A couple of pics...

Many of you will, by now, know my bitter disappointment over the POSTPONED Kings of Leon concert in London last week (I know, after all that... Heartbreak)! Anyhow, we were there so why not have a little fun right? Right! So we headed out for a night on the London Town. One of the places we stopped was Wahaca... Yummy yummy Mexican!

Not sure if I mentioned the rain we had in Munich around when I left for London (Last week Tuesday)? So after all the stress of flights being cancelled, I came home to this:

There is a really great festival here in Munich called Tollwood. It is held at the same grounds as Oktoberfest, but is more of a Christmas Craft Market come Music Festival. Very merry, jolly, seasonally appropriate.

So with these I leave you...

From The Land Of Sensible Shoes (Germany) we now head to The Land Of Sensible, ummm, Wine Drinking?? (France) for new years, some skiing, and of course, the Apre Ski... Hooray!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas

After successfully managing to create my First Christmas Meal, which surprisingly very enjoyable (HOORAY!) we are now all relaxing on the couch, watching Planet Earth (one of my gifts to my lovely, finally I see what the fuss is about!).

So enjoy my wine and wait for my tummy to free up some space for my lovely's moms TRIFLE! (I cannot wait!) I shall reflect on this christmas quick.

I was genuinely excited for Christmas this year. Perhaps this is because I have my own little 'home', perhaps because I have finally realised that the Christmas Blues that I usually feel are probably more a result of the whole year that was rushing into my rear view mirror all at once, completely overwhelming me. Perhaps this year I had more time to reflect before the Big Day. Perhaps, too, I have finally accepted what Christmas means post Santa-beliefs, and can finally stop being completely disappointed when it turns out to be just a regular day, but with family and food in excess. Perhaps it was the prospect of a few days off from work. Or perhaps, but this may be a long shot, it was that I was going to be able to cross A White Christmas off my bucket list WELL before my 30th birthday!? Or just the snuggling on the couch with this lovely man!?

What ever it was, it was. And Christmas was great. Very relaxed. Too much food, but no stress and fluster in the kitchen (for some reason the meal almost made itself... - will post pics tomorrow when I am capable of movement). I spoke to my fandamily, and even saw some of their faces too!

The presents were perfect... The wine too.

And now, here we are, on the couch...

Spoilt, full, content.

Merry Christmas my dear friends!

Until we meet again...

xxx

London Town

Now, most of you know that my first attempt at getting a visa for the uk failed horribly. I was left feeling like a lump of nothing...

So I tried again, and many stressy nights later, I got the damn piece of paper in my passport. Hooray. (They actually thought I might want to run off to London where I have no work, or lovely other! Are they CRAZY!)

So I then began to get incredibly excited for this KINGS OF LEON concert that I am rushing over there for... Flying in, watching the show, dying in a state of bliss (they do sing the soundtrack for the lovely's and my whole life together!) and then POSSIBLY having a small disco dance, and flying back at an absurdly early time the next morning. Sounds extremely simple, right?

Wrong. You see, dear, dear London does NOT know what to do when it snows. (I find this quite humorous as it surely snows there for at least one day every year!?) So, while I may not have a visa, I am STILL not guaranteed of seeing the glory that is 'KOL' perform. In fact, my South African team members (yes, the same ones I was urging to prepare by spending time in the TOPS beer fridge) have already received notice of a cancelled flight. No, not delayed... cancelled!

The shock! The Horror! The drama! The HEARTBREAK!

So now, we wait. We sit in front of CNN (the only english tv channel we have), whilst simultaneously checking the flight status online, in wait.

PLEASE hold thumbs for me!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

If I cannot be in mozambique or with my very peculiar, but special friends and family for xmas/new years, I at LEAST need to hear this band perform. I need to get THAT feeling that they give me in my tummy again...

p.s. If you need me, at any stage between now and Tuesday night, I will be outside, in the snow, wishing on stars...

New Lessons

There are a few more things I have learnt that I thought I would share...

1. Lessons from hiking apply to snow too. Always take the high ground and (I think I left this one out before) always take the path MOST traveled. There is a reason no one else is stepping THERE!

2. Once your feet are cold, there is absolutely no possible way you are going to be able to get warm again, unless you go inside and put on your slippers. Or take a bath.

3. German folk deem it very necessary to wear 'Haus schuhe' (house shoes). These are basically slippers. You should not wear your shmooshy, snowy boots/shoes past the front door. You should also not send a kid to a sleep over with out their 'house shoes'.

4. When playing in the snow, take snowboarding gloves. Wool absorbs water, and freezes. Your fingers will freeze along with the wool.

5. It is very hard to hide Christmas presents from your lovely other when you live in a small apartment.

6. It is even harder to hide presents when your lovely others parents come stay...

7. Around christmas time, always made SURE you have your name on your amazon deliveries. To avoid confusion.

8. Sledding is great fun. But if you notice that the other adults are not doing it, it is probably because they don't want to run kids over, and you should PERHAPS wait till the smaller kids go home. Or till every one goes home.

9. Chilli's are a GREAT way to warm up... they go with everything.

10. Too many chilli's may result in losing said warmth to the bath room floor. (Unless you are wearing your house shoes!)

11. Moms are very sneaky.

12. Moms will also give you the words you need at the exact moment you need them, with out you even having to express your need.

13. When feeling home/family sick, have a glass of wine. Then latch yourself onto the nearest family (the lovely and his parents for example) and get involved. Do not stop drinking until the threat of tears is gone and you are convinced you are one of them.

14. No substitute family can replace your own.

15. Children REALLY love christmas. The threat of no presents will provide instant table manners and general niceness.

16. If you don't believe, you won't receive. I believe I deserve to be spoilt by my lovely. Don't you?

Cold Toes, Freezing Nose

It's cold. I mean really, really cold. There is snow on top of the ice that is covering the once glistening pond in our
used-to-be-so-green-but-winter-has-turned-white park.

I can feel every ounce on of fat on my body congeal as I step out the front door, and no, this is not a dramatic exaggeration. My feet slide out from underneath me like new-born giraffe at least 5 times a day.

And sometimes, I can't get the chill out my feet unless I have the hottest hottest bath when I come home so late night. Or some wine, whichever seems like less effort... (One guess which... )

BUT
Oh how the snow changes things! Apart from the muddy smoosh the cars leave on the roads (silly, stinky cars) everything is white, fresh, new. And the air is crisp and clean. Everyday!
And everyday as I walk out the front door I am utterly amazed at the beauty that is surrounding me! (And at the incredible warmth of my lovely's feet!).

So while I am consuming large amounts of Gluhwein (it is necessary, it is freeeeeeeezing, ask your doctor), during the can't-help-but-be-festive-forget-you're-christmas-blues windup to the silliness, I will be sure to breathe in a couple of snowflakes just for you!

I just hope that the New Years Ski Adventure Team Members (we have badges, we're official) that are currently enjoying the glorious South African summer and sunshine are taking a little time out in the Tops beer fridges, with out shoes, to start getting their bodies used to the coooold. :)

Sno Rain

It seems that just as I started to get used to the snow, and really enjoy it's presence... it all disappeared!
Yesterday it rained. Hard. All day. (and I suspect through the previous night too).
And now? Well now, there is not much snow left.
It is a stunning day today, blue skies and sunshine. A whopping 6 degrees! and my garden on has a teeny tiny bit of snow left.
And the grass that has been revealed?! Green as grass could be! (I am not sure how this is possible or quite WHAT the German soil contains!)
Hopefully the sun will dry up all the rain so the roads aren't filled with the same icy sludge as yesterday. Snow is just so much more crisp!

