still here....

but working on some things on the side.
back again soon...

Why I love where I live in the tiny town of B

I've heard so many stories from so many people in Germany about their awful neighbors or the over the top rules. However, I must live in the Bermuda triangle of Germany apartment life. My neighbors are so very nice. Granted, life in Tiny town of B is in general nice, but it's like Disney World Germany here in my building.

I spent all day Saturday saying hello and good day as I run down to the laundry room or to take out the trash, as everyone else is also out and about. Perhaps because I am the one foreigner in the building I get a little extra leeway. In particular, when one of my expat friends was with me on the balcony and the downstairs neighbors are always chatty, I had internally cringed when expat friend used the informal 'you' in the conversation, as that is usually what he is using and it slipped out. (The more formal 'you' would have been preferred as they are older and we don't really know them, and it's also what I have heard other neighbors use this this couple.) However, they never blinked twice, and never corrected his usage or seemed in any way offended.

I've been pleasantly pleased in the past, at least four different neighbors in my apartment building have accepted packages on my behalf. It probably helps that three of them are retired so home all day when packages are delivered, but still.

Then tonight, I was out late, I had to zip down to Cologne for something. 10 minutes after I'm home the doorbell rings. My neighbor had accepted a flower delivery for me. She overlooks the parking lot, so she was peering out periodically until she finally spotted my car. She said had been worried that she would perhaps miss me tonight. How very kind.

Saturday lunch - Lemon and Ginger Tofu with Beautiful Sauce

I had stopped by my local Aldi Sued on Friday on the way into the office, I decided in the morning that I was in a salad mood. While there, I bought some of their bio Tofu. Big props to Aldi Sued--they are the only 'mainstream' store in my area to carry fresh tofu. Their tofu is firm and holds up well in cooking. It is highly recommended, in particular when compared to its closest competitors: the 'non-refrigerated Kaufpark tofu in a glass jar and some kind of oil designed to last years', or the 'slightly pricy Bioladen which has limited hours' tofu.

On Saturday I was in the mood for something coconut. On a whim I tried this recipe and wow was it spectacular, even if my photo was not so hot. I'd say it rivals my old standby, General Tao's Tofu.

I followed the recipe exactly as it is written (except for putting it over noodles instead of rice), and the next time I make it, I'd make it exactly the same. Beware, however, you may have the desire to scarf down the whole batch, which sorta sucks when you were hoping to get two lunch meals during the week out of it. ;-)

Allergy sufferers unite!

The trade-off for the nice spring-like weather is that I'm sniffly with a low grade headache all day. Fellow bloggers, I see your lovely photos of your early sprouting flowers, but I could deal with a little less of that and a little more of the cold, white, heavy, white stuff instead. ;-)

However, during my recent travel for planning for Innsbruck, I came across Kuetai, which is in the Innsbruck region. It is selling itself as a summer destination for allergy sufferers, due to its high altitude, thereby offering an escape from pollen in these months. Here is their English page on the topic, where they beckon me to come for 'an allergy vacation.'

Let the summer holiday planning commence...

Easter 2008

It's getting around that time again, and this year Easter is early. In case you're keeping score, here are my previous Easter holiday destinations. This year's pick-->lovely Innsbruck. Why?

- I enjoyed visiting Linz, Austria last year, so I'd like to see more of Austria.
- I've heard only good things about the skiing there from my work colleagues
- Availability of open campsites. Yes, I will camp outside in March. Crisp, fresh air promises me a good night of sleep every time.
- Cheap flights on TUIfly.
- I feel like we didn't really get a winter here, so somewhere cold is in order.
- As any expat in Europe will tell you, it's a four day weekend and Europe is shut down. So one may as well take the opportunity to take a 'nature focused' holiday rather than something involving museums or shopping.

Another sign I've been in Germany too long

I was talking to my German colleague (GC) who now lives in the UK.

