld and we decided to try our luck in the big city, where I would be able to speed up my efforts to learn German, and also hopefully take a course to become an English teacher - something I can do wherever we end up. Anyway, it's great to be in big city, where there are things to do, places to see, and, yes, yummy food to eat (more than a few people have commented about how I tend to focus on the food everywhere we visit. That, and how much things cost...which we'll get to later in the program.)

So, not that anyone needs to hear anything more about Barack Obama's visit to Berlin, but I was there, so I've got to add my voice to the coverage. When I arrived, I tried to think of another candidate's speech that drew so much attendance (and then I was ashamed to realize that this was the first speech that I've ever attended.) First, could it be the fact that THEY SERVE BEER and food? There was somewhat of a festive mood before the start of the speech, but I have to admit, once it began, everyone (a huge percentage of whom seemed to be American - or at least Canadian judging by the accents) stood up and payed attention. No one seemed to drink too much - including me...I only had a Radler (the name literally means "bike rider" and is a beer/lemonade mix presumably designed to make you feel like you're having a beer, but keeping you sober enough to ride your bike.) Which brings me to the second draw: I could ride my bike there! Anyway, as I'm sure everyone has heard, the event went off quite well, Senator Obama was well received (not a protester to be seen), and the press here can't seem to get over it. I've heard (from The Daily Show, of course) that the press at home can't get over it either. Click here for more photos from the event.

So, that was my excitement for the week. Now it's back to the business of finding an apartment and getting ready for classes. We had found an apartment through October, but it fell through, so we settled for a two-week rental while we look for something else. Apartments are extremely reasonably priced here - generally around $400 Euros per month for a one bedroom. Our trouble is we need to find something furnished for a fixed period (since we still don't really know what we're doing!) But so far, Berlin is great. And we're looking forward to visitors - hopefully we'll be able to find a place big enough for them!

Shrugging off the old hangups

From finding new uses for the national flag to taking shots at the national mascot, I'm getting a real kick (to use a Euro 2008 pun) out of some of the differences between here and the US. Right now, the flags are out in force in Germany, not for any political reasons, but because the German national team has made it to the semi finals of the Euro 2008 Football (Soccer) championship. For those of you not following (anyone reading this, I suppose) Germany will face Turkey this Wednesday, 25 June - quite a big deal here as Germany has the largest Turkish population outside of Turkey - and the winner will play in the final match next Sunday. It's fun to see the flags, team apparel and paraphernalia all around. And I like how they can get away with doing things with the flag that might get us in trouble back in the States - like wearing it in a way that resembles a diaper, or using it to keep the rain off.

And speaking of national symbols, the Germans also have the Eagle, but I would say it's a funny looking eagle (Matthias once told me it was a chicken...he actually thought it was!) But again, no hangups about "honoring" it - as part of the local festivals they shoot at it and try to knock an apple out of it's claws (click on the photo to see the bullet holes.) Not sure what the winner gets - probably lots of beer. The local festivals are fun, adding some excitement to our rural life.

I've noticed a few differences during physician visits, as well. Not to get too much into my visit to the gynecologist, but in keeping with the theme of hang-ups (or lack thereof) there seems to be less of a need to "cover up" here. At the GYN office, they didn't give me a robe, or even a paper blanket, to cover myself after I took off my clothes (from the waist down.) I'll remember to wear a longer shirt next time.. The experience reminded me of the time Matthias had to convince his father that he couldn't change from his shorts to his bathing suit on the beach in Florida - they don't think twice about it here.

And on a less provocative subject, I was shocked when I was asked to come back to my primary care doctor just two days after my initial visit to discuss blood test results - should I wonder if he even bothered to send the blood out to be tested?

Also in the health care arena, perhaps the biggest difference is in the paperwork. Once again, I didn't believe Matthias when he said you don't fill out forms at the Doctor's office, especially given Germany's reputation for bureaucracy. But it's true: I didn't fill out a single form! And, in retrospect, the Doctor didn't take much of a history on me either. While he did ask about current ailments and family history, he didn't even ask me if I smoke (and I could have said NO!!)

So, that's it for the German medical review, except that it's good to be insured. I wanted to wrap things up with a hearty "Go Deutschland" in German to show some support for the national team, but there doesn't seem to be a German equivalent for that. I even checked an online German Language forum (after not believing Matthias when he told me as much), where I was informed that the closest thing is "Deutschland" (clap, clap, clap), or perhaps a song quote. Maybe I'll have to change allegiance -at least I can say "Viva España!"

Happy Birthday, Dad

So, what do you get a man who has everything? How about a dedicated Blog entry (could go down as lamest birthday gesture ever! Although he did just ask for a Blog update, so who am I to deny a birthday wish?) Now that we both have Yahoo Messenger, we keep in touch virtually everyday, so I can just as easily give you an update on Dad's life as mine. So....

