((ARGH!! LJ ate my post, try again -.-))
I don't even remember how I had started this, but I can tell you that if it wasn't funny it was at least amusing. Argh >.>
Anyways...
First and foremost, here is the "epic" video as promised from my Tropical Island vacation. I know it doesn't look like it, but I spent over two hours working on it for a grand total of 6 minutes of footage! Also, there may or may not be something wrong with some of the annotations/spotlights. Without giving too much away here are what the three spotlights in question are supposed to say:
Number 1: "Random bystander #1"
Number 2: "Büchen Hbf"
Number 3: "Random bystander #2"
There was in fact another interloper, but since they weren't caught on camera they didn't get a special spotlight :P
So, without further ado, here is the video
I hope that those who came to watch the video directly on my journal will take a few minutes to read what I have to share.
When I was in middle school my father, as a Physical Therapist had to renew his CPR certification license, my father brought me along to get my CPR certification as well. I was by far the youngest participant in the class, everyone else only taking the class becuase their jobs or licensure, I however threw myself into the class imagining life saving scenarios I would participate. Since that occasion I have renewed my certification twice more, although I accidentally let it expire in 2009 and have not since returned to take the class again.
I have kept telling myself that I need to take the class again, to refresh my knowledge as well as to add it to my resume. I have never had to use what I learned, and if someone asked me what the proper steps were to perform CPR I could recall the main idea, but maybe not the details (my last class was in 2003- I can however always tell when actors in tv/movies perform CPR incorrectly).
I've never had to use what I learned, until yesterday. Conny was eating her dinner while I was putting away dishes. Suddenly, I heard her make a sort of gasping or gurgling sound. I turned around casually to see her in her high chair, waving her arms in a panic while her face was shifting from bright red to an almost magenta color. Without thinking, I yanked her out of her seat, letting the tray clash to the ground. I took her in my arms and held my leg up, my thigh parallel to the ground. I put her face down on my knee, head down and gave her back three solid whacks with my palm until the food dislodged itself. At first I was worried that there was still more lodged in her throat and she was still unable to breathe since she wasn't making any noise. I looked at her face and she looked at me intensely and then proceeded to take another bite of her hotdog.
The whole ordeal was over in less than three seconds, and it was not one of those moments where time slows down. I think I was more shaken by the event than she was, after I put her down on the ground to pick up the tray she squatted down and tried to eat the throw up bits from the ground.
It is a moment, that I thank my father for asking me to accompany him to the CPR class, thank him for sharing the stories of his youth that unfortunately had different endings; when my dad was young witnessed two friends die- one choked on an apple and the other drowned (my dad was actually the one who tried to pull his friend out of the water).
It is now that I take a moment to implore any and everyone who is in contact with children, or will be in contact with children, or even if you have no plans to ever be around kids to please take a CPR class. Knowledge is invaluable, this story could have had a scarier ending than what it did.
I know I may say "that this was one of the scariest moments of my life" a lot, but, it truly was. Having the life of some being literally in your hands was utterly terrifying. I can be accused of being many things- loud, disorganized, even lazy but I am not unprepared and I do not cave under pressure.
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
indescribable
Anyways, I'm sure you all had a good laugh, or at least a head shake at my expense for last weeks antics. The weekend did get better, at least in the sense that there were no more incidents involving undigested food and small children.
On Sunday evening, we went to dinner with the neighbors (Margrit and Günther) they are an older German couple with children around the age of Cat and Christian. They don't have grandchildren of their own yet so Clarissa and Conny have become adopted grandchildren.
EDIT: Ok, that event I was trying to write about was literally three weekends ago, I have had this tab and this exact same window open since then with the hopes that I would get this written down. Anyways, I am at least going to write the main highlights of the evening.
Anyways...
We were all sitting around the table eating dinner, everyone was talking in German and I was listening in. These people have known me for a year and Margrit speaks a little little English, (more like she took 1 class and knows some basics) but Günther doesn't speak any, or at least hasn't let on that he does. They have however known me for a year and have sat through all of my German blunders.
In the past few months I have felt that my German has gotten exponentially better and have been able to converse quite efficient and fluidly with people. Günther owns an agriculture service and I took the opportunity to ask if I could take a ride on one of Günther's tractors since it's one of the "silly" items on my bucket list (the same list that has milk a cow, stand on a frozen lake and cut down own tree).
So, without thinking I blurted out "Günther, kann ich dein Trakor reiten?" (Can I ride in your tractor?)
To which, the entire table blurted out laughing. Not just laughing, but ROFLMAO laughing, side stitching, tears in eyes laughing. I sat there confused, aware I had made an error but not realizing what had exactly happened.