GC: Hold on, I need to grab my Coke.
H: Skip the Coke, too much sugar. (Knowing GC is trying to be more healthy.)
GC: It's ok, it's diet.
H: That's even worse. Chemicals. Aspartame.
GC: It's the new Diet Coke with Vitamins. And you're sounding like a German.
H: (ahem) The chemicals, they're obviously going to your brain already.

Saturday in the tiny town of B

Yes, Karneval weekend is in full swing, even in tiny town of B, nestled between Koeln and D'dorf. However, something much more exciting to me today--I woke up to 3-4 inches of snow, something I haven't see in at least 3 years here.

Such a perfect day for it. I didn't need to drive into the office, so I didn't need to shovel out the car. Instead, I could go play:

(my snowshoes, from America, who were feeling very unloved up until now)

the eye dr, part 3

second verse, same as the first,
a little bit louder and a whole lot worse.

So I woke up at 0655 this morning, in order to start the eye drop regime- 07.00, 07.20, get in car, pull over at 07.40 for 3rd set, arrive at 07.50, into the office at 08.00, for another set of drops at 08.10.

(I'm not quite sure how the US can have drops that dilate your eyes within 10 min and only last maybe 45 min after that, while in Germany this is a hella long drawn out process.) It's now 11 PM and my eyes still look dilated. I had brought along my coffee as I remember being there until 10 AM last year. Unfortunately this year was a repeat, even with my three times in the seven o'clock hour.

More drops: 08.30, 08.45, 09.10, 09.20, and 09.30. Finally a set of yellow drops at 09.45, and in to see the cranky pants dr at 09.50. He goes through his measurements. I ponder the use of eye technology in America. When I lived in California, for an extra few bucks my eye dr would do a digital thingy, so you could see your actual eyes on the computer screen, and even print them out. Then they would save them each year in order to run computer comparisons of changes.

What do I get here? I thing it was a glass magnifying glass plonked on my eyeball with a lot of drops and shifted around from here to eternity while he glared under his special magnifier.

Then, the official opinion. "I have measured your eyes, look here on your chart (complete with dr scrawl), and they have not changed. However, when you were wearing your contacts you could not read the smaller letters properly, so I thought you needed a stronger setting. Or maybe it's that the contacts are not good for your eyes."

"The office is on holiday the next three weeks, come back after that, and we test you wearing your glasses to see if you read the same as with the contacts"
(handshake)

They are booked up immediately after their holiday so I'm not in again until the first week of March.

On a slightly odd note, I was asked three times whether I needed a dr note, to excuse me from the office. The last time I received a dr's note, I was 14 and getting my braces off so late into school that morning. In retrospect, I should have accepted it as a nice souvenir of the whole experience.

More comments on the eye dr trip

Since a few of you had things to say and the comments box is too small for me to respond...

Having been here almost five years, I am no longer shocked or frustrated by the attitude or actions of anyone in this country. (Not sure if that's a good thing though!) Three years ago I would have been appalled, and would not have told the story as it would have been too painful to re-live. Interestingly, I told the same story in the office, and here were the German colleague responses:

colleague one: (in the middle of doing something but half listening, mumbles) private insurance....doctors in Germany....more appointments....pfui....make money...

colleague two: (never lived outside of Germany, but has locally dealt with a lot of things for non-Germans so tends to see things as such, and was the one who set up this appt). This is why I don't like doctors here. They think they're gods.

colleague three: (also never lived outside of Germany, but used to my occasional rants on living here, so he no longer takes it personally, but earnestly tries to educate me when he thinks I've missed the boat) This is how you know that German doctors are serious about your eye health, when they are serious with you. Only a good doctor would take the time to say such things.

I found colleague 3's thoughts to be most thought-provoking, as it is something I never considered. I dread this appointment weeks in advance, in general because I don't like people poking around my eyes, especially cranky ones who seems to be bent on bringing a dark cloud into everyone's day. Although based on the #3 above, I imagine the guy spoke to me like he speaks to every other person visiting his office, (although I think he's perhaps an extra bit curmudgeonly in general, even by German standards).