And to think I was telling my lovely that he should hurry home from Thailand because he was missing all this wintery fun...
It's not even minus anything any more!!!
But not to fear, I will still be drinking wine (although I may need to think up a new excuse... "I'm warming up from the inside") and tea... no excuse needed. It flows through my veins!

Excited as I am to see the grass, I just can't shake the feeling that this is mother nature trying to tease me, and say "Hey, look here, how beautiful is this day" before it is replaced with snow and ice for the next 3 or so months, and I am forced back under my multiple layers in an attempt to warm my bones.

Oh well, at least there is that super warm, excessively large Christmas dinner to look forward to!(and the many hours in front of the warm stove that go with it).

What are YOUR Christmas plans???

At times like these

I am 5cm deep in my knitting, and and forraging forward enthusiastically. Mostly it's just something to keep my fingers busy while I brainstorm ideas for my course projects and christmas presents. (Don't worry, I won't have time to do scarves for everyone)

Am missing my family a lot at the moment, but it's times/days like these that remind me of the wonders of modern communication technology. I am simultaneously chatting over email, bbm, skype and sms. Throw in some facebook and twitter on the side and we've covered my entire conversation network over the last few days. Scary huh!? And
my lovely other wonders why I never stop talking when he's around!? (Apart from the fact that he speaks perfect english and doesn't stumble along inserting German words mid sentence).

I think tonight, while I have my customary glass of wine, all alone after trudging through the very thick and relentless snow(while the other suns it up in thailand, lucky bugger), I will sit down to write a few letters. There's something about physical mail, not the kind in my inbox, that absolutely thrills me. Maybe I'll send one your way, who knows!? Better keep checking your postbox :)

These Clever German People

I headed off toward the train station to head to Marienplatz. As I walked, my thoughts drifted to brightly coloured balls of wool and christmassy things. As I turned into the road that the station is in, I realised that my feet had only found the floor moderately slippery once. That's when I noticed these little pebbles that the clever clever German people lay down, to stop clutzes like me from slipping around.


A quick train ride later I arrived at Marienplatz, thinking I would have to now look for the Christmas market. Boy, was I wrong. Marienplatz IS the Christmas market. As soon as you walk out there it is! And these clever clever German people have thought of EVERYthing you could possibly need for Christmas.

Christmas trees, decorations by the thousands, in every colour and form, candles, beautiful glass candle holders, gluhwein, kiddies toys, more decorations (they just got more and more beautiful), treats, snacks (sausages, curry wurst, etc etc etc) warm white wine, advent wreaths, holly, mistletoe, those red christmas plants whose name I can't remember right now, gluhwein, the traditional German gingerbread-shaped-like-hearts also in other shapes, a store with cookie cutters and moulds in every shape and character imaginable, oh, did I mention the gluhwein? That stuff has serious Warming Up properties.






It was only as I was heading out of the magical maze that I found the Snowballs. Roughly put (by the german lady behind the counter) it's a type of a cake, that is baked in a ball and then coated with sugar or cinnamon or chocolate (any kind) or choc and nuts, or nougat cream. I went simple and opted for white chocolate. Thought it would be more effective in my Show-And-Tell :)



Now, I am not sure how you are meant to eat this ball of goodness, but I sure am going to try. And yes, that is 5 roses... :)

Snow Fall

The snow has finally arrived...Hooray!
I looked out of the bedroom window yesterday morning, and there is was!
This is just a picture off my phone, will upload more this arvie.
But HOW exciting!?

It continued to snow all through yesterday and I woke up to a glorious day of blue skies, sunshine and snow :)

My soup is made, I'm dressed up warm, and I'm off to check out the HUGE christmas market in the city centre...

'Tis, really, 'tis the season to be jolly. And if that's hard for you, some gluhwein will do the trick :)

Souped Up

As the snow begins to trickle in, too slowly now to build up a white covering for my garden, but enough to chill the bones, I begin to dream of... soup.

The problem with men, however, is that soup does not count as a meal to them. Well, not unless it's course 1, and there is some form of meaty dish to follow. Therefore, with my lovely other off to Thailand to soak up some rays and (hopefully) shop up a storm, I will take this opportunity to eat all the things GIRLS like to eat.

I intended to make my first order of business a huuuuuuge pot of Leek and Potato soup, but the more I think about it, the more carrots and other things are being added in.

I then intend on spending the weekend looking up some lovely spicey bean soups... and more.

I am sure all the girls have a favourite soup... or a special secret recipe from their Aunt, Grandma, Mother. Do send them along... I promise I won't share them. No really. I won't. I don't like sharing my food! :)

Heeeeey there, it's been a while...

Sincere apologies for the vacuum of silence. We have been suffering from a severe case of internet-less-ness. I'm sure anyone that has lived in a country with a foreign language can sympathise when I say it was a nightmare. Actually, anyone that has ever dealt with any internet service provider (telkom, cough, cough) will, no doubt, agree that curing a case of internet-less-ness is extremely frustrating.
Add to this my laziness with the German language (the kids speak english most of the time and certainly don't bring any internet terminology into conversations), and I think my dilemma is clear.

However, the issue was resolved, and a new router was waiting for us yesterday afternoon when we got home. Hooray.

A few things have happened since my last post...
First, a little bit of snow. It was on the Pullach side of Munich (work) and it was just a few flakes, but it was enough to make me whip out my camera and capture this wonderous event. And yes, the kids thought I was CRAAAAAAZY, despite my efforts to explain that other than that ONE time after our Motherless party, it does not snow where I come from.

Also, I went on my first snowboarding adventure.
Now, being from this very hot place called Durban, snow, in large quantities, was not something I found easy to comprehend. I also decided, in my clever little head, that I was going to be amazing. The most talented snow boarder ever to touch ice.

I was wrong.

In fact, it was only as we were riding the cogwheel train up Zugspitze (the highest mountain in Germany, therefore a long ride up, and a long time to contemplate ice/snow) that it occurred to me that snow was just water and would, therefore, be incredibly slippery.

It is possible that this, and the gradient of the slope, psyched me out a little... but it is also possible that I am not, despite any preconceived notions, NOT the most amazing snowboarder.

In fact, I spent so much time on my hands and knees after falling over that I may never be able to do yoga again. My poor other half was so patient and went down the slope behind me to help me / catch me. Only to have me wipe out on top of him. And for anyone that has perhaps not snowboarded before, the parts of the slope where you ride are rather hard. I prefer the parts in between the marked off slopes where the snow is all shmooshy and your legs disappear. I also like to eat some snow when I get thirsty, but apparently that isn't the best idea I've ever had. Some people wee in strange places.

It is also rather daunting to have kids who look like they've only JUST learnt to walk come whizzing past you, twisting and curving, and shouting out that you, "snowboarder" should be in the ski school, not in their way. It seemed all the other beginners had been swept away to some secret location, leaving me to be The Only Dork On The Mountain.

