About three years ago, sitting in our first apartment together in St. Pete, I ran by Scott the crazy notion of spending three weeks abroad over the upcoming holiday season. I was anticipating a decent break from grad school and we could've scraped the money together for three weeks in perhaps Istanbul, Turkey, or even a hiking trip to Machu Picchu in Peru. That spring, we took jobs running a Farmer's Market booth on Saturdays for a local restaurant owner to fill our travel fund and eventually set our sights on Istanbul. By September, we'd collected hiking packs and travel guides, and we'd begun shopping for plane tickets.
However, in the meantime, Scott had started Orthotics & Prosthetics school and came home one night with the question that would change everything for us, "What if we moved to Germany after graduation?" He had become fascinated with German technology in the O&P industry and had found a company who might sponsor a one-year apprenticeship in Munich. It was pretty much a no-brainer for me. If ever we were going to try our hands at the whole 'sell everything you own and move to a foreign country' thing, here was the perfect opportunity. We put our Istanbul plans on the backburner (a bittersweet decision for me) and spent the next two years talking, planning, and saving for a move overseas that a lot of people (and sometimes even we) weren't sure would happen.
Here we are, though, nearly three months into life in Munich. Earlier this week, we began brainstorming a trip to take in celebration of our early November birthdays and our wedding (honeymooning one weekend trip at a time). We kicked around the idea of a weekend in Barcelona or a flight to Malaga, Spain, and then a ferry across the Straits of Gibralter into Morocco. But there sat the Lonely Planet: Turkey guide on our bookshelf. This time, "What if we went to Istanbul?" was followed immediately by the purchase of two roundtrip plane tickets. We'll spend 6 days/5 nights in Istanbul with perhaps a day trip up to the Black Sea or Troy. It only seems fitting that this is our first big trip and so Scott and I will celebrate our marriage and ring in our 36th and 26th birthdays with one foot in Asia and one foot in Europe. Now or never, right??
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The thing about German grocery stores...
...the thing is, I have a love-hate relationship with them. In some ways, I find their simplicity refreshing and in other ways it's just down right maddening! Here are some random musings regarding the German grocery shopping experience:
- After almost 3 months of grocery shopping in Munchen, I have yet to detect a rhyme or reason to the placement of items within the grocery stores. In the market closest to us, there are spices stored in three random locations throughout the store, pasta can be found on three different aisles, and olive oil on two. Also, milk is displayed in two separate coolers on opposite ends of the store.
- Bagging your groceries at the speed of light is essential if you wish to avoid the death-stare of the cashier at check-out. I have no problem with bagging my own groceries, but the cashiers are lightening fast and inevitably I am wrangling something into a bag when the next customer's items begin piling up on mine. You would think I'd just committed a crime against humanity the way people stare at you after such an offense.
- If the items on your shopping list don't fall into one of four categories, there's every chance you won't be able to purchase it. All moderately sized grocery shops will have the usual suspects: a bakery, a butcher, 1/4 of the floor space devoted to cheese, and hell of a beer selection. All other bets are off. Credit to the Germans, though, because they know how to eat!
- The produce selections in the stores we frequent are fantastic, fresh, cheap (government subsidized), and simply displayed. It struck me yesterday, as I added a 5-lb bag of carrots to my grocery basket, that in a typical American grocery store, a person can purchase carrots pre-cut into a half dozen different shapes and sizes. Pre-chopped and plastic-packaged celery, broccoli, and beans are also the norm in the U.S. but these options are non-existent in Germany. I'm a big fan of their no fuss, no frills, minimal waste attitude in general.
- As mentioned before, the government subsidies make healthy food choices the most affordable. This is one of my favorite things about life here. Fresh produce makes up about 80% of our diet and we spent a fortune on groceries in the U.S. Our grocery bill here rarely exceeds the equivalent of $40 (US dollars) per week.
That's all I've got for now but keep an eye out for updates!
- After almost 3 months of grocery shopping in Munchen, I have yet to detect a rhyme or reason to the placement of items within the grocery stores. In the market closest to us, there are spices stored in three random locations throughout the store, pasta can be found on three different aisles, and olive oil on two. Also, milk is displayed in two separate coolers on opposite ends of the store.
- Bagging your groceries at the speed of light is essential if you wish to avoid the death-stare of the cashier at check-out. I have no problem with bagging my own groceries, but the cashiers are lightening fast and inevitably I am wrangling something into a bag when the next customer's items begin piling up on mine. You would think I'd just committed a crime against humanity the way people stare at you after such an offense.
- If the items on your shopping list don't fall into one of four categories, there's every chance you won't be able to purchase it. All moderately sized grocery shops will have the usual suspects: a bakery, a butcher, 1/4 of the floor space devoted to cheese, and hell of a beer selection. All other bets are off. Credit to the Germans, though, because they know how to eat!
- The produce selections in the stores we frequent are fantastic, fresh, cheap (government subsidized), and simply displayed. It struck me yesterday, as I added a 5-lb bag of carrots to my grocery basket, that in a typical American grocery store, a person can purchase carrots pre-cut into a half dozen different shapes and sizes. Pre-chopped and plastic-packaged celery, broccoli, and beans are also the norm in the U.S. but these options are non-existent in Germany. I'm a big fan of their no fuss, no frills, minimal waste attitude in general.
- As mentioned before, the government subsidies make healthy food choices the most affordable. This is one of my favorite things about life here. Fresh produce makes up about 80% of our diet and we spent a fortune on groceries in the U.S. Our grocery bill here rarely exceeds the equivalent of $40 (US dollars) per week.