Mom and Dad (Shirley and Richard to you) came back to Highland Falls from their home in Florida in the beginning of May, stopping in Maryland for a couple of days to visit with the Davidsburgs. They opened the pool and are beginning to enjoy the nice weather in the NY area. Next week, they are going to Atlantic City for a few days (of course they got a great deal on a hotel, which includes tickets to a show.) After that, Lou and Laurene are coming to visit for a couple of weeks, and they are all going to NYC to take a "Jewish eating tour." What's not to love about that??

As for the actual birthday today, they are going to New Jersey to have lunch with relatives Mark and Emily, and then a quiet dinner at home. See, I pay attention!

As for Matthias and me...not much new to report. He's been working and I've been studying, but we've found some time to explore the area. More on that another time, though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Where in the World?

Hello! We are back by popular demand. Well, I did get two requests to update the blog (even if one was from my parents) so I guess that's as popular as we'll get. Yes, the last blog entry was back in January as we were preparing to fly back from Asia to the US, marking more or less the end our world travels. My excuse for not writing in so many months? I was waiting until we figured out what we were going to do. The answer? We're still not quite sure.


As for an update, we traveled back to the US - first to NY where we visted friends and family, and then to Florida. Actually, Matthias' parents met us in NY and we drove down to Florida, stopping in Maryland (to visit family and take a quick look at DC); Savannah, Georgia; and the Kennedy Space Center. We then spent quite a while in Florida with my parents, while we tried to figure out what to do next.

Long story short - we decided in the end to move to Germany, where Matthias could get a job and I could work on learning German and getting EU residency. We landed in Steinfeld, a town in Northwestern Germany not too far from the

Dutch border. Our immediate plans are to save some money, learn German (so I can work, too), and come up with a new plan! Matthias' job isn't great, but it seems like a decent way to get back into the job market here. And, perhaps more importantly, we now have health insurance, which we can continue (at a pathetically reasonable cost - that is to most Americans) no matter what happens with the job. We were also able to find a nice, furnished apartment here, quite close to Matthias' work. The photo is of Matthias on our lovely terrace - we're looking forward to some fun BBQing this summer. Unfortunately, though, I can't find a formal German language class that starts before September, but with internet access, I've been able to take some online courses and download some really good audio lessons. Oh, and of course there are oodles of bike trails around here - yippee!



So, now that we're not really traveling anymore, I wasn't sure whether or how to keep up the blog. But I've decided to share some of my impressions about living in Germany. Things are a bit different here - take, for example, a typical resume. It is common for Germans to put their photo on it. And not only that....they include information such as date of birth, nationality and marital status! Can you imagine how that would go over in the US, where you're not even allowed to ask if someone's married, not to mention how old they are!? Of course, that's not to say that we don't get information about someone from, say, their names (e.g., Ping Xio, or Luis Vasquez) or their graduation dates (c'mon, I know everyone has looked at this...) but it's just a bit more overt here. I think just about everything is, but I'll save that for a later entry.

Possible upcoming topics:

• TV tax - yes, a tax on every TV you own - my parents would go broke!
• Recycling - you need a degree just to figure it out!
• Health insurance - I'll let you know how it is once I go to the doctor
• Gas prices - you think you have something to complain about!!??

Well, that's all for now. Except here's our new contact information:

Matthias and Judy Rose
Weuert 15
49439 Steinfeld
Deutschland



+49 175 322 1243



So, for any of our friends who are now planning to get married in California - there's no excuse for not sending an invitation (anyway, I've had the same email address for 20 years!) Till next time.

Monkey Business

This is definitely one of my favorite photos from the trip. It was taken while we were hiking in the Cameron Highlands and I dared Matthias to do the Tarzan act. I tried it, too, but with less success, and fortunately there’s no photo evidence. We are in the Malaysian town of Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands, where the weather is cool and there are a number of nice hiking trails. Otherwise, the town itself is rather boring, and we’re about ready to head off to Kuala Lumpur, where we will spend the last few days before taking off for the US.

More pictures of our jungle treks have been uploaded to the Malaysia album.

Baby, It’s HOT Outside

Well, actually, it’s not that hot anymore as we’re in the highlands, in a real backpacker lodge (read: dump) with wifi internet (finally!) but more on that later.

