Stockholm

Last weekend the Saffa and I extended the already long weekend and decided to take a trip to Stockholm. Actually, we had had other ideas about where to go for a weekend getaway but as it turned out he was just returning from a business trip to South Africa and had to be in Stockholm on Tuesday for another business trip so to keep it simple we settled on Stockholm.



I had no real expectations but was looking forward to a nice getaway as I travel so rarely now and felt the need for a change of scenery. We decided to stay at a B&B after seeing the hotel prices in the city. I normally don't like the B&B scene as I prefer the anonymity of hotels and have found B&B's always to be a roll of the dice on what you actually end up with. In this case we were in luck and the location turned out to be perfect. The room was very nice and private with a fantastic balcony and view over the city. We were in room SCE5 and would happily recommend it.



Stockholm itself also pleasantly surprised. We did the touristy things - harbor tour, bus tour, Wasa museum - and also just wandered around on our own quite a bit.

What stood out:

• We had a funny communication problem. We could understand the Swedes very well but they struggled to understand us, or at least that is what I think was happening. For example, if I ordered a Cola I got a Fanta. Or if the Saffa ordered an ice cream without any topping, he got rainbow sprinkles all over it. It didn't seem to matter with my American accent or his British accent, we both had trouble. So maybe it wasn't our English, maybe the Swedes just all have ADD.
• The city seemed much more influenced by American and British culture than in Munich. Pubs were everywhere and we saw our fair share of American style restaurants, clothing, cars, TV shows, etc. It seems the Swedes have a love of all things Harley. They were everywhere. Hot dogs too.
• The long, long days. Twilight came around midnight and by 3 AM it was bright as day again. I can't say we slept very well as our body clocks were completely confused.
• It is fun to try to imitate the language. In a high pitched voice with the tendency to put the accent on completely different syllables than I would guess by reading the words. Yes, this is the part where we were just making fools of our tourist selves but we were amused.
• There is something so invigorating about so much water everywhere. It wasn't quite like being by the ocean but the sun was hot, the breeze was cool and we couldn't help but feel uplifted.
• We had great meals the whole time. Breakfast rolls with cardamom, smoked reindeer, salmon, swedish meatballs with dill cucumbers, mashies, and lingonberries, shrimp salads with dill and avocado...it was all great. And everyday a soft serve ice cream in the homemade waffle cones they were freshly preparing in each ice cream shop. I did skip the pickled herring - maybe next time.

It was a lovely getaway for us and I would be happy to return again. It would be nice to make it a longer trip and we talked about going back next summer to spend a few days in the city and then head out to the country for a week at a house on the water.


Posted from Munich

Berlin

Vacation? What vacation?

I have a foggy memory of overeating and too hot weather and a whole lotta cats.

Continuing on the theme of 2010, which seems to be 'Busy on Steroids', I hit the ground running when we returned and haven't had a chance to catch my breath since.

It's not all the details of the trip that are really so interesting to write (or read) about but it was a lovely trip and a walk down memory lane with Mr. Kilt by my side. A friend commented on my facebook photos that they made him feel very patriotic (he also is an American expat living in Munich). I didn't have that as a conscious goal but I noticed that when I photograph places I travel to, I end up taking photos that not only show how a place looks but also help me to recreate how I feel about a place. I was showing Mr. Kilt my favorite parts of America and, maybe, just maybe, I was a bit proud of the place.



We flew back on Sunday night, September 12th, and landed on Monday September 13th. Mr. Kilt is not so keen on flying and was having no part of returning on September 11th. His parents arrived for a 5 day stay that afternoon. And I started German class (4 days a week, 2 hours a night) that very same evening.

I had a frantic weekend at home trying to get a few more home projects crossed off the list (my office space is really shaping up now and I have a guest bedroom that is ready for B&B duty) before the influx of Wiesn visitors this weekend.

This past weekend we made a hectic and disorganized dash to Berlin so Mr. Kilt could run the Berlin Marathon (his first and, he says, last marathon). His training was nowhere near what it could or should have been with all the other things going on but I am really proud of him. He ran the whole thing and had a time of 4:26. We managed to find each other in the rain and I dashed through the crowd to give him a big hug and something to lean on. In the next couple of hours I doctored him up and saw him off on the train and for whatever reason felt full and content.