The 'button' lift was perhaps the worst part. For some reason I could only make it up to the veeerrrry top of the slope once. I just kept wiping out and then the hook would get stuck on my leg and drag me until I could get free. Ow.

By the end of it I think I could say I improved. I think I moved at least 3 metres down the slope in one go before collapsing. The main problem for me though is that my muscles were just not used to this kind of exercise and it felt like my feet were in a constant cramp. So the majority of times that I fell over was just me trying to give my feet a break, and not because I had 'fallen'. Sad that after all those years of dancing my feet couldn't cope!!!

So, I go back to my movement to gain strength/fitness in an effort to avoid immobility in old age. Who knows. A couple of crunches and I may just be as AMAZING as my head thinks I am.

Hopefully, with the motivation of my currently aching limbs and muscles I can stick to it this time....
Well, that and the looming New Years Snowboarding Expedition to France. I will not be the dorky newbie again.

p.s. It is meant to start snowing properly here this week. :)

Toetsies

The problem with winter, and unusual work hours, is that, other than your daily heel scrub and moisturising the bottom end of the torso is often forgotten.

You always have long pants, socks or stockings and sneakers, boots or pumps on. And in the evenings, slippers. This means that you don't often see your feet. Unless you're in the shower or bath, and who really remembers the world changing ideas and plans we get in the shower or bath!? Not me, that's for sure.

Add to this the slightly later that 8am time that I wake up and the relatively unusual work hours I keep, and any form of nail-beautifying is rendered impossible.
You simply cannot paint your nails and then put socks on. And you certainly can't paint and go to bed. And I, for one, do not like unpainted, unmanicured toenails.

So, on this wonderful, work free Friday, after a much needed chat with a lovely girl friend, I decided that it would be a long overdue Me Day.

Apart from an exploratory cycle around Munich to fetch a few books and adventure a little bit (of course I cycled through puddles of mud like a young boy), there was nothing else for me to do but preen, pimp, and pamper myself. And make some canneloni for our weekend house guest. Ok, it is more for me, who am I kidding.

It might just have been a case of needing girl time, in which case a visit to one of the two strategically placed friends houses down the road would have sufficed. Or a trip to the bedroom next door.But since it would take a very long flight and a few days to get there the simple pleasure of shiny nails and some Greys Anatomy will have to do the trick.

I am now going to have a 4:30pm glass of wine, and eat some olives (damn you little greek market, damn you).

I'll be drinking to my girls. Cos I miss you. And to my re-discovered shiny nails.

Things I have learnt so far : Part 1

1. When posed with the question "Would you like to join," the answer should be yes. You may end up in a parade of children with lanterns, with no feeling in your toes, but, there may just be gluhwein at the end of it. (St Maartins). Unless there is anything PG25 in the mix, go along with it. Experience life as a Muenchner (name I have given people living in Munich/Muenchen). You can defrost at a later stage.
2. It is very hard to wake up early when you don't have to. And no, swimming/jogging/yoga is not something I HAVE to do. At least not right at this very snuggly moment.
3. There is a dust monster that sprinkles dust over our apartment while we're sleeping. That is the only possible source of all this dust. I will catch it someday.
4. Sometimes the train will mysteriously arrive a few seconds early, and you will still be at the bike rack, locking your suddenly unlockable bike lock, and have to dash down stairs, through the station and up some more stairs. In this instance you will not be able to breath for at least 3 stops after, and will wish furiously that you had woken up earlier to jog. In this instance, the train will also not leave the station until a few minutes later. This time it would have taken you to walk.
5. No matter how many towards-the-train dashes you do, it will not make you 'fitter' or less likely to sound like you're having an asthma attack after. And people will stare.
6. Boots and all. It's not just a rugby program, it's a fact of life. There are boots, and there are BOOTS. Winter in Europe requires the latter. And woolen stockings, and woolen innersoles. The Great Boot Search will take at least an entire Saturday, if not two. By the end of which you will be tired, grumpy, broke, and in need of TEA.
7. Once your feet are cold, it's all over. Not even tea can help you now. Unless the tea is in the form of a foot bath.
8. The are a lot of leaves. No really, you can rake and rake and rake and they just keep on coming. Where they come from, no body knows.
9. Raking makes for a fun, outdoor activity for your charges. Until the 3 seconds are over and they are bored / find a swing.
10. Washing is over rated. Until you have NO socks left. Then something must be done.
11. Tea and a cookie will ALWAYS warm you up / dry your tears / ease your troubles.
12. Wine will ALWAYS warm you up / dry your tears / ease your troubles.

Hiking 101

If you are a newcomer to hiking, as I most certainly am, and agree to a trip to Wendelstein instead of a day off (who is this person) here are a few tips:

1. Go with some kids in tow. They don't always walk too fast, so you won't look too slow when you're 'waiting for them'. They also like sweets and rests. These are handy.
2. Running shoes may be the only appropriate shoes you have, but be careful in the mud. They slip.
3. Take lots of water, but don't drink too fast or you'll have to make a stop off behind some trees.
4. Always take the high road. The lower one is muddy.
5. Don't be too adventurous too early on. An hour and a half in you will need your strength. Rather hang back and ensure no team members lag behind.
6.It's a good idea to take a cable car up and then hike down, especially if you're a newbie. With running shoes on.
7. Watch your step. Hiking shoes have high tops for a reason, rocks slip and ankles get sore.
8. Said sweets are a good bribe for said kids. When you're tired you don't want to keep stopping, you wanna get the freak off the mountain and into a bath.
9. 2 and a half hours of down hill walking puts some strain on the legs. Don't expect to be able to walk down stairs the next day.
10. A long overdue disco dance razzle dazzle in high heels is probably not the BEST idea. Sunday will be a slow walking day.
11. Take a camera... the view from uptop is spectacular.
12. Take a few layers. Hiking in fall means there are probably some pockets of snow laying around and the wind is nippy.

Just In Case

A good idea, when using public transport, is to look up an alternate route, Just In Case.

Now, since my route from home to work is a so simple (cycle to station, catch one train, walk around the corner from the station and I'm there), and the German transport systems are so efficient, this thought did not occur to me.

Therefore, when the train stopped about 100m down the track from where I was patiently waiting on the platform, and did not move further, I panicked. Well, at first I just thought it was delayed, until I realised that 20mins had gone by, an announcement had been made and people were beginning to leave the platform. And in my state of complete amazement that something could go wrong with this punctual system, and when I was in a hurry to get to work so certain children could get to school, this realisation took a while.

The next 10minutes were a flurry of panicky bbm's to the other half, desperately seeking help, and frantic messages / calls to my employers to say, actually, no, I was not on the train, nor would I be there in the next half an hour. In fact, if I did get another train I still could not get within an hours cycling distance of where I needed to be. (At a later, calmer, internet-access with-a-bigger-screen-than-my-blackberry I found some trams that could resolve that problem) but right then it was not looking good.

When, finally, I began to think a bit clearer and take action, instead of standing there looking completely dumbfounded (sometimes no matter how many times you look the train just doesn't move closer), I managed to figure out an alternate plan and avoid going to work all together, because I really needed to get home and consult google maps.