If you're not living in Germany you may wonder why I don't just switch drs. A few simple reasons I guess.
1. There are no 'American-style' doctors within 20 minutes from where I live. I consider it a win when I get one who can speak some English words.
2. The guy seems competent in measurements. He picked up that one eye is slightly weaker this year without me mentioning it.
3. The office staff is superb. In particular when they are explaining something unfamiliar that we don't have in the US, they have no problems repeating their instructions a second time with different German words and then listening to me repeat them back. (One drop of these special drops in each eye every 20 min for one hour prior to coming here next?)
4. I don't consider this to be a life-long relationship, as I don't plan to stay in Germany forever.

Heather's trip to the eye doctor - year 2

If you were Heather today, it went something like this...show up at the eye doctor's office. Tell the nice desk person who you are and what you're there for (an annual appointment--right as rain), and have them squint at a book of tiny handwritten printed names...and ask for your name again....and peer at the book, and finally say, well, no matter, that may have been you right there erased...go take a seat.

eye dr: (handshake and then reading the chart) you were last here in march last year. i told you to come every six months. it's important. the eyes are like windows, we must take care.

heather: (once a year does me fine in the US) uh, yes..

eye dr: you're wearing contacts...(back to chart, frowning)...you only wear these only 8 hours a day?

heather: actually, no, i wear these (putting box on table) for a month at a time.

eye dr: (multi-tasking by peering with some magnifying thingy into my eye) no, no, I told you last time. (break from multi-tasking for direct lecture in German) You must not wear them more than 8 hours a day.

heather: but they're made to be worn always.

eye dr: (loud sigh.) I told you once, I tell you again...(then I get the same as previously, a second time in German, then in English also for good measure--except for words unknown in English, like 'oxygen', are kept in German) You cannot get these from a place that sells glasses, only an eye dr can say...if it gets to the point where the glasses seller can say don't wear, then it's too late, your eyes are damaged for good.

These 'all the time ones' (finally looking at the box)--they are for old people or small children, people who cannot put in contacts well (somebody better inform the Ciba marketing team)...and people like that need to come to an eye dr every month (oh really).

heather: (well actually, they came from plus.de not the glasses seller, and the whole point is not to have to take them out every night) um, yes...

eye dr: (grudgingly) but if you are going to wear contacts, these are better than most. more oxygen to the eye, less dirt--but you must not more than 8 hours wear! 8!

heather: yes...clear..windows...8

eye dr: come back on Monday to dilate the pupil. then i see if my measurements just taken are correct. and don't wear contacts the day before. or until one day after that is done or else your contacts will turn yellow. and your world will be yellow, and a yellow world is not good. (handshake)

-->Well, a yellow world seemed to work a while back for Bono, as I recall...

English movie theaters in Cologne

I went to see a film over the weekend, The Darjeeling Limited at Off Broadway which is a theater that is very close to the tram stops of either Zülpicher Platz or Barbarossaplatz. Most of the English speakers that I know go to The Metropolis, but I personally think Off Broadway is actually a better theather (for me anyway) than the Metropolis for a few reasons:

- they show both the mainstream + independent films
- more film times rather than more films. (Nothing irritates me more than when the film I want to see is offered only once daily, at 21.50.)
- ticket prices are less expensive by a few euros (unless you go for the 4 euro Thursday Metropolis special)
- the lobby is much more spacious with built in window seats along the entire length of the lobby, and as a result, I do not end up squashed in the middle of a throng of 30+ people.
- tickets are sold with assigned seating, which you choose when you purchase your ticket. It seems to alleviate the stampede that occurs at the Metropolis, when the doors are opened and the throng rushes forward. The last time I was at the Metropolis, someone was so close behind me holding a tray of nachos that I ended up with nacho cheese in my hair.
- it's close to two restaurants I like: the all veg go! vindam and the very veg friendly Habibi at Zuplicher Strasse 28.
- there is a resident cat who sleeps in one of the windows, so I imagine the place is rodent free.
- In general, it's a lot cleaner than Metropolis inside the theater.
- The area is much more lively, so leaving the late show on foot seems safer as the area has plenty of people, as opposed to the area around the Metropolis, which is a little more desolate late in the evening.