Berlin is oh so amazing. We were limited in what we could see and do as the focus was on the marathon and the weather was terrible all weekend but I must get back there soon with some more time to explore and photograph. I am not sure I could live there as the place put me in a strange mood. There is some kind of emotional current running through the place and it felt raw, alive, sad, hopeful, defiant, new and rundown. WEBMU 2011? Yes, please.



I can barely keep my eyes open so better roll over and get to sleep. First Wiesn visitor arrives tomorrow and 7 more on their way for Friday. My Wiesn, League of Nations style.

Good night.
Posted from Munich

America, America

Back from nearly three weeks holiday that was wonderful, hectic, fun and good for the soul. It doesn't look like I will have much time to catch a breather in the coming weeks either, but hopefully I will have some time for a USA post-mortem post this weekend before I forget I ever had a vacation!

And if a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few thousand:






Posted from Munich

Scotland

"You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time — back home to the escapes of Time and Memory."

--Thomas Wolfe

Maybe. Maybe.

But at least we visited. Scotland in and of itself is beautiful, moody, friendly and barbed. Scotland and Mr. Kilt together blew me away. I think to really know someone, you need to know where they come from. During our trip, I got the atomic blast of all things Mr. Kilt.

I met the parents, his two brothers, his brand-new sister-in-law and his best friends from university. I saw the houses he grew up in, the storied university apartment, and where he lived when he had his university internship, driving a Coke van around Scotland for a year trying to sell Cola fridges. I tried all his favorite foods and listened to all the stories about neighborhood bullies, uni pranks, sports glory (his and his favorite football team's) and his distinguished (ahem) scholarly record. We attended one of his best friend's weddings and fell in love with another friend's new baby.

I was asked before the trip by our mutual friend if I was nervous to spend so much time together but I wasn't. We fit each other and even when we had to go through the Great Train Adventure to get home a day late, I can't imagine not having him around every day.

We saw a lot on the trip. We rented a car in York where we started our journey and drove around most of Scotland, excluding the very far north and the islands. We stayed in some charming and some not-so-charming bed and breakfasts. I could not get enough of the sheep and highland bulls and I am sure we were drawing a lot of stares as we did our best imitations of the baby sheep while walking around Glasgow. I wanted to pet the bulls but Mr. Kilt thought I might be taking my life into my hands. We had a tour of the Talisker Whisky factory and I loved the smell of the malt and the sharp sting of the whisky.

I could not resist photographing everything and in the end had over 700 pictures when I got home. The landscape, the buildings, the animals and the weather worked together to create a photographer's paradise.

I was sorry to leave on Sunday night but as we arrived at the airport for our flight home we saw that it was canceled. The ash cloud strikes again! It was quite an adventure getting home. We had a few options - wait for the airport to re-open, drive, take the train, take a ferry and any combination thereof. In the end, all we could really do was catch the last train from Edinburgh to London, spend a few hours at a questionable hotel outside the train station, ride the Eurostar to Paris at 5.30 in the morning and after a 4 hour wait in Paris (where we took full advantage of the sun and Parisian sidewalk cafes and croissants!) we caught two more trains to finally arrive in Munich 24 hours later. And I still like Mr. Kilt, even after all that.

It will be my turn in late August to share where I come from with Mr. Kilt and I hope I can show him half as good a time as he showed me!



Posted from Munich

Public Holidays and Vacation

I know. I have gotten so spoiled.

When May is approaching, I start daydreaming about long hikes, weekend getaways, barbeques on the Isar, and days off...

In Germany, and especially in Bavaria, there are more public holidays than I had ever dreamed possible. And in May and June there are two or more long weekends, where the holiday is observed on a Thursday and it is almost assumed that you will take Friday and maybe even Monday off. The Friday is called a bridge day and most people take advantage of the nice weather and holiday to either enjoy the great outdoors in and around Munich or skip out of town for a few days.

This year it did not work out optimally.