There is an alternate route now, written down, in detail, tucked safely into my bag, just in case. Let's hope I never have to use it!

Who know's how many cups of tea I will need if I actually have to pull it out...

Man, I miss my little car!

The Chicken and The Eggs

Finally, finally, we bought a whole chicken, determined to figure out the Microwave Oven, and have a roast.

That was on Wednesday.

And on Thursday a friend came over from the UK for One Night Only. So that was a big night. Too much beer...

And on Friday the newest Sasol 'exchange' arrived from SA, so that was a big night. Too many martini's...

And on Saturday the Sharks were playing their final. So we hit the pub, and that was a relatively decent night. Partially because my eyes were closing at the table.

So Sunday dawned... and the chicken went in.
There were a few problems...
1) It took a long time to find a dish that could fit a chicken on it and fit in the microwave. (Answer: there is only one.)
2) Figuring out how to get THAT setting, that we could see was there, but couldn't figure out how to get to.

Once it was going, it went well. Until the 45mins were up and it wasn't really cooked. And then the 30mins after that were up and the bottom was a bit raw still. But 30mins after that, when my very hungry tummy and I got up to check... Voila!

FINALLY!

Bearing in mind that this was just roast chicken and salad. Let's not push it and try roast potatoes too!

And it was good!!!!

An important thing to note, however, is that a Microwave Oven gets rather hot. So if you leave, say, eggs, on top on the microwave, they will cook. And this will not help the next day, when you need them. Especially if the next day is a public holiday and there is only a very small petrol station open, who has, on this next day, run out of eggs.

All that fuss and...

Last week I made a big song and dance about starting the fitness thing on Monday.
Well, it started a little early with a Sunday morning swimming session at a lovely indoor pool.

Now, usually, I am more the mermaid-playing that up-and-down swimming type, but, I thought I would give it a go.
Luckily, my other half decided to take me under his wing and give me a little push in the right direction. (10 100m IM's direction... my poor, unfit arms).

So we donned our winter jackets, and packed up our back packs, and off we went.
Seems a little funny to be wearing big jackets and then going swimming! Thank goodness for the heating...

At first it was a little tricky, the pool was PACKED. This in a city where EVERYTHING is closed on a Sunday, except for Subways. But finally a lane was free. Now, to a normal two people, seeing that the is only one cordoned off lane in a pool might be a sign to stay away... but we just saw the opportunity to do two armed butterfly with out whacking a granny. It was all going well, and the incredibly serious looking lifeguards didn't say anything to us about moving out The Lane. Until, some other swimmers decided ours was The Lane To Be In. Not that I can blame them... come on... two pasty South Africans in speedo's... let's be honest! :)

I wish I could say that it was great to have someone swimming behind me to keep me going at a reasonable pace (other than my very speedy other half, who lapped me several times), but Slappy McSlappster, and the other dork in the lane were taking a leisurely Sunday Stroll through the water. Despite all my kicking-with-a-big-splash efforts. Up and down they plodded, while we attempted to do sprints. Hey, at least while diving underneath them to pass I got to play mermaids after all!

Monday was a definite rest day (we went to the Deutsches Museum after, and it is BIG, MINDBLOWING and a little too much to take in, in one afternoon). And Tuesday seemed to pass with nothing more than a few casttv.com shows. (A girls needs her shows ok.)

So, as Wednesday wound around, I re-set my alarm only once. Got up, and switched on the Yoga DVD.

Ok, I must be honest, I did only do a little bit. But I did a bunch of ironing afterwards with a not-so-good iron, and woke up this morning with that distantly familiar feeling of STIFFNESS!!!!!!!! HOORAY!

I did intend on running this morning, but did some more yoga instead. Let's not go crazy now Robyn. We want some sort of continuance here.

Now, if I can just get through the Sharks game on Saturday without too many beers, maybe I will make it back to the pool on Sunday. Monday is a holiday, after all...

Mamma Bear

Today, for this one day only, I must be a shmoosh, and write one for the mamma's.

You know that woman, she was there when you were growing up. In the beginning it was more of a life line. Towards your teens, a presence you tried REALLY hard to ignore, and at some stage, during that crucial turning point in the life of most girls, movement from mother to actual person with feelings and a past and after you move on
to start your life, a life of her own (shocking!).

If you have one, if you lost one, if you want to hang on to one for a few more seconds. If she's far, or near, or really annoying you at this particular moment in time...there is only ever one.

For all the times you knew better, but didn't say a thing. And for all the times you did.

For all the meals, desserts, and lunch boxes. The tips, and tricks, and recipes. And the tea.

The lessons in what's right and wrong, and the blurry line between the two.

The times we made you cry, but never saw your tears, the times that you were scared, but never showed your fears.

For when you taught us to appreciate the little things. To dream big, but not be scared to play in the dirt.

For the days you wanted to throttle us, when we really really pushed you.

For the days stayed up late with us, cos we were scared, or sick, or rushing to finish the homework we actually got last week, told you about this week, never started and is due tomorrow.

For the support to do what we thought we wanted, and the hug when we found out it wasn't going to happen.

For letting us find our passions, and nurturing them.

For loving us no matter what we do. For that feeling you give us when we have wrecked every other part of our life, and come crawling back to you. For the times we thought we were all grown up... I guess you're never too old to need your mom.

For the inexplainable bond. No, seriously, boys don't get it... And girls will never be able to explain it.

For all the other things that I have neither skills nor space to put into words.

Thank you, I love you, good night xx

Exercise

Most people that know me will agree that I am relatively lazy.

I like tea, which often comes with a little snack, and I am exceptionally partial to a Sunday afternoon on the couch with a good movie.

I don't like running, but from time to time I partake in the madness that is slamming your feet along concrete.

I don't like gym. Too many people, too close. And when you are on the machines that face other machines, where do you look? At the other people? And why would they put a restaurant in? For some, the muffins on display say "Don't worry, I'll make you healthy, you can go home now."

I'm not motivated enough for swimming, especially when it's cold like it is here.

I love a good ballet class. And yoga. And eating...
I enjoy healthy eating, but there is nothing quite like a good spag bol.

The problem is, that beer and pretzels, and most other food groups don't love me.

My idea of a good work out is cycling to the grocery store. Cardio.
And then cycling the 1.2 or so km home with a very heavy backpack and shopping bag. Weights.
And then unpacking the groceries. Stretching.
And then making a lovely lunch and gobbling it all up.
I think that balances out, don't you?

But what it all comes down to, for me, is strength.
I don't want to lose weight, but every time I see an old lady struggling along the isles with her shopping, struggling to lift a can of beans, I start to worry.

What if I continue in my lazy style, and never get involved in the protection of my joints. And then I get old and someone has to look after me. Vomit.

You always hear people say you should save your money, and write a will and prepare for the inevitable. But what about the preparation for a looooong age?

Therefore, starting Monday, the running shoes come out, and the yoga dvd goes in.
I will give this whole fitness 'thing' another shot. Again.

But don't worry, there will still be tea and cookies.

Glamourous

The day started out ok. Bit cold so I donned my boots and leg warmers(who ever said that trend died with the 80's clearly hasn't been to europe in winter). And I set off to dazzle the (german speaking?)Interviewer at the UK visa office.