As the laughter started to subside, but not entirely die down. I kept looking at everyone waiting for an explanation. Someone then yelled "fahren!" (which means to drive) "Traktor fahren". Then the error of my ways suddenly clicked-
in German, the verb fahren (to drive) is used for all transport, such as 'you drive in a plane', 'you drive on a bike' etc. the verb reiten is only used in regards to horseback riding...
so, instead of asking to ride in his tractor, I asked Günther if I could ride on HIS tractor- in short a very very obvious sexual innuendo.
I don't think I blush easily since I'm usually fairly tan, but I literally felt my face turn red as the realization kicked in. I was mortified-- laughing and screaming "ewww noo gross!!" at the same time and then proceeded to cover my head with a napkin while everyone continued laughing, if not laughing with greater prowess becuase of my mortified expression.
For the rest of the night everyone kept referring to my comment and the table would break into periods of giggle fits while I fought with my food.
Food, this brings me to the second part of my evening.
We went to a traditional German restaurant, where they had a wide array of fish. I tried Skate*, which is essentially like a type of ray fish (you know sting ray) In a funny way of circumstance, I had only learned about Skate fish the night before in a random skype conversation with my friend from North Carolina.
Back to my story. Different countries and cultures have different rules for table etiquette, I believe that my parents did a good job, if not an excellent job in teaching my brother and I table manners. I think (without meaning to be arrogant) there are few peers that can eat as well as I can with proper utensils. Growing up in a Chilean household in the United States I've learned to make changes as the situations call for, in Chile it is extremely rude to have only one arm on the table, both arms are meant to be visible at all times (and like America, elbows on the table are a no no) yet in America it is standard to have one arm tucked on one's lap when one is eating. In Chilean cultures you cut your food with your knife, in your right hand and then switch to eat with your dominant hand (often times you can sneak a few bites with your left hand if you spear the food instead of scooping it up). In Germany, the two hand rule applies, but it is extremely rude to switch utensils back and forth between hands. The knife is held in the right hand, the fork on the left- always. I have been following the protocol best to my abilities, but my left hand is not as skilled as my right is in scooping food, so I would occasionally switch sides and spear the food with my left had.
At one point, I was having a little bit of trouble with some bones, so I quickly speared a few bits into my mouth when I felt eyes staring at me. Günther then took the fork from my hand and held it in the scooping form, I tried to explain in my broken language that I knew that was German protocol, but I grew up in a Chilean household in America and I was trying to adhere to standards, but I was so flustered that I tripped over my words and ended up sounding completely silly.
I don't know why, but having him point out my flaws in eating was ten times more embarrassing than my vocal blunder regarding the tractor. I know he was trying to be helpful, and Germans are anything but tactful but it made me feel very uncomfortable that he "criticized" my table ettiquete.
It really wasn't a big deal, no one but him said anything, or said anything if they saw something but it just made me feel more uncomfortable than anything else that happened that night, very strange indeed.
Anyways~~~
this past weekend I went away to Berlin to visit my friend Alyson! We went to Tropical Islands near Berlin, which is a giant dome (I have heard it was an old airplane hangar, but have yet to find a source for this information) that houses an indoor tropical island, complete with "sandy beaches" troipcal rainforests, water slides, etc. We stayed for the day even though the place is open year round 24 hours a day. People can either sleep on the beach or rent out tents or cabanas. I meant to work on a video I took yesteryday, but I spent the entire time writing this!
Now its almost 1 am, I have to get up in 6 hours so there is not time for video editing, or posting- sorry!
I hope you can one day find it in your hearts to forgive me, for now I offer you a picture of a marshmellow dog.
Part marshmellow, part dog, all squee :3
*I just read the wikipedia page, and it makes me sad to learn that Skate are in danger of being overfished, if I had known that I would not have ordered it D:
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
accomplished (finally!) - Music:Adele- Someone Like you
Anyways, I've meaning to upload this video for ever, but I had wanted to "spruce it up" first... and never got around to it. Finally I did yesterday, and I must admit, there really wasn't much to spruce up.. I could have uploaded it without the intro title or end credits. Ah well, I hope you guys enjoy my late video. The weather is much warmer now! Still brisk, but the days of long coats are
I am going to fold some laundry now and when I finish hopefully Conny will still be asleep so I can do a quick write up!
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
hungry - Music:enjoying the silence
Well, one can only go uphill from a day like Tuesday, right? Uphill you know so you can plummet down an empty elevator shaft screaming to every known Diety in the universe... yeah just like that.