There are 13 public holidays recognized in Bavaria, more than anywhere else in Germany. They are:

New Year - Jan 1
Epiphany - Jan 6
Good Friday - April/Varies*
Easter Monday - April/Varies*
1st of May - May 1
Ascension Day - May or June/Varies*
Whit Monday - May or June/Varies*
Corpus Christi - June/Varies*
Assumption Day - Aug 15
German Unification Day - Oct 3
All Saints Day - Nov 1
Christmas Day - Dec 25
Boxing Day - Dec 26

Those marked with a (*) are fixed on a weekday (Thursday, Friday or Monday). For the rest it's luck of the draw. If they fall on a Sunday, or worse a Saturday, for the normal Monday to Friday working folks it is just another weekend day. If it falls on Saturday all stores are closed, resulting in no shopping possible at all for the weekend as the stores are always closed on Sundays.

So, in 2009, as it worked out 10 of the holidays fell on weekdays. So 10 days off! However in 2010, we will only get 8 days off. Bugger. In 2011, it is back to happier days (off) and we will have 10 again.

Now, comparing to the US, the number of holidays is really dependent on your job and employer. Federal employees observe 10 (yes 10!) holidays and generally get a Friday or a Monday off if the holiday falls on a weekend. I guess federal employees are the Bavarians of the US.

Most businesses observe a total of 6 holidays (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Three are always fixed on a Monday and one always on a Thursday so the typical American can expect at least 4 days off each year. Businesses may or may not choose to grant a Friday or Monday off when the holiday falls on a weekend and may also give the Friday after Thanksgiving off. So best case, we are talking 7 days off for the year.

It's worse for those working in retail. For them, usually the only guaranteed holidays are Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when the stores are actually closed.

So, in America, the worst case is 2 days off and best case is up to 10.

Combine the public holidays with the average number of vacation days per country (US a measly 13 and Germany a generous 35) and it becomes a major quality of life point in favor of Germany. Even in my line of work, where we are under heavy pressure to achieve project deadlines, taking vacation time is treated as sacred and not to be challenged unless under the most extraordinary of circumstances.

In the US, my vacation time piled up each year because there was never an ok time to go. The spoken and unspoken pressure and implied consequences of actually chilling out for a few weeks meant that few manage more than a week or maybe two each year even when they have a more generous vacation package. You can understand then a little bit better the crazy American tourist, who feels compelled to visit 6 countries in 7 days. There is no time for loafing around, even on holiday.

When I first moved to Switzerland I found it shocking how much time we spent discussing and planning holidays into our project schedules and how forbidden it was to consider denying, delaying or cancelling vacations when project schedules and budgets were billowing out of control. Four years later, I am more than happy to have the time to recharge throughout the year. I come back with new ideas, more energy, a fresh perspective and more productive then I was when I was on the death march in the US. You can argue whether or not Europeans are more productive with their fewer hours in the office I suppose. I don't have any data to support either position. However, I personally have come to appreciate my work-life balance and still feel I manage to achieve my goals at work.

So, after a very intense period at work recently, I will be enjoying life European style for the next two weeks and recharging a bit. Tomorrow I fly to England to meet up with Mr. Kilt and we will tour parts of Scotland for a week. The week we return, I am headed for a long weekend (oh yes, including a bridge day) in Sicily. The camera is cleaned up and tuned and I am hoping to capture lots of nice photos of the trips and also just enjoying time with Mr. Kilt and relaxing!

Posted from Munich

The Easter Bunny

It is too quiet here.

This evening started the four day Easter holiday weekend in Munich. Many friends are out of town, taking advantage of the time off with a little getaway. Mr. Kilt left last night for Edinburgh for his brother's bachelor party weekend.

So here I am, relaxing at home with a cup of hot chocolate and the DVD player fired up to watch a couple episodes of Mad Men.

The weather has been a bit odd. It seemed we were surely into spring over the last couple of weeks but today as I sat in the backseat of a taxi on my way to meet a client this afternoon, snowflakes started slowly drifting downwards and then the pace quickly picked up. Soon it was snowing hard and I wondered if it was actually Christmas or Easter.

I had a late lunch with a colleague at a hole in the wall Italian restaurant. The colleauge is the account manager for the client we visited today and we decided to knock off work after the visit and spent a few hours chatting and discussing strategy, triviality and life. Only in Europe...

