Back home, at least for a little while

Since my last post, it has been Christmas and New Year's. Christmas was great! I spoke a lot of German and was warmly welcomed into the Schaarschmidt's house. We got there on Sunday, had fish for dinner, and I am talking a whole fish here, head and everything, it was delicious. The family was great, her sister, Cindy, spoke English without a German accent, really, she had a perfect American accent. Her husband was hilarious, it was nice to hear the typical American accent, and a lot of colloquialisms to go with it (although I still can't really explain "dibs" in German, like if you call dibs on something).

Germans celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. We started the day by watching some home movies. Unfortunately, Nadine was sick that day, and spent most of the day in bed. Around 4.30pm we went to church, and I went to the protestant service with the family. I have been to protestant services before, and they are never the same, but really, it was kind of boring. I do actually like all the standing/sitting/kneeling the Catholic service offers. But there was a cute play put on by high schoolers, and it included a rapping Santa Claus (or Father Christmas). After church, we opened our presents, and I was given a bag of goodies, including homemade strawberry rhubarb jam, which is my favorite jam in the whole world. We had a light dinner, and then the relatives came over. I met Opa, and an Aunt, and then some cousins. They stayed at the house until about 1am, but I headed to bed around 11.30pm.

The next day, Nadine was fine, but I woke up sick, bleh! So I spent the day in bed. But it only lasted the day, and I was able to laugh a bit with Nadine and cousin Gina.

The Germans actually have two days of Christmas, the 26th is still Christmas. I still can't wrap my head around that concept. But again, another lazy day, I slept in and then a friend of the family came over. After dinner I went out with Nadine and met her best friend. It was really fun to meet her, and I also didn't feel out of place, we all just laughed and talked together. We went to the irish pub and made plans to live in Dresden next year, Nadine just has to find me a job.

We headed back to Dresden on Friday. Nadine had to work on her thesis, so I went out and worked on my novel, read a little, then found my boots! After searching and searching, I went in one last shop before heading back to the apartment, and I found a pair of black boots with a nice sized heal, not too tall, but still there, and they were a bit slouchy, within my price range, fit well, and looked really great. Yes! After showing Nadine, and her wanting a pair of her own, we went and threw a frisbee around, more fun, made dinner, and played air hockey at a really cool bar. Nadine and her boyfriend hadn't ever played air hockey before, so it made it even funnier.

On Saturday, I met up with Julia, another Frisbee friend, and we headed up to Berlin. We were staying at Rob's place, her boyfriend and a friend of mine. He went home for Christmas and would be getting back into Germany on the 31st (it is only the 29th). Two of her friends met up with us in Berlin, so we were quite the party. We went grocery shopping, had some food, napped, then I met up with Russ for dinner and drinks. I got in pretty late that night, but still woke up with the other girls. We went ice skating on Sunday, which was fun, but I got gipped out of a euro, dang it! We made dinner that night, and then played Chinese ping pong. This means that we went to a gutted store with almost no decorations in it, but a ping pong table in the middle of the floor. And you rent paddles, and get into the circle. When you hit the ball, then the person behind you is up, and the entire group makes a circle around the table. When you mess up, you are out. It was loud, smoky, but really fun. Only in Berlin...

Then it was New Year's Eve! Woo! Julia and I met Rob at the airport, and we waited and waited because both of his pieces of luggage were lost, great. It didn't take too long to get it sorted out, and then we headed back to the apartment for some naps. Shower, dinner at the great Vietnamese restaurant I had been to already, some yummy strawberry daiquiris, then a house party where I didn't know anyone who lived in the apartment,but it was still good fun! 3, 2, 1 Happy New Years! Watch everyone light fireworks, off every balcony in the area, from the street, everywhere. It was great until the homesickness set in, the first time in about 6 years that I hadn't been with Bethany, tears, text messaged to her, received a text message from her, more tears, then Russ saw me crying on the balcony, so he came out to cheer me up, and actually called her! He then spent about five minutes on the phone with her before I talked to her. It made me feel better, but also just as sad. But now I owe Russ, because 15 minutes on an English cell phone calling from Germany to the states, ouch (but when I called home on Palm Sunday from the Vatican, I was on the phone for a minute, and it only cost 1euro).

Leave the party late, or early morning, get back to the apartment, sleep in, then brunch, which just meant we ate all day. We left Rob's place (tranfser stuff to Russ's), sat in the internet cafe for an hour in a half, got to the apartment, are both exhausted, so we watch Big Fish.

Hmm, lovely, but very glad to be back home. I forgot my christmas present from my brother, so that was waiting for me. I asked for a threadless T, I got not only 1 shirt, but four! And they are all great! Here is what he got me:
Defend the Kingdom (which is what I am currently wearing)
Dark Side of the Garden (perfect for the Star Wars nerd in me)
Frida's Garden (perfect for the girly side of me)
And Don't Give up on your dreams (which I actually already own, bummer, but it still is awesome, and perfect for me).
So my brother hit a home run with this gift, I am excited to wear all these shirts!

And right now Jurassic Park is on the television in German, awesome.