After leaving Thailand, we spent nearly a week in the city of Georgetown on the island of Penang off the west coast of Malaysia. After spending one night in a cheap and disgusting guesthouse, we upgraded to a comfortable budget hotel, with everything we needed (a/c, clean bathroom) for still under $20 per night. And, the food in Georgetown didn’t disappoint (me, at least). With a Malay, Indian, and Chinese population, and tons of street stalls and food courts, there were plenty of delicious options, and I tried all I could. Matthias liked the Chinese selections – stir-fried veggies and noodle soups – while I went gaga over the roti, samosas, and curries. I’m not sure why spicy food and hot weather seem to go so well together, but I guess since you’re sweating anyway…

Georgetown was a nice city, but also had good transit links to nearby beaches and parks. We loved the Penang National Park, where we hiked along the coast through the rainforest and saw some cool wildlife, including varans (big lizards), monkeys and an eagle. Matthias got into trouble with one of the monkeys who didn’t seem to want to let us pass (bared his teeth and semi-charged at Matthias – not that I saw much of this as I was running away!) But my hero grabbed a big stick and made a lot of noise to shoo the aggressor away, and then dragged me reluctantly along the path. Fortunately, this was on our way out of the park; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have gone much further! We also went up to Penang Hill (800 meters) where it was a bit cooler, and to the Botanical Garden where we were able to find some shady spots. Georgetown and environs were really very nice, but would have been nicer if it wasn’t so damn hot and humid. It was like being in NYC on one of those torturously hot weeks in August, but admittedly, it did get cooler at night (unlike in NY.)

Today we left Georgetown for Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands, about 1,500 meters above sea level. It is MUCH cooler here (lovely!) and there are supposed to be some great hiking trails through the jungle. There are also tea plantations and strawberry farms aplenty. Should be enough to fill the week before we have to be in Kuala Lumpur. Now that I’ve updated the blog and uploaded photos (new Malaysia album and more added to the Thailand album, including beach photos, Stu) we can concentrate on finding a nicer hotel – with or without wifi.

Potti Mouth

I guess I’ve always had a dirty mind; in my adolescent years (which have never quite ended) we used to get a kick out of substituting dirty words wherever something sounded similar. So, I'm still having fun with the names of towns here in Southern Thailand. I mean, I gotta love Phuket, or at least what the American pronunciation of it would be. Then again, they say Poo-get, which at least is still a little dirty-sounding to me. And the heat is making me feel crabby in Krabi – where I’m just a ferry ride away from the beautiful island of Pi Pi (spelled Phi Phi, but pronounced “pee pee”.) I’m in potty mouth heaven! But how could I expect less of a country whose capital is Bangkok!

So I’ve been giggling my way through Thailand, but we did have a seriously lovely stop in a town called Bang Saphan where we stayed three nights in a bungalow about 10 minutes walk from the beach. Despite it being the middle of the new year holiday week, the beach was almost deserted, and we enjoyed long walks, swimming, and hanging out at the small restaurant by the water.

Then we headed to Phuket, because (besides loving the name) we had heard so much about it. But I’m afraid we should have said forget Phuket (or phucket!) – it was much to hot and crowded to enjoy (especially since we didn’t have our own transportation to enable us to escape the mainstream beaches.) Really, it was like Jones Beach or Seaside Heights during July – wall to wall chaise lounges (all full) and no shade to be had. So, after bouts of being crabby to each other, we moved on to Krabi for a nice surprise. It’s still hot here, but the town is mellow and nice, and the beaches are nice and calm, with plenty of nearby trees for shade.

And now we have almost outstayed our welcome in Thailand. Our tourist visa ends the day after tomorrow, so we are heading to Malaysia. Hopefully, we’ll find some nice places to see there. But if not, as Matthias says, we can always come back to Thailand. Our first stop in Malaysia is going to be the island of Penang, which we hear has some great food. Not that we need any more of that…

Happy New Year

Happy 2008! We welcomed in the new year in Bangkok and we will be here until the 3rd of January, when we will head south to Bang Saphan, our first beach destination. Bangkok has been pretty mellow since we’ve been here – it seems that most partiers have already headed to the beach.

We had a great couple of days in the northern part of the country. On cousin Mark’s recommendation we went to Chiang Dao, just north of Chiang Mai, and it was beautiful. Much cooler, beautiful scenery (we rented bikes) and a brush with the local folks from the surrounding hills (known to tourists as the hill tribes) who came down to the big Tuesday market (yes, Christmas was just another Tuesday here.) My only regret is that we didn’t leave ourselves enough time to travel to other towns in Northern Thailand, let alone stay in Chiang Dao a little longer.

On the way to Bangkok we stopped in Sukhothai, where we spent a couple of days riding bikes around the ruins of the former capital of the Thai empire. I may have mentioned this before, but by now we have become really lazy travelers. We’ve seen so many old cities, temples and royal residences that I barely even read about the ones we are visiting anymore. And besides, we enjoyed riding our bicycles past the fields and rice paddies as much (or more) than visiting the ruins. Plus, Matthias gets incredibly impatient when I stop to photograph yet another pile of rocks.

That’s all for this installment – hopefully the beach will provide additional inspiration for future blogs!