Current Event Januar

After the elections in the state of Baden-Württemberg in late 2012, Andreas Stoch has been appointed as the new Kultusminister for Baden-Württemberg. He belongs to the SPD Green-Red party. Herr Stoch is the first Landesminister for Baden-Württemberg to come from the city of Heidenheim, which is where I am living.
Stoch will now be working in Stuttgart. Active in state and city politics for a while now, he will be focusing on educational reforms during his term. This includes the issues of the 8-year and 9-year gymnasiums, which have been controversial changes in the educational systems. He has already worked in the region of Heidenheim for these issues. Both the SPD party and the city of Heidenheim are very proud of his win and what it means for the history of Heidenheim, as well as the future of Baden-Württemberg.

http://www.swp.de/heidenheim/lokales/heidenheim/Andreas-Stoch-wird-erster-Minister-aus-dem-Kreis-Heidenheim;art1168893,1792983

My own personal fairytale

The air was brisk as we boarded the train to Füssen, Bayern last Friday morning. We were five exchange students hailing from Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and the US, toting suitcases in a variety of sizes, business cards, and cameras.
Three and half hours later, we were gliding through the snow-glazed Allgaü mountains. Now we were eight exchange students; two more from the US and one from Canada had joined our party.
Arriving at the end of the train track in Füssen, we immediately met the rest of our party. With five Rotex leaders and 25 students, we spoke six different languages and came from ten different countries. It felt like coming home. The bond that forms between exchange students is indescribable; from the time we met until the time we left each other, the days were full of laughter, food, songs, photos, chatter and, of course, marvelous views and experiences.

We lugged our suitcases to the youth hostel, creating a heap of belongings that resembled a refugee camp. Then it was back into the chilly mountain air for food and a brisk walk. We trudged up the hillside, not realizing that we were on our way to a deep channel of teal water, cutting through dusky stone to fall in foamy stripes back into the gorge. It grew dark, and we remained on the bridge, looking down into the water and up at the mountains.

After a brief interlude of snowman-making and dinner-eating, we ventured out into the dark, armed with torches. Our pleasant nighttime walk culminated, naturally, in a snowball fight.

The next day we began walking early (we walked a lot, upwards of 15 km total), in order to get to a cheese making farm. Our tour was exceedingly detailed; we learned the entire process of the making of different types of the famous Allgaüer Emmentaler. We were allowed to taste the delicious products, some of the best cheese I've ever had.

Afterward, we had another snowball fight.

We woke Sunday filled with anticipation: today was the day we had been waiting for. The frozen morning mist was just lifting as we walked through the forest.

We looked for spires through the trees, but it turned out the first thing we saw was just a different castle, not the one we came to see.

A few minutes later, our destination loomed up out of the mist: Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Built by Mad King Ludwig in the late 19th century, the 'ultimate fairy tale castle' was never completely finished, though tourists from all over the world flock to it every year.

Our army of exchange students fought to conquer the mountain upon which the castle is situated, finally triumphing next to the large gate that marks the entrance to the castle.

Like a swan outside, built of white stone, the castle is sumptuously decorated within, with a singing hall, plumbing, hot water, and a telephone, not to mention meticulously woven tapestries, art honoring past German kings, and plenty of gold leaf.
We walked up yet another hill to reach the Marienbrucke, which hosted the most magnificent view of the Schloss. Here we held our flags out over the bridge and looked out at the magnificent landscape. Es war für mich ein Traum, und ein Märchen.

Lovely pictures by the talented Ben from Ohio, USA and Daniel from Madrid, Spain. Vielen Dank!

Another day, another adventure

Once there was a girl who went on exchange to Germany. That girl was me. And man, was that girl excited to go. And wasn't she excited to get there, too! And wasn't it just lovely.
But sometimes unseasonable weather and lack of chocolate and a faraway family conspire to create a smashing day of homesickness.
And then, after that day, you feel like you could take on the world. Which you sort of are doing.
And then, after that, you realize that where you are is the best possible place one could be. Exchange is hard to put into words; sometimes it feels tangible and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes there are moments of loneliness, but other, better times there are moments of unloneliness. Unloneliness is when you are surrounded by love on all sides; exchange students, friends, host families, natural families, Rotarians, people at the bakery... And you realize that your heart, your very soul is split in the best possible way between two places on earth, but that's okay because it only makes your heart bigger and stronger.
Naturally, when one feels this way, it is best to tour historic German cities...

  

...watch the sky through the trees...

...look at Zeppelin engines...

...see a large expanse of water for the first time since you flew across the Atlantic...

...sing in sold-out concerts...

...take advantage of Brottag...

...and see that the sun is shining.

So that's what I did. 

Winter Holidays

The enthusiasm for Christmas increases, if that is possible, on 24. December, the Holy Night for German Christians. Traditional food is cooked, trees are decorated, candles are lit, family is greeted, church is attended, and gifts are exchanged. It was my experience that Christmas is more spiritually celebrated here, and is also a quieter holiday. 

The 25. and 26. of December, days that in my house in the US are marked with elaborate food, loud songs and overall indulgence, are more like days of rest. I spent Christmas Day eating brunch with my next host family, and the 26. relaxing with my family. The atmosphere was very different than my previous Christmas experiences, but equally lovely. I found it hard to believe that I was really celebrating Christmas in Germany, something I had dreamed of on hot July days in the States. 