Once I got home I remembered the stores are closed all day Friday, Sunday and Monday so if I wanted any food for the weekend I had better hustle before the stores were closed tonight or face a fierce and angry mob in the stores on Saturday. The grocery store was the typical pre-holiday mob scene anyway. Remember, stores are smaller than most American homes and when all of Munich is trying to pack in and get what they need to survive for 4 days, it is only a matter of time before the store is decimated. One poor guy was trying to restock but was causing such a traffic jam in the tiny aisles that he was nearly getting trampled and no one could get to the milk. I mean, we need to get milk! It's right up there with eggs and bread for all pre-crisis shopping mobs' must haves. Carts, people and squashed produce littered the floors and I was run over at least twice. At one point a girl asked me in English if I could help her get a basket and I gave her a blank German stare because I was not expecting to hear English. Oh man, I am becoming one of them! I am always too ambitious and load up the cart with way too much only to realize I need to lug it all home, even if home is only a few blocks away. Nevermind that we only have dorm sized fridges with a freezer that can only hold one small pizza box. I knew as I was walking home it would be my last time out of the house tonight.

Chilled and tired, I built a fire, put on some nice music and giggled at the artifacts Mr. Kilt has left all over the place. Seriously, that man has spoiled me rotten. A half dozen red roses were still blooming on my table from an airport pickup last Friday. Post-it notes appear in random places that I only find sometimes days after he has hidden them but they are always guaranteed to put a smile on my face. An Easter basket of bath and spa goodies, chocolate, and a few goofy How I Met Your Mother (our Sunday evening ritual) gifts sat in the living room. And for Saturday, he booked me a massage at my favorite spa in town. Spoiled. Rotten. And never letting him go.

I hold my own and love thinking up ways to surprise him back.

All of that is nice, but I miss just having him here to talk to and hang out with. Life is brighter when he's around.

Some exciting news - we are heading to Scotland the first week of May. Vacation was approved this week and the flights are booked. I'm not too sure what exactly we are doing other than attending one of his friend's wedding in Edinburgh, visiting the Isle of Skye and St. Andrews, tasting some whisky and visiting a castle or two. I guess that is already enough!

So onto my lazy, quiet weekend. Cheers!

Posted from Munich

Snake

I mentioned earlier that I was planning a girls' weekend sometime early this year. We had decided shortly before Christmas to go to Rome in late February as it was one of the few places that met all of the long list of complicated criteria from my dear friends. However, in the end, we decided that we would hold off on Rome in February and plan something later when the weather is warmer.

For a variety of reasons, I feel like I am always fighting to be home in Munich with limited success. Perhaps it is just a temporary frustration, the result of a rocky few weeks where I am being flung far and wide with no immediate end in sight. Or maybe the seemingly endless travel for work that drags me away time and again from home. And the growing concern that if I wanted to stop all of this, I would really struggle to survive with a different career in Munich. Not to mention, the ever present reminders of my passion to explore new places and a sense that that might never go away and continue to carry me away. I wonder how much longer I will fight against the tide to be here?

These feelings reminded me that one thing I wanted to do while living in such a central location in Europe, was to visit at least once all the countries where my ancestors emigrated from. I had an amazing first visit to Poland last year. I have also been to Italy a few times already but I have long wanted to make a trip to Sicily where my paternal grandmother's family came from. So, I am very much excited to have booked a long weekend in May to explore a little bit of Sicily! So far it is just me and my camera going (that's enough in my book!) but there is a good possibility another friend of mine from the States, also of Sicilian decent, will be able to work the trip in around a business trip to London.

Inspired by the island...

Snake

A snake came to my water-trough
On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob-tree
I came down the steps with my pitcher
And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before
me.

He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over the edge of
the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,
i o And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight mouth,
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body,
Silently.

Someone was before me at my water-trough,
And I, like a second comer, waiting.

He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do,
And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,
And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment,
And stooped and drank a little more,
Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth
On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking.
The voice of my education said to me
He must be killed,
For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous.

And voices in me said, If you were a man
You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.

But must I confess how I liked him,
How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough
And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless,
Into the burning bowels of this earth?

Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him? Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him? Was it humility, to feel so honoured?
I felt so honoured.

And yet those voices:
If you were not afraid, you would kill him!

And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid, But even so, honoured still more
That he should seek my hospitality
From out the dark door of the secret earth.