You all read the aforementioned blog post about the adventures of small country life in the big unknown?
Well here is a summary of the week thus far, it's just too crazy not to share.
Wednesday (the following day)- I was putting Conny down for a nap around 2. I was lying down on the bed with her on my tummy (her favorite sleeping position) when she half pushes herself off my stomach and projectile vomits on me. EVERYWHERE. It got all over me: on my shirt, my leggins, some even got in my bra (I didn't notice until later after I had showered it had gotten in my hair). Since I had already been thrown up on, I help her tight so that is she needed to throw up more she would get it on me and not on the carpet or clean blankets. She gave two or three good heaves and unloaded the entire contents of her day; we smelt like a mixture of sour milk, salami, and casserole. It was disgusting. Luckily I can control my gag reflex when it concerns matters with other people. I somehow always end up being the one holding someone's hair.
I bathe myself and Conny, and while I am toweling Conny off I myself am in a towel I hear Tony (the Dalmation mix) barking from the front yard. I look out the window to see him in the front yard barking at passing dogs. I frantically run downstairs, in a towel naked baby in tow while I open the front door and start yelling for Tony to come back from the front porch. All I needed was rollers in my hair and for a gust of wind to blow my towel off and show my fat butt to the entire village and I could have struck "comedy gold".
Thursday- Was "ehhh" until the evening and then it was really chaotic and stressful becuase Conny was being unbearable and crying. There was miscommunication involving a pizza. It was very complicated. ((Luckily today afternoon it got all sorted). I did however have a small shining moment in German class. My (Russian) German teacher asked the glass (all immigrants) if we knew what Satellit was. I immediately shouted out "SPUTNIK!!!" and almost gave the poor lady in heart attack:
She turned around and questioned me (German in a Russian accent is scarier than German itself) "What did you say?!"
I meekly answered "...Sputnik.." but this time I said it with a German accent so it came out more like "Schpuhtneek"
...and then she broke out in a huge smile "GENAU!" (exactly). I think she was very very surprised that the token American in the entire class of people who grew up in the former USSR knew what Sputnik was. Seriously, everyone is from Polland, or Lithuania, or Kazakstahn and speak Russian amongst themselves when German fails them.
Point 1 for American Public Education!
Friday- This day was the money day... the morning was uneventful..if you can count waking up at 6 am to watch a 16 month old than yes. Oh wait, I forgot. Conny entertained herself by destroying the photo collage I made her for her birthday. Somehow she managed to open up the frame and peel off half of the stickers and photos from it. I'm going to attempt to save it.
Around 2 Conny had some diarrhea. It was pretty bad, it got on her onesie and her tights so I decided the best solution was to give her a bath. I put her in the tub and hosed her down with the detachable shower arm. While I was washing Conny off she was screaming and trying to get away from me.I dropped the shower arm on the floor.
Normal showers work like this: usually you pull up on the handle and the shower turns on, pushing down turns off the water. Correct? Not this one!
I quickly slammed down on the handle to turn off the water and instead of turning the water off it shot full power at my face! I got immediately soaked like someone in a sitcom. My hair, my clothes, the ceiling and surrounding areas were drenched.
Later in the afternoon I took the dogs for a walk, for some silence. On the way home Chief was running off leash (normal practice for people in the countryside where there are no cars). I was walking a ways back and then I saw a black dog. not just A black dog, no THE black dog. These two dogs, Chief and the black one hate each other whenever we walk by that house Chied goes crazy and starts barking and vice versa.
The two dogs are going at it and I am too far to do anything. I am trying to keep a low voice and keep calling to Chief but the female owner of the other dog is just screaming and trying to the dogs with her leash to break them apart. I am trying to get closer, but everytime I do Tony starts going crazy and trying to bite the dog. There are two teenage spectators who are just looking and I'm yelling in my head "WHY IS NO ONE COMING TO TAKE MY DOG SO I CAN HELP CHIEF!!"
I was afraid of getting bit, but also I knew I had to separate the dogs. They were crazy and wild and there was blood everywhere. On the floor, the dogs were both covered in it. Finally I help Tony with my left hand and reached to the black dog with my right where my hand hooked on his collar. I tried pulling him off the Chief who was pinned under him but he still had his jaw locked around Chief's neck. FINALLY one of the teens came over to take Tony as I was calling to the lady to please take Chief so I could pull them apart (she didn't). I then just lodged my left hand in between the two dogs while saying a prayer I jammed my right leg between them and pushed. I was able to pull them apart enough that the lady finally grabbed her dog.