However, due to technical difficulties, my other half had borrowed my bike, but I'm ok burning a few extra calories as mince along to the train station. At least I was, until I fell.

No, fell doesn't quite do it justice. What I did was slide, gracefully at first) along the street, until I could no longer balance in this strange crouched position and slamming my knees into the ground was the only option.

A few people looked away, perhaps trying to stop my cheeks from reddening further, perhaps trying to shield their laughter.

I sprung up, almost as though nothing had happened, and sped off to catch my train. It was only after the shock that I, Robyn, the graceful princess, had fallen! (Ok, not even I can keep a straight face at that comment) that I realised I had a small sting in my knees and two very big, wet areas on jean pant covered my knee caps.

I hoped dearly that the Interviewers wouldn't notice. And what with the hardware malfunction going on, I'm pretty sure they didn't. But I did get a few scornful looks from some grannies on the bus. I tried to return these with a I-Promise-I-Did-Shower look, but I think I need to practice that one in the mirror.

Interview over, groceries bought, I headed home for some well deserved tea.
All went well until I went to work.

It hailed.

Yip, hailed. Peppercorn sized icicles fell from the sky. Not only was I the only person utterly amazed at this, but I was also the only person with no gloves within reaching-whilst-riding-a-bike distance. There was mascara running down my face, and a serious case of Beanie Hair by the time I got to work... (And no I did not change my pants so the were still dirty marks on my knees.)

At least, when it was pouring down with rain when I was cycling home, I was going home. A warm shower and some coffee waiting... A couch with a warm skinned other half. All makes a bit of rain worthwhile.

Now, if I could only remember my moms rule for driving in the rain (during cycling, walking and any other movement between place a and place b)... Start Stopping Sooner.
Or at least try get a firmer footing in between steps...

With a little help from my friends

Sorry, been a bit distracted, what with turning 22 and all.
So, here's what you missed...

There was a secret birthday getaway to a surprise location... ROME!
What a dream!
After a very long, sleepless train ride, we arrived.
Quick nap later we were on our way to watch U2. What a band. Let me tell you, if I wasn't a fan before, I sure am now. And then they showed a clip of Desmond Tutu... Well, I've never loved a band more. (kings of leon and the killers aside, of course).
My hands were waving around in the air, and I was screaming "AFRICA" at the TOP of my lungs. What fun!

Rome is a rather dirty place. Really doesn't help the stereotype of leather jackets and greased back hair. In fact, that's EXACTLY what the Romans are like. And the girls start wearing eyeliner at about... birth. The train system is designed in a curious manner, with thousands of Tourists-With-Luggage unfriendly stairs, and it's all a bit gloomy. But then...
You step out of a station, and right there, in front of you is the Colosseum. No bus ride, or walk around a corner, just BAM, right there. It's surreal!

We walked around a lot on the Saturday, and stumbled upon everything we wanted to see. You walk along these little side roads and alleys, thinking you're lost, and then all of a sudden there are a lot of people, and SOMETHING. Trevi Fountain, Parthenon, Vatican City. I kept having to pinch myself to check if I wasn't dreaming while watching the History channel. (Has been known to happen.) But then, these are hardly things you can picture properly without seeing, touching. Pictures don't do them any justice. Mind you, I was in awe looking at a 2000 year old pebble, so anything would amaze me. But really, it was stunning.

After this Long Day of Walking, we found a cute little restaurant (a nice change from McDonalds and Tramazzini's -native food of the Romans) for a little dinner. It's actually very hard NOT to find a place to eat in Rome. The Italians have their priorities set straight. There are about 5 Trattoria's per 200m. A simple dinner, but packed with incredible taste, and we fell asleep peacefully.

Having seen all there was to see, Sunday was left for sitting on the Spanish steps, eating ice cream and soaking in the sun. For the whole day. BLISS!!!

Now, let me tell you what I REALLY loved about Rome. The wine. It might not be the best wine in the world, but it is sold on every street and street corner, in little bottles, and it's relatively cheap. It also seems to be socially acceptable to drink anywhere. Say, for example, when sitting on the bottom of a statue, or on the Spanish Steps, or just walking along the road. Again, the Italians have their priorities set straight!

Heading home, I was welcomed into the big 22 with PRESENTS!
First a South African parcel from some friends that stayed with us... AROMAT, Biltong, Nik Naks and Nando's sauce (among other things). Then 5 Roses, and more 5 roses, and more!!!

Let me just take this opportunity here to say THANK YOU to the senders! You can throw anything at me now... and I will survive. Because I have a cup of OUR tea to wash anything down!

No matter what happens now...

I'll get by, with a little help from my friends!

P.s: In honour of my birthmonth, I hope ya'll spoiled yourselves!!!!

PS

One VERY large, very lovely glass of wine was all it took.
The embarrassed facial redness has now been replaced by That Other Kind Of Redness.

Come find me now kiddies!!! :)

Please may no one walk past me right now...

The problem with kids is that they go from extreme to the next in
about 0.05 seconds. This makes my job extremely difficult as it can be
very hard to anticipate a hit, scream, fight, tantrum etc etc.

This is extremely tricky as they become more and more tired yet insist
on sleeping in the same bed. After a long day of shoddy manners and an
extremely trying lack of listening skills, and even a time out, I
thought, "Screw it, at this stage I'm just not sure I care."

So downstairs I went. And then back upstairs because of the extremely
loud talking. (Their father has just come out of hospital and needs
rest. It is also, by this stage, Past Bedtime). And then downstairs,
and then upstairs to dry up tears. And then an attempt at seperation,
and then they were immediately Best Friends Forever. And then
downstairs. And then upstairs. With no more options for them, in
response to which they BOTH fled down to their parents bed. And then
they continued to giggle. And a very very frustrated me walked down
the stairs a little bit... To where I thought I would be hidden and
had a few sob-like breathes, only for the mom to walk in and catch me
in my moment of weakness.

The response was something like "Don't get frustrated, that's what
they have wine for" to which, my face replied (in a manner over which
I had no control) by scrumpling and scrunching itself in preparation
for Inappropriate Tears. However, these were "Yes, I'd really like to
go home to my boyfriend and crack open a bottle of wine" tears, and
not the "I can't cope" tears they were, no doubt, interpreted as.

But it was too late. My face was red, my eyes damp and my voice
broken. Nothing to do but leave. And hope the train ride is slow
enough for me to catch my breath.

Definitely don't want to scare any other Late Comer Homer's off their
bicycles... (My crying face is that bad).

I only hope my face isn't still distorted by the time I get home. My
poor other half...

Now, where's that wine.

Oktoberfested.

While Oktoberfesting is always a good idea, getting completely
Oktoberfested is not always the best idea. You could do funny things.
Breaking a bicycle is one thing that pops to mind. (Especially since
the grit on my hands from my attempts to fix said bicycle, will not
come off).
Going to work Oktoberflustered the next day is another
not-so-great-idea. The chances are that this would be the day you
would have to arrive super early,and play barbies or some other game
that requires physical involvement, like hide and seek. It is also
possible that the children will find a couple of flutes and start
'making music'. (Really high pitched shrieking type noises, in
succession).