He drank enough
And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,
And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,
Seeming to lick his lips,
And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,
And slowly turned his head,
And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice adream,
Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round
And climb again the broken bank of my wall-face.

And as he put his head into that dreadful hole,
And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered farther,
A sort of horror, a sort of protest against his withdrawing into that horrid black hole,
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing himself after,
Overcame me now his back was turned.

I looked round, I put down my pitcher,
I picked up a clumsy log
And threw it at the water-trough with a clatter.

I think it did not hit him,
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in undignified haste.
Writhed like lightning, and was gone
Into the black hole, the earth-lipped fissure in the wall-front,
At which, in the intense still noon, I stared with fascination.

And immediately I regretted it.
I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.

And I thought of the albatross
And I wished he would come back, my snake.

For he seemed to me again like a king,
Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld,
Now due to be crowned again.

And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords
Of life.
And I have something to expiate:
A pettiness.

D.H. Lawrence
Taormina, 1923

2010

My month off is drawing to a close and oh what a ride it has been!

In early December I arrived back in Munich from Mexico full of big plans and very much looking forward to a break filled with friends, family, a new boyfriend and fun. The first week I spent as much time as possible with my Munich friends and working on my much neglected apartment. I celebrated another birthday and as far as those things go when you reach a certain age it was a nice one. I celebrated the night before with some of my friends to toast in the day and the next evening with my boyfriend over a nice dinner and bottle of wine.

The second week saw the arrival of my sister and her boyfriend. I had tears in my eyes when they arrived at the airport. Three years since they had been here and I was so excited to see them in town and show them around during the Christmas season. The weather took a turn for the cold, then colder but we also had a full week of beautiful snow. We went hiking, sledding, skiing in Austria, tested out glühwein and feuerzangenbowle, visited the famous Hofbrauhaus and less famous bars, ate Bavarian food, shopped for yarn, ornaments and my very first Christmas tree and generally a good time was had by all. All too fast it was over and we were flying out on the 19th back to the US.

I spent one week in Connecticut with my family and also trying to keep up with the Facebook phenomenon - seeing old friends who I have become reacquainted with due to Facebook. Perhaps I will write up a bit of those experiences at a later date.

I cooked Christmas Eve (bleu-cheese crusted filet mignon, apple and gorgonzola salad and scalloped potatoes) and Christmas day (appetizers, turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry sauces, green beans, caramel apple pie) dinners. Poor Dad volunteered to do all the food shopping with me not realizing how slow and painful I am with that stuff. Mom and I did our traditional spa/girl-bonding day. I visited all my grandparents and my aunt. I even found some time to photograph and play with all the cats my friends and family own. By all accounts a good visit, although it is always a bit sad to leave again.

I arrived back in Munich this past Sunday very much looking forward to the New Year build up and party. For a few months now my friend C. from Norway had planned to come spend a few days in Munich. Two other friends, married to each other, were also planning on visiting for a couple of days although a personal situation and some travel problems kept them from joining. As hectic as everything had been with visits and travel, I hadn't seen or heard too much from the new boyfriend and was looking forward to some time with him too. We had planned to join all the friends up and spend New Year's together at one of the big brauhaus's in town and I anticipated a very fun time for the gang.

However, on returning I got that kind of 'something is off' feeling from Mr. New BF. He was acting very aloof and despite not having seen much of each the last couple of weeks, he didn't seem to be too anxious to see me when I returned. I chalked it up to the fact that he had his own visitors in town and was running them around sightseeing, snowboarding and the usual drill. My friend C. arrived and we got busy with our own plans. She had never been to Munich although we have been friends for a few years now. Despite the cold rainy weather, I wanted to at least show her some of the beauty and charm of Munich.

I have to say that New Year's is my least favorite holiday as a general rule. It makes people a bit too crazy in my opinion. Everyone tries to take stock of their lives, assess the year past, make goals for the future year and the Life Happiness Barometer is out. There is a lot of anxiety around the plans for the actual night with the exception of the few who just choose not to deal with it at all. And I have seen way too many NYE plans falling short or over the top, in the end leading to disappointment, arguments, and much money spent on a letdown.