Afterwards my hands were shaking as I put the leash on Chief. I felt myself about to hyperventilate but I reeled myself in and just concentrated on getting the dogs home. My hands were covered in blood as (I later realized) my pants were too. I looked like I could have committed a murder.
I walked home as fast as I could in complete stoicism. I only knew I had to get home as fast as I could. When I got home, I went in through the side gate (during the fight I lost my keys and couldn’t find them later when I went back) and called Cat outside. I think my voice started to crack because she came out as fast as she could and she asked “What happened?” I lost it. I started crying and shaking. It was utterly terrifying. The fight seemed to go on forever and I felt so helpless.
After a thorough evaluation of Chief and Tony (who also had some bites from getting to close to the fight) and a phone call to the other dog owner it was established that all dogs were ok. Cat calmed me down—well really she told me to calm down and I forced myself to do it (being a Psychology major I know all the tricks). Cat says she herself has been caught in two dog fights with the same dog. No stitches were required what we think happened is the black dog must have got a cut I his mouth that bled all over Chief. Since Chief is mostly white, the entire thing looked worse than what it really was.
Still, it was terrifying and I don’t think I’ll be letting Chief off leash anytime soon.
And that has been my week so far, oh and did I mentioned I’ve been with the kids for the better part of the days and up at 6am every day? Because I sure have!
[Edit/Update] Friday just proceeded to get "bette"r in the evening, Clarissa ended up throwing up all evening and into the night which meant that Cat had to sleep with Clarissa to take care of her and I slept with Conny to take care of her (Christian is on a business trip in Russia). I got less than 5 hours of sleep only to be woken up at 7:30 by a cat yowling out Conny's window. That of course woke her up from a sound sleep thus dashing all hopes of sleeping in (even until 9 would have been fantastic and completely plausible since Conny didn't fall asleep until after 10:30. >.>
So, who wants to see what the rest of Saturday and Sunday can throw at me? I'm so exhausted I feel nauseous.
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
drained - Music:Kinder fernsehr "in background"
( The day )
I'm sure more things happened, but those are the main points. It probably won't seem as funny to you, and while it wasn't funny for me.. it normally is, but today I was too stressed out to enjoy a laugh I wanted to write this down so I could go "oooh yeah that day!"
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
exhausted - Music:none. Sitting in silence. My ears hurt
It is crazy to think that March is more than half over, the days just seem to met together one day it is Monday the start of the week and then I suddenly turn around and Sunday is coming to a close. April is literally a few weeks away and the end of April marks the official end of my year long stay. I have opted to stay for two more additional months, since the Baptism of Conny will be the last weekend in May, and then after that I will travel for a month (the 'real' reason of my coming to Europe).
Today Cat called the "Auslälander Büro"- the Foreigner/Alien/Immigration office to see if we could extend my visa for 10 days. My visa is technically finished on June 20th, and I was hoping to spend a month traveling, then return to Bröthen for a week before departing back home. The great news, is that after my Au Pair visa expires on the 20th, I can remainfor an additional 90 days with a tourist visa (as an American Citizen this luxury applies to me).
While it is tempting to stay here for an additional two or three months, backpacking and what not I really need to return to the United States before the 15th of July. My childhood friend Diana is getting married in September, I am a bridesmaid and have already skipped out on many of my duties. The 15th is her family Bachelorette/wedding shower and I have to (read: want to) be there, her family was my second family growing up. We were neighbors and her mother and sisters were a part of my daily life and being there for her means more to me than traipsing around Europe for a few additional weeks.
I know that these next two months will just fly by and one day in the not so far future I will be attempting to stuff my suitcases to the brim. While I am in a way, excited to continue on with my life in a medium that does not include changing diapers and handling tantrums I am scared and nervous to go back to California and be stuck in the same routines as before. I know life back "home" will be as it always was and that is what 'scares' me. It's hard to explain but going back home will somehow make this feel like this experience never really happened. It will be over, and jumping back into a life I left behind will somehow make this experience in Germany like a dream, as soon as my plane lands in LAX it will be like I am waking up from a very long sleep. I don't know if what I'm saying makes sense, but I felt the same way when I returned home in 2009 from Berlin.
In other news, the weather here in Germany is in full Frühlings (Spring) mode. The spring flowers are in bloom, and the trees are beginning to bud. I took my camera out to the local pond and photographed some of the flowers, hopefully I can get those uploaded soon. I have 71 pictures that I have edited to upload, but since I am never online they are still waiting to be uploaded to Deviant Art, Its Just Anji, and Flikr. I am sorry to admit that I haven't been using my domain to its full potential but I am not happy with the layout and my IT people are located in San Diego and Kansas respectively. I have an idea for revamping the site but this is something that I'm going to need to sit side by side with Barrie (San Diego) and figure out, and then maybe Staci (Kansas) can help me with the upkeep via telephone and skype chats.