You might have to go sit at a table and try and explain why you would
not like any of the delicious food on offer ('You can have anything
you like, the food is really good here') because it feels a little bit
like some one swung a meiss (large heavy beer mug-holds 1 litre of
tastiness) at my head, and I would really like to go home and die now
please, if that would be ok.

You will probably come home to housework, which you just want to do quickly before you nap but due to minimal movement ability will take a while.

But when the sleep comes, it comes beautifully.

And then you wake up to a beautiful Sunday, and off we go again... just for one beer this time, I promise... :)

The Force

What urges one to wear tights that have a precarious run over the
buttox area. One that you know is there and will leave you feeling
exposed for the rest of the day. Or sweltering hot because you left
your coat on in an attempt to 'cover up'.

Probably about the same mysterious force that results in only ever
needing to poop when you have left the house. Or only ever knocking
your body in places that have already been hit (leaving a bicycle in a
small passage way is probably not a good idea, especially if you are a
Midnight Wee-er). And I would dare say it's the same force that
leaves you positively dehydrated when you have no cash what so ever
and are on a train, or in the middle of a field or some other shopless
area.

The same force that makes it pour with rain when you have no umbrella,
raincoat, ANORrrrrrrrAK (emphasis on the 'K' for the afrikaans effect)
and the wind is making you chilly. Or makes the sun shine when you're
wearing warm clothes, can't remove layers and are prone to facial
redness.

That makes the teacher ask you for the answer the 0NE time you didn't
do your homework. Or the one that makes you NEED to have THAT dress
when you have money for petrol to get home and petrol ONLY.

It's a mysterious thing.
My buttox just says I should have worn a looooonger top or a dress so
it wouldn't feel so violated every time I sit on a bench in a station.

New Hair Day

I have been moaning about my hair for a while. It was short, and then
it started to look a bit 'shaggy'. This is not really a good look for
me. My skin is now pale, and I have been working late nights, so it is
dull and a bit lacluster. (There are bags under these eyes too).

Then there was the question of 'What To Do'?
Do I want to cut it so it remains short, and while it would then
require regular maintenance it would be so easy to manage, especially
in the mornings-wash, dry (this takes about 2 seconds) and go...
OR: I could cut it so that it can grow. This requires less
maintenance, offers infinite styling possibilities, but takes longer
to dry etc, and with winter well on it's way... Hmmm

Needless to say, there was a lot of thinking involved. A lot of
pretend pony-tail making. And a few skype calls too. What is a girl,
if not one that requires the advice from at LEAST 3 other
professionals.

And by professionals I mean 3 people who have hair and have known me
for longer than a year. Clear qualification I say!

So off I went... Trotting along to a GERMAN hairdresser, where I had
made an appointment IN GERMAN, and then proceded to explain to the
hairdresser, who only speaks GERMAN, what I would like her to do to my
precious locks with those very sharp looking scissors. All the while
hoping I hadn't switched the word grow with something fatal, like
"Extremely Short Please"... Eek

And so the snipping began.

For the first time in my life I did not attempt to make small talk. I
did not attempt to watch watch she was doing. I did not attempt to
anticipate where she would cut next. I simple looked down at my lap
where she had placed a lovely GERMAN Glamour magazine, and poured all
of my energy into trying to decifer what was written in that tiny font
on those tiny pages.

It's funny the difference a haircut can make (even if you don't let
them dry your hair for fear of the price doubling, or something sneaky
to that effect). Just a few small snippidy snips and it's as though
the sparkle was re-added to my moisturiser.(I am convinced that that
is where the transformation from Asleep Face to Awake Face comes
from).

Even though my hair is now shorter (I went for the growing option, but
a style was needed. Mullets don't suit me, unfortunately), and I still
feel rediculously pale, and boyish (this may have more to do with my
height and constant jean wearing), and I am working late again and
will, no doubt, have even bigger bags under my eyes tomorrow, I feel
as though every person that walks by is admiring my mane. And even
better than that, I feel ok. I feel like I can confidently reprimand a
naughty child, and make it home through the cold, and rightfully so,
accomplish damn near anything.

I even managed to wear the right shoes today.

And all because of a haircut.
Aaah, the wonders of being a girl. :)

Stepford Wives

Since our house guests left, we haven't really had a chance to get things back in order. So, I decided today was the day. The ironing pile was growing, the dust was collecting in the corners and it was all getting a little too much.

The problem for me, however, is that once I start, I become quite particular, and can't stop until it's a little closer to perfect. Far cry from the little girl who used to just push it all under her bed, I know!

It was right about when I was folding the last freshly ironed t-shirt, that I realised how tired I was! I literally hadn't stopped for about 4 hours. (I know this seems a long time for a small apartment, but like I said, I'm particular, and there were hidden crevices that really had never been touched.)

Why did I not befriend some sort of army of stepford wives, with their pearly white aprons and incredible folding skills. It'd sure be a little easier! Maybe then I could learn the secrets to remaining immaculately put-together whilst tackling grime.
(I seem to be a more sweat-on-the-brow-hair-in-a-mess kind of cleaner, and then I, myself need to be cleaned.)

The problem with having a 'cleaning day' is that once you sit down, it's very hard to put your feet up. Will you mess up the sofa? Tread dirt on the carpet? Leave a ring on the table? Small things to be sure, but they add up, and soon enough it's cleaning day again.

At least it's just an apartment. Vacuuming literally takes 5 minutes if you're only going for the visible areas. Perhaps the trick is to remain incredibly busy, that way there is no time to obsess about the cleanliness of a cleaning cloth.

And there is always the upside of a REQUIRED glass of wine after it all.

Mind the spillage!!!

Shoes, glorious shoes

I know you're tired of wearing the same shoes all the time. And
they're so, well, black and beige. And your toenails are freshly
painted in a lovely colour... It's a sunny day.

Still, this is no time to be wearing slops Robyn!

Not only will you realise that, once again, you are the only person in
Munich wearing slops/sandals, but your toes will nearly fall off as
you cycle off to catch the train. Those people are not staring at your
feet in admiration of you free toes and wonderful workmanship with
nail polish... They're wondering why you are being so silly, so
unpractical, so un... German!

So I cower, and tuck my toes under my chair, and HOPE that when I
leave school today the sun will have warmed everything up 3 fold, so
open shoes feel neccessary.

These people have been here a little longer than me, so MIGHT know better.

But despite any strange glares and gusts of cold air, I have to say...
Man, it feels good to have free toes!

The Oktoberfest Magic

Today I started work at 6pm. Definitely looked like it was closer to
4pm the way the sun was still shining so furiously!

We are currently experiencing what is known as the 'Oktoberfest Magic'...
For some mystical reason the Autumn chill holds off for these two and
a bit weeks.

Personally I think it's amazing as I am not QUITE ready for the real
cold weather to set in. I need a pay check and a bit of a shop first I
think :)

Good weather also means trips to the play ground and walking home from
school, which means tired little girls. And while the need for
icecream is greater, as is the risk of sugar-crash-induced grumpiness,
and an apparent inability to eat peas ( try explain to a tired 6yr old
why she should eat more than 4 peas, tricky...) It does mean that
falling asleep is a much quicker event, and let me tell you... After
all that, I have begun to appreciate the stillness and QUIETness of
the night!

Also, the longer the day is, the more 'tea time's I can fit in!