That's all I've got for now but keep an eye out for updates!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The "Professor" and his little brother
Since arriving in Munich, I've been searching for an opportunity to work in a geoscience lab. As of yesterday, there have been some promising developments in that endeavor. However, in the meantime, I've been spending a couple afternoons of each week babysitting and providing English language practice for a German family with two young boys, ages 3 and 6 years. The family moved back to Munich from their previous residence in Zurich, Switzerland, where Viktor attended English-language kindergarten. Viktor, who I've secretly nicknamed "The Professor" is without a doubt a nuclear physicist in the making. At six years, he has the vocabulary of an Oxford graduate student and is famous for asking, "Leslie, shall I explain to you how --insert complicated subject matter-- works?" One day, while his sweet little brother Jona (pronounced Yonah) was running around the playground, Viktor spent 20 minutes describing the life-cycle of a ladybug. This included a detailed description of the pupa and larvae stages, which I assure you were terms I wasn't exposed to until fifth grade. He has also taken to my interest in geology, and we've spent hours sieving through the sand at the playground. He can now identify a half dozen varieties of quartz, granite, and marble. I've also received primers on the importance of recycling, keeping my dog on a leash, and being very careful if ever I decide to try snow skiing. By far, my most favorite thing about Viktor is that each day when I leave, he shakes my hand as if this were a business relationship. It's all I can do to keep a straight face! For those of you who watch the American TV show "The Big Bang Theory", Viktor is a tiny carbon-copy of Sheldon. The bottom line is, I'm not sure who is getting more of an education in this arrangement. Most days, I leave feeling as if I made 40 Euro and bumped my IQ up a couple more notches by just breathing the same air as this kid.
Two months into Munich
It's been quite awhile since my last blog because well, frankly, we've been having too much fun to slow down & reflect on it all. Today I am home, finished with my grocery shopping (which requires a two mile bike ride) and have washed & hung laundry out to dry. I must say that prior to moving to Munich everyone had an opinion about what we'd love and what we'd hate. And believe me, Scott and I had our own opinions, as well. I'm amazed, though, after two months in residence to report that the things which I thought would drive me nuts have in reality delighted me. I have really embraced public transportation and haven't for a second missed the wretched Tampa Bay traffic I used to fight every day. There is nothing better than settling into a good book and my iPod on the bus or train instead of racing down the interstate and spending a fortune on gas. I've also come to enjoy grocery shopping several times a week, which is a requirement when everything I bring home must either be carried by hand or in the baskets of my bicycle.
Don't be fooled into thinking, though, that we don't have our pet peeves with our new city. I've spent the last seven years in St. Petersburg, FL, where you could get anything you wanted from iced coffee to a tube of toothpaste anytime of the day or night. This is definitely NOT the case in Munich. These people roll the sidewalks up at 8pm on weekdays. Many places close at 2pm on Saturdays and you are just plain out of luck if you need to buy something on a Sunday. We learned this lesson the hard way during our first week in the new apartment. On the first Saturday night spent in the new place, the lightbulb went out in our bathroom. We hadn't yet stocked up on such items and, because shops don't open on Sundays, we showered and brushed teeth by flashlight until the following Monday. Scott and I also tend to be night owls and love late night trips to coffeeshops. I spent 3/4 of my college career in a coffeeshop, studying or pretending to study. Cafes here in Munich definitely aren't open past 8pm and aren't too keen on people staying for longer than it takes to drink said cup of coffee. Nonetheless, we're adjusting and loving this new life despite the changes it brings.
***Before I end, I'd like to post a disclaimer regarding my above comments. The weather in Munich is currently quite nice. Our high temperatures are typically in the 60's and dip into the 40's at night. However, three months from now, it's quite possible that I may retract every statement regarding my love of walking to the grocery store and waiting on train platforms. Be reminded that I was raised in Tennessee, where 2 inches of snow is a huge ordeal. We're told to expect several feet of snow to last a better part of the winter. I think it's safe to say that the miserable cold may later be added to that list of "dislikes".
Don't be fooled into thinking, though, that we don't have our pet peeves with our new city. I've spent the last seven years in St. Petersburg, FL, where you could get anything you wanted from iced coffee to a tube of toothpaste anytime of the day or night. This is definitely NOT the case in Munich. These people roll the sidewalks up at 8pm on weekdays. Many places close at 2pm on Saturdays and you are just plain out of luck if you need to buy something on a Sunday. We learned this lesson the hard way during our first week in the new apartment. On the first Saturday night spent in the new place, the lightbulb went out in our bathroom. We hadn't yet stocked up on such items and, because shops don't open on Sundays, we showered and brushed teeth by flashlight until the following Monday. Scott and I also tend to be night owls and love late night trips to coffeeshops. I spent 3/4 of my college career in a coffeeshop, studying or pretending to study. Cafes here in Munich definitely aren't open past 8pm and aren't too keen on people staying for longer than it takes to drink said cup of coffee. Nonetheless, we're adjusting and loving this new life despite the changes it brings.
***Before I end, I'd like to post a disclaimer regarding my above comments. The weather in Munich is currently quite nice. Our high temperatures are typically in the 60's and dip into the 40's at night. However, three months from now, it's quite possible that I may retract every statement regarding my love of walking to the grocery store and waiting on train platforms. Be reminded that I was raised in Tennessee, where 2 inches of snow is a huge ordeal. We're told to expect several feet of snow to last a better part of the winter. I think it's safe to say that the miserable cold may later be added to that list of "dislikes".
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