A few weeks ago, Vera a friend some high school came to visit me in Germany!
(Vera and I sightseeing in Hamburg!)
She is studying in Paris for a semester abroad. We had a nice weekend that we split between showing her around the village (which reminds me I need to make a video still to show you all how SMALL the village really is), walking the dogs in the countryside, and touring Hamburg.
(The country side, in neighboring village Güster)
(Speicherstadt (Old Warehouse District), Hamburg
We also made sushi and spring rolls one night for dinner and while it took longer than expected to make the food it was delicious! When I lived in Costa Mesa my friend/roommate and I would make sushi on a semi-regular basis so I am actually very good at making sushi even without the 'proper' tools. What I am most proud of, is the spring rolls becuase I had never made them before and not only did they turn out tasty they held their shape pretty well for the most part.
I even have a video for everyone! I will try to tinker around with it tonight or tomorrow and see if I can get it up by the end of the week.
I know I keep saying "if I have time" and you guys are all probably wondering what it is I am doing! Well folks, I have an answer for you- I have been knitting. Yes knitting. I learned to knit in late January and have since then knitted myself a scarf
(It's a circular/wrap scarf and took 5 balls of (sale) wool for a total cost of approx 15 Euro)
and am currently working on a blanket for Conny. I intend to give it to her as her Baptism gift, and let me tell you I have a lot of work on my hands. It is a patchwork blanket made of three colors (pink, blue and grey), there will be a total of 12 squares with a total of 4 patterns. As of now I have only finished 3 squares (1 pattern) and am working on my second pattern. Here is a sneak peak of the patten I have finished
While I am finished knitting the three squares, there is still much work to be done like stretching which is done by pinning the pattern on a carpet with many many many pins and then "blessing" it with water (sprinkling it with water). Afterwards (when all squares are finished) I need to finalize the layout, crochet the squares together, sew/crochet a border and sew on the applications.
This is the current pattern I am working on is pearls, and while it is easier than the first one (that one required a lot of counting) it is taking so long and exponentially much more wool!
The whole blanket will probably cost around 50 or 60 euro becuase of the quality of the wool I am using (baby wool), and will probably be over 200 man hours, what I have finished now in the grey is the result of 3 hours and is the width of the palm of my hand and I need it to be 3 times that big.
I am regardless very proud of myself. I went from not knowing even how to hold a knitting needle and the string (it has to wrap a certain way over your hand) to finishing a doll blanket (my first work, less than stellar and best kept away from the public), a scarf and then embarking on a project of epic proportions!
Anyways folks, I am sorry I haven't updated as much as I promised, but I hope my long updates make up for it!
As always, leave your comments :D
- Location:My German home
- Mood: accomplished
- Music:Kinder fernsehr "in background"
The Alstervergnügen
watch the video below and then scroll down to see some pictures!
For a little comparison take these two pictures:
This is the lake in its usual state, only a month before! (This picture was taken in January)
...and this is the frozen Alster festival (Alstervergnügen)
That my friends is indeed a frozen lake and there are people walking all over it... I was one of those people! It was an amazing and exhilarating experience. I don't actually have a physical bucket list, although I should, but walking on a frozen lake has always been something I've dreamed of doing, but living in Southen California never dreams possible. Looking at these people braving the cold in the spirit of adventure and fun I couldn't help but be reminded of a picture my 10th grade AP European History teacher had hanging in his classroom:
Peter Brügel's Hunters in the snow. 1565
The picture has always stood out in my mind as what a "true" winter should be, and always made me feel sad at the melting polar icecaps and the environmental changes that are making moments like this few and far between.
I hope you guys enjoyed the video and pictures, please leave comments!
Next Update: A Chilean and a Fillipina make Japanese Sushi, and Vietnamese Sring Rolls in Germany.
Stay tuned! (Honestly who tunes their televisions anymore?... well on that random thought. Goodnight!)
- Location:My German home
- Mood: accomplished
- Music:None
Also... in 3 months I'll have been here for a year... WHUT??
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
frustrated
I really miss cosplay.
Like really miss it.
It's been over 3 years since I last "got dressed up" with friends, and longer than that since I hosted a sewing party. I miss everything related to cosplay-- the photography being in front and behind the camera, the camaraderie with my fellow cosplayers and my best friends.
It makes me really really sad.
- Mood:
sad
- Location:My German home
- Mood:
mellow
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