Being the overthinker that I am, I did my personal 2009 assessment and found that while there were some highlights, it wasn't really my best year. I spent a lot of it coping. Coping with the aftermath of my breakup with M., coping with a somewhat disappointing year in my career, coping with short term apartments, frequent moves, lots of long distance travel, and coping with a general sense that my life had become kind of aimless and lonely. Yes, I wasn't too unhappy to see 2009 in the rearview mirror.

I realized there were some good things about 2009 too though. First and foremost, the decision to come back to Munich, get a home base and start putting down some roots was the best part. Seeing those seeds I planted start to grow as I learn more about the city, make more friends and feel like there is some anchor in my life has been worth the fight.

As New Year's Eve day started I made peace with my mixed feelings on 2009 and looked forward to the evening ahead and the start of 2010. Then the other shoe dropped. Mr. New Boyfriend decided to call it quits on us. There are not too many words to express how I felt yesterday when the rug was pulled out from under me. Even though I sensed something was not right, I thought once we got past the holidays we could reconnect and see how things would go. However, with things just getting started, there wasn't enough of a foundation to see us through the last weeks, at least on his side.

So I did what I do when these things happen. I went for a long run. I didn't spend too much time trying to find an explanation or criticizing him or myself. There was too much of that already this past year. I just wanted to clear my head, accept it and start the process of moving on.

I was a bit in the lurch too about what to do for NYE. With my friend in town, I still wanted to have a fun night, as much as possible but it is not easy in Munich to just drum something up a few hours ahead of time. There is much to be said about serendipity though. After a couple of hours getting dolled up with my hairdresser, who did our hair, makeup and generally pumped up our mood with his flirtation, flattery and funny outlook on life, we soon found ourselves having dinner with a bunch of Scots at one of my friend's houses. Haggis anyone? And can you not help but feel a little better listening to a bunch of Scottish accents and wit? From there we headed off to P1, where we had managed to get on the guest list for their masquerade ball. I still had never been to the famous P1 and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. We donned our masks and headed into what has to be one of the coolest clubs I have ever been to. We stayed there for champagne toasts, then watched their amazing fireworks display outside. An hour later we headed through the streets of Baghdad, err I mean post-midnight Munich, to my favorite bar for a bit more dancing and to catch up with more friends. It was, all things considered, a good night and no tears shed, thank you.

So today the girls are coming over to enjoy a delicious smoked salmon my friend C. brought from Norway, served traditional Norwegian style. I will go for another run. And so the New Year starts....

Happy New Year everyone!! Much love, health, happiness and positivity for 2010!

Posted from my home in Munich

Christmas Greetings from Connecticut

My first ever German Christmas tree (and for that matter my first ever Christmas tree). Thanks to my sis and her boyfriend for a great visit to Germany and helping me with this project! To my parents' horror, we lit it with real candles. Absolutely beautiful though!



I hope you all have a beautiful and memorable Christmas day spent just as you would wish!

Posted from East Hampton, CT

Name the Place

If this rings any bells, please let me know where it is...

Warmish in January/February
Easy weekend trip from Munich (by air)
Photogenic city or scenery
Walkable upon arrival (i.e. no rental car needed)
Good wine aplenty
Suitable night life for 30-something year old single women
Tall, dark and handsome men*

*Nice to have

Yes, I volunteered to plan a girls weekend getaway and am looking for ideas!

First thoughts were Spain - Malaga, Alicante, Valencia or something like that. Italy or Portugal may be nice too but open to exploring any suggestions on or off the beaten path.

Posted from Cuernavaca

Looking Forward

I am back in Mexico once again.

This time it's a shorter trip. I arrived Monday night and will leave on Thursday December 3.

Unfortunately it has gotten a bit more unpleasant this time as the stress levels of many are increasing and the tempers are flaring. Frequent outbursts and shouting matches are becoming more common.

So, as I do during these times to keep my own cool, I take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Context and perspective are everything or you become one of the madmen yourself.

Fortunately for me I am looking ahead to a nice long holiday period to cap off the completion of another project. From December 4 to January 4 I am hanging the 'Gone Fishin' sign on my door, turning off the mobile and the laptop (for work related purposes) and taking a time out.

As much as I like my job, it's been a stressful year and with more and more frequency I have been getting ill and finding it harder to shake it off and recover. That means it's time to decompress from the hyperintensive demands of my job.

