Christmas in Germany

Germany, as a whole, gets really into Christmas.  "Weinachtsmarkts" or "Christkindl" markets are in nearly every city, in varying sizes.  Even little Kornwestheim, which is a branch of Ludwigsburg, which is 15 minutes away from Stuttgart and it's massive Christmas market, puts together their own tiny version for a weekend.  Even the Grinch himself would have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit in this country.  You would have to work very hard to stay grumpy at this time of year.

Especially considering the fact that the "Gluhwein", which is essentially a warm spiced wine (I guess we would call it mead?) is served about every ten paces, regardless of the size of the Christmas market.  It's good (the apple version is my favorite), but it also packs a punch (which, if you're like me, you may not realize until it's too late...).  They also serve something that could maybe go in the same family as eggnog, but it's pretty gross.  Egg liquor is not a thing that should exist.  However, it's almost pure alcohol, so if a fast drunk is what you're looking for, or if you have an exceptional tolerance, that may be just the thing to order.

Anyway, the best part of all the booths at these Christmas markets is to look up at the roofs.  They're decorated so extravagantly, and most of them are extremely creative.  It's quite clear that a lot of the vendors spend a great deal of time thinking through their decorations during the year (or maybe they just reuse the same ideas over and over again...I have no context for comparison).  They are mostly selling knick-knack type items, winter gear, food, and alcohol.  I haven't bought anything other than Gluhwein, but everything smells amazing so I would assume the food is also decent.  I'm sure I'll find out eventually about that element, but probably won't buy anything that can't immediately be ingested.  I'm not one for scarves or ornaments, and I would question my ability to pack or ship anything home from here in such a manner that it would arrive in one piece.

Speaking of home, I am actually ecstatic about the fact that I will be going home for the holidays.  My grandfather was meant to visit, and then we were going to travel through Italy, and while I am disappointed that that has had to be postponed for health reasons, it is actually a huge relief to be headed home for a bit.  I really thought I could handle being away for Christmas...I've never had issues with homesickness in the past, but there's just something about being gone for this time of year that was really, really bumming me out.  My family is pretty close, and we've always made Christmas special, and I think missing out on that for the first time in 23 years is just something I am not ready for yet.  It also would have been pretty lonely once all my friends left for their homes.  And I'm sure Nicole and the kids would have been really nice and mostly willing to include me, but I wouldn't have wanted to intrude on their Christmas.  It will be so good to see my family and friends and dogs and cats and just be back in the states for a bit.  I do like a lot of elements to life in Germany, but it still hasn't succeeded in passing by New Zealand or home.

Although, as far as Christmas at home goes, I could be playing off nostalgia a bit.  My parents, siblings and I may want to kill each other after thirty-six hours together.  Though in this case, I severely doubt it.  We weren't expecting to all be together again for another seven to nine months, so this two weeks is an unexpected gift, and I think we will take full advantage of it.  Plus, it means I'll get to visit the lovely Chicago Christkindl market and compare it to a real German one.  I'll try to be unbiased, but that's unlikely.  So I'll take photos and then you can compare them yourselves.

So, here follows a few photos from the various Christmas markets.  I'll probably keep adding onto them...I've been forgetting to take pictures a lot lately, and as a result, my photography skills are not quite as good as they once were.

One of the Christmas trees for the Stuttgart market

The Nutcracker in Stuttgart.  I'll let the photo speak for itself.

The Ludwigsburg market.  It's the favorite of my family.  But as an American, I must admit to being impressed by the sheer size and gaudiness of the Stuttgart one.

Ludwigsburg does have its own charm though...

My "Host" Family

Hey!  Sorry for the huge gap between posts; I haven't had a ton of free time, with Oktoberfest and then Paris on back to back weekends (and then in-between some scarlet fever and doctor's visits to keep things interesting...).  I actually have a lot to say and report on, but my tendency to write out everything by hand before posting kind of slows down the process.  So first will be just this general post, then another rather general one, then Oktoberfest, and lastly, Paris.  Like I said, everything except for Paris was written at least a week ago; I just haven't yet taken the time to update here.  But, here we are:

I truly despise the term "host" family; it makes me feel like a parasite, and it feels too formal for a situation in which you're supposed to become a part of the family.  Anyway, everyone keeps asking for more details on what the family is like, and rather than say the same many times, I'm just going to address it here.  Now, keep in mind that I've only known them for two full weeks, so this description is just past a first impression, relatively speaking.

The mom, Nicole, is one of the kindest human beings who I have ever had the privilege of meeting.  She's extremely open, dedicated to her kids, and always willing to help me in anyway with the transition from the states to Germany and her family.  I really feel included as a member of the family rather than just a nanny/chauffeur.  She's also really very tolerant about things that I am admittedly terrible at (AKA...not getting lost and ironing).  Nicole is also one of the hardest-working people I have ever met; she works for two companies, and has her own business AND is working on starting another.  If I ever feel over-scheduled again in my life, I just need to remember what her planner looks like and I will stop feeling sorry for myself.

The oldest child, Caro, is fifteen.  She is the one who I was initially most worried about bonding with.  I assumed that, since she is older, and this family has had a lot of au pairs, that she would be sick of having a full-time babysitter, or rebellious or just not keen on me being there in general.  So naturally, me being me, I basically asked her that straight away, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was completely wrong.  Caro said she sees how much easier having another adult makes life for Nicole, and also says that it's good for Maja.  Also, she apparently likes practicing her English, and since I like to talk, it's not a problem for me either.  Caro is also super open, and funny, and our mutual love of animals (and boys...) creates a solid foundation and a lot of talking points.