Viva long sunny days! Viva!

Oktober Festivities

Oktoberfest.
A world famous gathering of hundreds of thousands of Beer lovers, and generally curious souls.

Got a picture in your head?

So did I... and it was completely wrong.

The large field filled with tents is actually a HUGE parking lot type surface, and the tents, well, they're not quite tents at all. In fact they are massive prefab halls, that are constructed just for, and come down straight after, Oktoberfest.
(A far cry from the shmooshy, muddy field I had envisioned.)

What we were greeted with was more along the lines of a LARGE scale fun fare.
Food, horses, roller coasters, beer halls, brightly coloured lights, laughter, food and hundreds of people, all dressed in their traditional get up.

Just in case you missed that... let me repeat... ROLLER COASTERS.
These are incredibly fun for once you have drowned any fear of heights and strangely directed motion with beer, and feel like you might ENJOY being flung around in the sky. Nothing but a few bolts and bars of metal keeping you from falling a looong way down. The view, however, is AMAZING! Especially at night!

The people are loud, festive and for the most part, pretty drunk. But everyone is toasting everyone, and chanting and cheering together.
Finding a table is a bit tricky, especially if you get there later in the day, but once you're in, you are prepared to settle in for the day.

Well, until the roller coasters call becomes too loud to ignore.

My traditional outfit was far from warm, and my snotty nose was a bit of a pain, but I was there. Oktoberfest. No way I was going home until after AT LEAST 3 rides and a very warm, sticky, nuttela pancake.

And the best part?
It goes on for two more weeks!!!!!

While my beer drinking for the rest may be limited, I will DEFINITELY be returning, even if just to watch the people walk on by. If I make it through the recovery day, that is.

I would not recommend

settling into a few bottles of wine the night before Oktoberfest begins.

This will only lead to more bottles, a late wake up, and a pretty severe headache and missing the opening parade.

It also makes it relatively hard to summon the will to drink beer.

Oh, who am I kidding.
I'm literally salivating at the thought of an icy, cold beer.

Autumn Leaves

The problem I have with cold weather is that I feel as though I am constantly wearing the SAME outfit.

Black top, black shoes, jeans, cream jacket.
White top, grey shoes, jeans, cream jacket.
Black jeans, black boots....

You get the picture.

And even if you try mix it up with a different colour scarf, you still feel like you're wearing the same thing that you wore yesterday, and the other 5 days before that.

Walking to school, and then to work, I can't help wondering a) how everyone else managed to look so NICE and WARM in dresses, and skirts and other lovely things, and b) if anyone has NOTICED that I seem to wear a slightly different version of the same thing EVERY DAY?

True, I don't know many people, but I am going into a classroom everyday with a very limited number of people, (and I sure notice what they wear) and while children may not take much note of clothing, they are particularly blunt when they do. "Why do you wear those same shoes everyday"
(Because it's cold, Sugar, and my sandals just don't fly in this kinda weather!)

My clothes are all Clean And Paid For, and I am warm (not quite sure how this flu crept into my throat!!) and I am in GERMANY for crying out loud. So really cares what you look like. Unless grandparents are around (then it's neatly cut and combed hair and your BEST clothes).

At least I have something different to wear tomorrow. Dirndl... the traditional dress for woman in Germany... specifically at this very special OKTOBERFESTY time of year. :) And at this time of year, the clothes sure don't matter. The only thing you need to worry about is the temperature of the beer.

House Guests

When having people come stay with you, it is probably important to actually be at home so they can stay WITH you.

However, given the Castle Capturing circumstances, we were not around to welcome our First House Guests.

It is probably also a good idea to spend time with / see said house guest. Go on adventures, do activities, swop stickers, usual things. However, I am doing a course in the mornings and then going straight to work until about 7:30pm, so the only thing these house guests see of me is my Tired Face.

This is mostly because our apartment, while roomy enough for two of us, is not all THAT spacious, so in order for me to get out of the bedroom, I need to step over their mattress in the lounge. Well, that, and the difficulty I have keeping a hair dryer quiet.

Perhaps it is better, then the Visitors can do their own thing, and have stories to tell over The Evening Wine. (This of course is the most important part of the day!)
That's what I will tell myself anyway, what with schools going back this week and new schedules, so I don't feel like SUCH a bad host.

I promise, I will make sure I am available for mid morning tea when you come!

The Tired Face in the mornings and after an afternoon of intensive colouring in however, I cannot be sure will go away...

I am a real princess...

King Ludwig. What a visionary!
The aim was to build 3 castles, each better than the last.
He may have died under very mysterious circumstances, and with a debt of 13 million Euro (in 1886 this was a substantial amount, I am sure) but he left castles whose creation can only be marveled at.

How these massive castles were constructed, on top of hill and mountains, and in areas that were battle appropriate (hard to reach), is something I cannot comprehend.

How the architects envisioned what we see now, and how these beauties were constructed before any of the technology we have today existed, blows my mind.

More mind blowing... how the rocks, stones, HUGE mouldings got up (WAY up) to where they are now.

For example, the one castle we visited this weekend, the Schloss Neuschwanstein, was King Ludwigs final masterpiece before his drowning in 1886. The castle took about 17 years to build, and was never completed to Ludwigs intended standard. Yet, in that day, there was running water in his bed chambers. They had these intricate tunnels in the walls between each room so the servants could fill up the heaters from the rear, without being seen.
And the craftmanship! The carvings and mouldings and gold and silver plated gifts... all so intricate.

And to see a castle, up on a mountain, with lush green fields all around, you cannot help but imagine what it was like when there were only carriages and horses to carry you across them. Poor messenger boy, running along, and up all the hills. I doubt the stairs had the railings that I used to haul myself up to the castle.

I think it's clear that I find this all fascinating. The power, the empires, the lifestyle, the CLOTHING. I saw Ludwigs mothers bed and all I could think was " I wonder if she would have felt the pea!!!" :)

Naturally, I then dreamt of 1886 when my former self, in a long passed life, was DEFINITELY a princess. DEFINITELY.

So if someone could just point me in the direction of MY castle. I'm sure it's out there somewhere...


(Pics to follow)

These German Folk

They don't drink a lot of tea.
Personally, I think if you don't involve a tea cup (as a permanent fixture to your hand) in your day to day clothes choices, or feel the need to put the kettle at LEAST every hour, then there is a serious problem in your genetic make up.

SERIOUS problem.

I'm not yet sure how this affects their daily functioning, nor how it affects their character... but it MUST!

So this post is for the tea drinkers...
My house, 4pm tomorrow. It's tea time!
Actually, any time, of any day. I will make myself available.

P.s. No, we will not be drinking rooibos, or peppermint, or earl grey, or any other bag of leaves that dares call itself 'tea'. It'll be classic 5 roses, straight up.

p.p.s If any one is in the mood for posting me some tea... pls feel free :)

p.p.p.s. Cheers

Going Back To School

Do you remember that feeling, on the first day of school (or Varsity, or work) where everyone is supposed to have something, and you don't?

You have the thick koki pens instead of the thin ones. One hard-covered-feint-ruled book too few. You don't have the text book. Or, you didn't read the required pages?

I started school today.