So what am I doing with this time off? Quite simply, spending it with friends and family. No exotic trips. No adventures. Just time with loved ones.

*Champagne Brunch and Secret Santa with my SATC Girls*
*Christmas Market Carousing with my Sis and her BF in Munich*
*Roly Poly Fat Cat Randy Reunion*
*Spa Silliness with Mom*
*Christmas in Connecticut*
*A Very Bavarian New Year's Eve*
*A Little German Style Birthday Gathering*
*And...Some Time with My Boyfriend*

Yeah, that's right. I said boyfriend.

Posted from Cuernavaca

Here, There and Everywhere

I was supposed to be back in Germany last Monday morning but fate had other plans for me. My initial two weeks in the US went as planned - I worked in NJ during the week and visited friends and colleagues in Philly over the weekends. It was great to see a good friend from college, her husband and their 1 year old boy, another friend of mine who was celebrating his 35th birthday, and still another good friend from Spain who had moved to the US last fall.

On the Thursday before I was scheduled to fly home, my project came to a halt and I, along with others, was asked to take a week holiday. With no certainty as to if and when the project would resume, I decided to stay a bit longer on this side of the world so I could visit my parents this weekend. But what to do with the week when my parents were working?

I have so many miles and points that I rarely get to use so I decided to check out what options I had in the Caribbean for a last minute trip. My only requirement was that it be somewhere I felt safe enough going along, that miles would pay for the flights and that the flight schedule would get me to CT by Friday afternoon.

Turks and Caicos fit the bill - lucky for me! Usually me Caribbean time is spent in Mexico so this was really my first trip to one of the islands and I can only highly recommend it!

The weather was gorgeous, Grace Bay Beach perfection, the people friendly and the food tasty (especially the conch fritters at Da Conch Shack). I would say TCI are more for a relaxing retreat or family vacation than a big party spot. There are tons of things to do if you are so inclined, from spas, to diving, snorkeling, sailing, kite surfing, horseback riding and parasailing. I loved watching the kite surfers go ripping past up and down the bay. TCI feel off the beaten path but there is quite a bit of development going on; hopefully they won't overdo it.

I arrived in Connecticut late Thursday night and spent Friday tacking a nasty to-do list (including taxes, apartment searching, bill paying and all those kind of fun things). Friday night I made Mom and Dad a knock-off of a meal I had in the Caribbean - red beet and goat cheese salad, sea bass over caramelized balsamic onions, chorizo and roasted tomatoes and molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! I can't wait to have my own kitchen again.

Today I went horseback riding with Mom (my legs are crying now) and then it was her turn to make dinner. All that is left now is breakfast at Diane's, the hole in the wall cafe where we always have my farewell breakfast when I return to Germany. They have the best giant pancakes and creative omelettes around. I head to Newark for a 6 PM flight back to Düsseldorf and work on Monday (as far as I can tell).

All in all it's been a nice, if strange and unexpected, 3 weeks in North America. Something tells me that the surprises are not over yet in this roller coaster of a year.

Posted from East Hampton, CT

Detour

Posted from A Lost Island in the Caribbean

Cookies Underway

It was quite a slow start yesterday but Cookiepalooza 2008 is underway. The big delay came when I decided to make some soup (Ukrainien Borscht - my favorite) and at the same time could not find my mixer for several hours. I have a full kitchen packed away in my parent's basement from when I moved to Europe. I look forward every year to digging out the mixer, the pizelle iron, and the cookie press to make my Christmas cookies. However after several attemps of digging around in the boxes, my Kitchenaid was missing!

Once the cookie making was underway, things got better but there were a few mishaps. We won't mention the coconut macaroons (dad's favorite) other than to say something went wrong this year. He's a good sport and eating them anyway.

I have made so far the ill-fated macaroons, peanut butter kiss cookies, almond crescents (Polish Rogaliki) and sugar cookies. I may make a few more kinds in the next couple of days depending on my mood. I've been kind of tired and trying to rest up for the coming months that are sure to be hectic.





In addition to cookie making, I treated Mom and myself to a spa day in Essex. What else can I say about that? Great!!