Tim, the middle child and only boy, is thirteen.  I know him the least, as he is the quietest of the bunch (at least around me), but I have absolutely nothing bad to say about him.  He is a very sweet boy, a good older brother to Maja, and not difficult in the slightest.  I'm still working on connecting more with him (without crossing over into being TOO obnoxious and terrifying him) and as the weeks go on I feel better about it.  He tolerates my awkward attempts at conversation, and my interrogation on life as a German teenager (does everyone wear their hair like that?  That jacked is weird, right?).  He also loves Skyfall and James Bond, so we at least have that going for us, and he promised to watch Lord of the Rings with me at some point.  Obviously, there will be no major issues.

And then there's Maja, the baby of the family.  She just turned eight, and is hilarious.  I already adore her, but that's nothing unusual; I'm fairly certain it's impossible to NOT fall in love with this child.  Aside from driving, spending time with her is the biggest part of my day.  Which still really isn't even that much; Maja has a lot of friends and spends most of her time with them, either at this house or theirs.  I'm mostly us the the homework enforcer, and part-time Monopoly and Mamma Mia buddy.  From stories I've heard from family members, Maja is almost a carbon copy of how I was at her age; obsessed with animals, feisty, and just so much fun (not to toot my own horn or anything...).  She has me roped into some game where we alternate meowing and patting each other's head.  I'm pretty sure she made it up (her English always seems to disappear when I ask that...), and I'm not sure if I should be encouraging it but it keeps her occupied in between board games.

And, with me being me, this description of the family would not be complete without a mention of Lina, the resident canine.  She's a very cute, three-year-old Spaniel mix that they rescued from Spain.  She's great with the kids, obedient when it suits her, and a good walking buddy (it looks a lot less weird when I wander aimlessly around town with a dog rather than alone).  If anything, she's probably too cute because people always want to pet her and start asking me questions in German (I just smile and laugh and then start moving again).  LIna was actually a nice bonus for choosing this family; my heart is still a little broken to leave my beautiful Jazz behind (again! I am a terrible dog mother), so it's nice that there is still a dog here to ease me through withdrawal.

Anyway, as you can see, I've landed myself in quite a nice situation so far as the family is concerned.  I read about all the potential pitfalls before coming here, and I've heard about some firsthand since being here (one woman refuses to talk to her au pair...she just texts her what she wants her to do), and experienced none of those.  Part of that may be because I'm the 13th au pair for the family (Nicole gave me a handbook...), so everything runs like a well-oiled machine, but I also think it's also because they're a tight family, and having an au pair doesn't mean that Nicole has any less to do with the kids.  They respect me because they respect her and I think in a lot of other situations that I have heard of, where the kids either refuse to listen at all or blow off the au pair constantly, it's because the parents are absent and the au pair isn't really equipped to be the disciplinarian.  I would hate to be in one of those houses.  The transition was rough enough when my family was amazing so I can only imagine how it was for people who weren't being helped through it all.

And once again, I'm terrible with photos.  Will update this with pictures of everyone when I can!

Riding the Culture Shock Waves

As I'm looking back at the past two posts, it seems like I am all doom and gloom with a pessimistic attitude.  While I'd be lying if I said I was a bundle of sunshine all the time and didn't admit to some moments of homesickness, or days when I idealize everything about home, I am liking Germany so far.  All of that other emotional instability is just a part of the transition.

Culture shock is always a big part of pre-departure discussions when you study abroad, and for good reason.  It is a real thing, and very few are immune to its effects.  You have to be prepared for it to hit, and ready to work through it or you will very quickly become disillusioned with your current situation.

Since I have uprooted my life a time or two before, I know myself and how I react in these types of situations.  They always say that culture shock (AKA, mild depression characterized by rose-colored lenses toward anything and everything related to home) hits you about a month in.  I am unusual in that it hits me almost immediately, and usually resolves itself within the first 2-3 weeks.  Usually the best cure, at least in my experience is to stay as busy as possible, develop some sort of routine, and find friends.

The routine aspect is set.  During the week, my days are spoken for from 7 AM to 5 PM, with some free time in the late morning/afternoon.  Evenings and weekends are my own.

The harder part has been making friends.  I'm a fairly outgoing and friendly person when I need to be, but when 80% of your time is spent with a family and your knowledge of a county's language is absolutely minimal it's a bit difficult.  You have to get creative.

Not that I am letting this get me down.  It's character building for me to be content with just me, gives me time to write, and is allowing me to get to know this family more quickly.  I also will be starting a language class in November, which should open up my social circle quite a bit.

And in the meantime, I am lucky that another girl who I went to Valpo with is in a similar situation as an au pair in France.  So, this coming weekend, we are headed over to Munich for Oktoberfest, and then the weekend following we are meeting up in Paris for an event called Nuit Blanche.  And thus my European tour will officially begin!

I truly am enjoying Germany, despite the waves of homesickness.  Each day is a learning experience, and I'm learning patience (people tell me that's a virtue...still think it's overrated) as I deal with the frustration of being immersed in a new language daily.  Grocery shopping takes about three times as long as it should, and I get lost all the time.  But each day I do a little better than before, and that's all anyone can really ask for, right?  And I truly am learning the language more quickly than I would have thought was possible.  If you really want to learn a new language, immersion is the answer.

Kornwestheim is so stereotypically quaintly European that I love just wandering around.  There are enough cafés to occupy my coffee obsession and give me somewhere to go and hang out on weekend.  Still need to check out the gelato place, though..

Anyway, here are some photos that I took around town on Sunday.  Enjoy! Auf wiedersehen!

The streets of downtown Kornwestheim.  It is not fun to navigate a van through there.

My home for the next year! Quite nice, eh?

My current favorite cafe.  I'm going to write the next great American novel here.