A week later, Silvester is celebrated to usher in the New Year. Several days before, my host dad and brother and I had purchased fireworks, which are only legal in Germany on 31. December. My family's tradition is Fleischfondue, and incredibly delicious type of 'fondue' where meat is cooked in a communal pot and then eaten with various sauces. We whiled away the time until midnight playing board games and cards, and then shortly before 12 we set up our fireworks on the sidewalk. Standing together in the street with my family, we watched the sky explode with fireworks from all over the neighborhood.2012 was a great year for me, full of experiences and moments to remember. I am so pleased and grateful to be starting off 2013 in Germany, and I can't wait to see what the new year brings for my exchange.

Candlelit tree

Decorating

Christmas Day dinner: duck, red cabbage, dumplings, spätzle

Sparklers on Silvester

Fireworks over the town

Current Event Dezember

Germany has left the UN Security council after its two-year term ended with the year 2012. In the new year, Germany will return to being simply a member of the United Nations. However, the stint on the council has made a stir, both positive and negative. Two abstentions marked the nation's term especially. The first, an abstention on a vote regarding the no-fly zone over Libya, has been met with criticism from some. It is clear, however, that this abstention was more a result of a lack of clarity regarding Germany's domestic policy.
A much more well-known instance is the abstention of Germany in the vote regarding Palestine's recognition as a UN observer status. Instead of voting against the proposal and showing its traditional solidarity with Israel, Germany's representatives abstained because they felt that 'the settlement policy pursued...is seen by the German government as a major obstacle on the road to a two-state solution.' This abstention was seen as a diplomatic and appropriate move by many.
It seems that overall Germany's term was a positive one, raising 'several important issues' and establishing a strong position on the council. Other issues such as the role of children in conflicts, climate change, and policy for Afghanistan, were also brought to the table and examined by the German representatives. Although Germany may serve another term on the council, it is unlikely that it will gain a permanent post. The general opinion states that Germany used its time well and made an impression, bringing a new voice to old and new issues.

http://www.dw.de/germany-leaves-un-security-council/a-16486907

Weinachten

In my last post, I mentioned a little bit about German Christmas traditions and culture.
Two weeks later, I have officially discovered that this subject deserves an entire post for itself. Maybe two. We'll see.
Christmas, or Weinachten, begins in Germany about halfway through November. There is no Thanksgiving in Germany, so the tradition of waiting until there's no turkey left isn't an option. There is also no Black Friday, but on Saturdays many large stores are open until 24.00. Advent, the tradition of lighting candles each Sunday in December to count down to Christmas, is a month-long holiday in itself. St. Nikolaus visits children on 6. December, leaving nuts, oranges and chocolate in their shoes as a little teaser for Christmas. The Vorfreude, or anticipation, of Christmas is celebrated as much as, if not more than, the Heilig Abend on 24. December.
Houses in Germany are often decorated with candles and greenery, and Christmas lights only sometimes make a loud and fluorescent appearance. Food and gifts are of course an integral part of the Christmas experience. Plätzchen, Christmas cookies, are baked in ridiculous and delicious quantities and varieties. The crowds in downtown Heidenheim are gigantic, as are the lines at H&M.
But the quintessential German Christmas experience is the Weinachtsmarkt, or Christmas market. The first time I saw a photo on Google Images of the lit-up booths full of greenery and stars, I knew immediately that I would have to visit on during my time in Germany. In my pre-departure presentation to Rotary, I told them my dream of seeing the German Christmas Mecca.
Little did I know then that the Weinachtsmarkt is, well, everywhere. You can't be an exchange student, or anyone else, in Germany and not visit one. I think I've visited 3, or 4, by now.
And let me tell you, they are the coolest thing. Aisles and aisles of traditional German crafts, gifts to buy, souvenirs, and warm food and drink. Decorations and little tables and carousels and everywhere, everywhere, people. Some with cameras (like me), some with children, lots with food; all with gigantic smiles. Because Weinachtsmarkte are awesome.

Thanks

Exchange is a whirlwind. It's a series of ups and downs, of laughing and crying, of jumping in and jumping out. Three months ago to the day I landed in Frankfurt, met my new family, and began my life here. Looking back on these first months of my time in Germany, the moments of confusion, of fear, of loneliness are definitely there. But way more prominent are the moments where I learned a new German word, where I met new people, where I tried new things and liked them, where I felt at home here.
A member of my Rotary club in Heidenheim remarked that my time in Germany was more than a quarter gone. That's incredible to think about. But so far, I think that I have used my time here well. Looking back, I remember the good parts, and almost all of my memories make me smile.
So, here are some smiley memories from the past few weeks.
I celebrated Thanksgiving with my fellow exhange students, and made a pumpkin pie all by myself.

 It was actually really good!

Our brief bout with Thanksgiving was followed immediately by a dive into Christmas. In Germany this holiday lasts a month or sometimes longer. Advent, the season of counting down to Christmas, means that Christmas decorations and cookies and lights must be prepared in the third week of November. Or earlier. 

We observed this early-Christmas phenomenon with Rotary...

...in the greenhouse where people buy their Christmas decorations...

...in my house, baking cookies...

...in the snow that is all over the place...

...and in Heidenheim, where there is a Winterdorf selling Wurst, Pommes and Pfannkuchen mit Marzipan...

...as well as lights everywhere. 

So, to celebrate the holiday spirit, we went to Ulm. There was a Pfannkuchen Haus, which is basically a restaurant where you can order anything you want (liver, fruit salad, mushrooms, amaretto...) on a gigantic crepe. It is completely the best thing you could ever eat, ever. 

I even ate the bananas.
And then we attended a Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas Market). Aisles and aisles of food, Christmas decorations, people...

...all around the Ulmer Münster.

Schöne Adventszeit!