The snow finally stopped yesterday and the sun was out today. However, in true New England fashion, when it is not snowing it is freaking! cold! out! We stopped by the stables to meet with my mom's trainer. I am supposed to hack a couple of the trainer's horses while she visits her parents in Florida. We'll see if I can hack (no pun intended) the cold!



My sister is coming home tomorrow (yay) and we'll see what kind of additional trouble we can get into. All in all I am enjoying the time in Connecticut and the break from normal life.



Posted from Connecticut

Connecticut

After a hasty and disorganized exit from Europe on Sunday, I survived the week in Pittsburgh and am getting more comfortable with the new project. It will definitely keep me busy and may even be interesting!

I flew last night from Pittsburgh to Connecticut, albeit 2 hours delayed (thank you USAIR!) and spent today working and playing with my camera and new zoom lens. I am happy to have gotten here just in time for 8 inches of snow...beautiful!

Hopefully I will not be too lazy and do a little more writing than I have been lately.



Posted from Connecticut

Pulau Bintan, Indonesia

45 minutes ferry from Singapore, a perfect escape for a quiet couple of days at the beach...last night coincided with a full moon and more fun photography experimentaion.








Posted from Singapore

Fruit Cocktail

I have been having writer's block. One post I have been trying to write for awhile is being reworked and rehashed and I can never get it right. Soon it is going in the garbage (french pronunciation of gar-bahhhge). I think it is because the post is pointless. A commmon blogging malady of mine.

Speaking of blogging maladies, I have been giving some thought to blogging etiquette. For example, is it necessary or polite to ask permission before posting a link to someone else's blog on your blog? I just put them on there - if I read the blog regularly, there is a link. I am notoriously lazy about acknowledging comments. I like getting them and I like leaving them on other blogs, although I seldom do. Mostly I just read. I admire bloggers who respond to each comment. Maybe I can be better about this.

I joined Facebook a few weeks ago. Now that is blogging on crack. Some of my colleagues twisted my arm and I signed up. All of a sudden people start coming out of the woodwork. Newsflashes of what everyone is reading, memes and quiz results, photos of everyone's day to day adventures, superpokes and birthday reminders of some guy you talked to twice in your life are rolling in every day....Sheesh! But...somehow...it is strangely fun. What will they think of next?



Last week I experienced a German hospital stay for the first time. I have otosclerosis, a genetic condition that affects my hearing. It is usually treatable with surgery and so I opted to go for it on one ear for now. As it turns out the clinic that invented the surgery is in Tübingen so I checked in last Monday morning and stayed to Thursday morning for the surgery and recovery. So far so good but it will be a few months before we know exactly how successful it was. In related news, the highlight of last week was washing my hair after 5 days. Gross!



I stay home in Munich this week. 1 more week of downtime before going back to work. Next week will be my last planned week in Basel with the exception of moving out in September. It's off to Singapore again for a month and then vacation.

M. is joining at the end and we have decided to take our holiday in the Philippines (the random photos throughout this post). Details are being worked through but we are hoping to split the time between trekking/hiking, beach bumming and getting our PADI open water certification finally. The weather will be iffy, as in most of Southeast Asia at that time of year but I'm hoping for more nice days than bad.



Posted from Munich

Happy Birthday America!

Wishing all a Happy 4th of July, perfect burgers and cherry pie! What I wouldn't give for some hot dogs on the grill, baked beans, silver queen corn and a few slices of watermelon!

Posted from Munich

St. Remy de Provence

Just some final pictures of our holiday - then it is on to stories from Singapore...

Doorway

Poppies from Provence, May 2008

Another vacation is over and it's hard to summarize the trip in a post. We had a good time, good company, we hit a few bumps in the road, we ate too much, we saw even more and it all went by too fast. That is, for sure, the abridged version of the vacation.

M. and I alone took over 500 photos and need to give new consideration to disk storage space at this rate. In January I bought a new camera. I haven't posted about it so far because all I have managed with it is to show how much I don't know about photography. I thought since I could make my Canon Elph do whatever I wanted, all I needed was a great camera to make some professional looking photos. Not true.

The camera I got is the discontinued Canon EOS 30D, with a startup 17-85mm lens. I will post a few shots from vacation and maybe a few stories depending on how busy things get before heading to Singapore this weekend.


Entrance to St.Remy-de-Provence Rental House, May 2008

Posted from Basel