I had to learn a bit of German in order to be eligible for my Visa, but I am doing an A2 course. We thought it would look good on my Visa application if I was signed up to continue, and I figured I had crammed so much in in such a short space of time that it would be silly not to carry on.

So off I headed, like a nervous 1st grader, not wanting to be That Late Kid. I arrived, found the classroom, and settled in amongst the few that were already there. It was then that I noticed that they all had this book, most looked as though they'd been working through this book for some time. It was quite an Important Looking Book. Slowly, as the classroom filled up, I noticed more and more people with The Book. I checked my registration certificate and saw no mention of The Book. And I was the only one who didn't have one. By the time the teacher walked in, as I am SURE you can imagine, my face was red, and I was having a mild panic. Did everyone else notice that I was Without-Book? (probably not, but it sure did feel like it).

So, very quietly, I approached the teacher and whispered "Sprechen Sie English?", To which she replied "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?". Of course. This is a German Course Robyn, I thought. So I quickly whispered "I don't have The Book, where can I get it?". "From the course"... aaah, ok.. relief.

Now, either she didn't understand me, or I don't whisper too well, because there was no Book Handing Out Ceremony. Only the brief mention that this was the book that we will be working from, and if you don't have it, you need it by tomorrow. All of this was in German, by the way. It is, as was explained a bit later, a SPEAKING course, and in order to learn German from her, and from each other, we would need to speak ONLY German. So if you are like me, and lose focus every now and then to fly off on a brief day dream, then sorry for youuuuuuuu!!!!!!

This seemed to happen frequently as I tried to figure out how I was going to get this book between the end of the course, the trains I needed to catch to get to work after, work, and then grocery shopping.

The girl next to me didn't seem to mind my peering desperately over her shoulder trying to catch a glimpse of this exclusive Book Owners Club, and not fall behind on my first day, so I think I did ok.

I should probably have paid a little more attention to what the homework assigned actually was, instead of just looking at the gloriously shiny pages.

I got the book (it was actually two that I needed). The problem now, is that I don't know what to do with it. The club ain't so great once you get in! ha ha

So I have packed my shiny books into my backpack. And there will be lunch made in the morning ( the cafeteria line was long today and I have a DOUBLE lesson day!). And off to school I will go.

At least, at the end of these 3 weeks of learning, running for trains, working and exploring, I will be able to speak German in a grammatically correct manner.

Let's just hope I have the confidence to use it!

Survival

There are certain seemingly obvious things that you need to find / note / realise when moving to any new location.

A good doctor, dentist, hairdresser and beautician. A nearby, but decent supermarket, and a good pub.

I've got the food and the pub down, and we're being very careful with our new, very sharp knives. It is also good to note when said supermarkets are open, in case, for example, you were to frequent said pub and not have any hang-over-appropriate food the next day. (There is nothing but Subways open on Sundays).

Then there are the other, not so obvious things.

While an Au Pair Visa is, though not without it's trials, suprisingly easy to obtain, the job itself may leave you wondering what the freakydeak you are doing looking after someone else's kids, instead of working on your own career. The decision to take some time out from working in an office for so long and take a 'gap' year looks rather silly when faced with three very different, very bored children.

Which brings me to my next point.

Starting work as an Au Pair to 3 children in the last two weeks of their very long summer vacation, in the midst of rainy weather that forces everyone indoors, is probably not the best time. This will, no doubt, lead one to above mentioned questions of "What am I DOING?".

Regardless, I appear to have survived my first week of work. This, however, may be an illusion, and I may actually have died a slow, noodle cooking induced death.

p.s. children don't like pepper. just in case you were wondering. and putting some on noodles because you 'thought it would taste nice' is not an appreciated answer!

Living

The novelty wears off slightly as the reality of actual living creeps in.

Work starts, you come home late, there's washing and ironing and cooking and cleaning and grocery shopping and sleep is needed. Playing princesses all day does require actual energy and involvement in the game, unless you are willing to feel the wrath of little girls who feel you're not playing right. The game is especially taxing when you are too big to fit through all the 'doorways' of the jungle gym and have to climb over everything.

The good part is that the living is easy. Things just work. We just do.
The bad part is that if you don't take the time to cycle a little slower to work, or look out the window of the train, or listen to the accents around you, it can be easy to be swept up in the day-to-day tasks and forget exactly where you are.

The other good part is that it only takes one ice cream to remind you that this is Europe. At the end of summer. And the living is eeeaaaassssyyyyyy.

Amsterdammit

Friday night we took an afternoon flight to Amsterdam.

Sorry, what? How crazy is that?
We hopped on a train, hopped on a plane and a few hours later we arrived at our hotel in AMSTERDAM!?!?

The Westcord Art Hotel. How Amsterdammy does that sound? Shmancy!

Now, Amsterdam has a pretty solid reputation as far as the Night Life is concerned... but here are some things you probably didn't know you could do there:
1) Kiss Super Mooooooooo (Cow dressed as...)
2) Eat Chip and dip that is bigger than your face.
3) Buy, write, stamp and send a postcard to your mama within 10m squared. (This is new to me, anyhow)
4) APPLE PIE
5) Visit the Heineken Experience, drink Wort, have a picture taken with you as the centre of a beer label.
6) Visit the Bols Experience (Cocktails included)
7) MCDONALDS
8) Visit a coffee shop whose decor consists entirely of graffiti (surprisingly tasteful!)
9) MEXICAN FOOD
10) ITALIAN FOOD... in fact, pretty much every nationality in terms of food.
11) Test out some pesto cheese in a cheese shop (Yes, it is green, but in a good way)
12) Drink Heineken out of a blue and white printed PAPER BAG, so as not to alert the police mans attention to your naughty ways.
13) See a horse stable with the name tag 'Mike', but no Mike.
14) Sit inside the 'd' of the I AM STERDAM sign
15) Almost fall asleep inside the 'd' of the I AM STERDAM sign due to incredible comfort.
16) Run through puddles intentionally whilst hoping the tram doesn't close it's doors JUST yet.
17) Take photo's of buildings that Look Important Therefore Must Be.
18) More MCDONALDS
19) Ben and Jerry's
20) Visit the flower market... arguably my favourite part of Amsterdam. There is a roof made out of drying bunches of flowers. I'm sure that was stolen out of my dreams!!??
21) Fall asleep inside a hammock shop.
22) Visit the Torture Museum. A brief, but somewhat disturbing experience.
23) Gaze down the canal in the evening. The red lights look much prettier in the waters reflection.
24) See a giant bug statute
25) Sleep in Very Comfortable Hotel Beds till lunch time.

I Like Amsterdam

Did I mention the park?

It's literally next door.
Out our front door, 5 steps down the path, left, 5 steps along the pavement (or two good somersaults) and boom... there it is.

Lots of crazy running people. Some people walking with sticks like they're practicing for ski season. And a few clever ones in the beer garden / restaurant.

And so it was, that on that lovely, sunny afternoon, I had my first LITRE of beer.
It was so cold that there were tiny icicles floating around inside the mug and the glass was completely frosted over. (See below: my HUGE muscles when picking up the mug; the impossibility that is picking up two mugs; FROSTED GLASS!)

And the best part was, that we live right next door. So although I was feeling pretty happy by half way, I just had to do a few somersaults and I was home! Is this not the most amazing place on earth?