Before you swear off the Metropolis, however, a few negatives for Off Broadway:
- Sometimes seats for the film you want will be sold out, especially on a Friday or Saturday during evening hours when you walk up 5 min before showtime.
- It's a little on the non-mainstream side, so instead of Coke, you can only get Afri-cola which seems to smack against years of American marketing, associating a movie with a cold Coke.
- It doesn't show as many different English films weekly as the Metropolis

Want to find other English movies showing in Cologne? Try here, keeping an eye out for the ones marked OmU or OV, but check that it's not an original in another language, like French. :-) Here: http://www.choices.de/heute.php or here: http://www.koeln.de/ausgehen/kino/kinokalender/index.php

Shopping Sunday at Venlo Tref this weekend - Jan 13

I love the smell of commerce on a Sunday. My tiny, black, rock-hard heart is gently warmed and softened by the thought of a supermarket being open on a Sunday in Europe.

Venlo Tref: http://www.trefvenlo.nl/site/nederlands/openingstijden/

And of course, every Sunday is shopping Sunday at Jumbo Roermond.

Which one is better? Six of one half dozen of the other. Both are large supermarkets selling a wide range of items. Just going on size--I'd say that Tref is bigger and thus more choices.

Buying toilet paper on a Sunday with more than 5 options, how decadent.
(Where I live in Germany the standard supermarket options are somewhat limited.)

Heather's new toy

Before:

After:

You'll notice the disappearance of Mr. Coffee Thermos in the second photo. He was frightened by the loud grinding noise and the occasional splatter of juice. The photo of the juice in the second photo really doesn't do it justice as you can't really see the color mixture of the basic orange with the red bits of the blood orange speckled throughout.

Since I came back from the US and shifted into flu mode, I've been extra careful to eat well these past few days. Shortly before I left for the US, I bought this handy little machine at Pennymarkt (damn them and their low, low prices!).

I've considered going all out and getting a mega juicer that does fruits and vegetables, but as a vegetarian, I have vegetables all day long, and fruit consumption is where I've been lacking.

Since living in Germany, I've become accustomed to fresh-squeezed, natural, no sugar added, not from concentrate, relatively inexpensive juice. It severely pained me during the two weeks in the US to pay Wholefoods prices to get the same level of juice.

One juice that I particularly like actually comes from a Carrefour in Belgium, where I don't have an opportunity to go so often. It's made with:
7 oranges
2 mandarins
.25 lime

I used the above as a basis to start and then modified a bit. I've been avoiding mandarins, since Mausi's post a while back, so I didn't have any on hand. From my local Turkish market, I used:
2 oranges
1 blood orange
.5 lime (I'm a big fan of limes)

All told, a worthwhile investment of time, effort, and money.

Public transport Disney style

One of the perks of my job is that I get to go, company paid, to an annual conference each spring, of professionals in my industry. It's a lot of fun to hear what challenges other people in similar jobs face, as well as it's always an interesting group of people and new ones to meet. As well as lots of free industry give-a-ways, which make it look like a 5 year old lives in my apartment when I first get back with the amount of free highlighters, light up bouncing balls, and cheap calculators that somehow come back with me.

This year's conference will be in Orlando, at a Disney conference center. I'm not a big Disney fan, but this is a billion times better than some past venues such as Houston and Reno.

One exciting notion of this whole trip (besides the opportunity to slip in a cheap side trip to Philly and stuff myself silly on Cheez-its) is the 'airport transfer' offered by the Resort.

Keep in mind that my usual trip is to arrive on a plane from Europe into Philly jetlagged and carrying 10 USD in coins for the Septa (Philly regional train) trip that deposits me a 5 min walk from Grandma's house. It's not such a grand trip as the Septa trains were not really made for luggage, even the airport train. So it involves hoisting a suitcase and camping backpack onto the train, stowing the backpack on the skinny overhead rack while a conductor is yelling at everyone who just got on to keep suitcases out of the aisle, hopping off in Center City, then going down the stairs as the escalator is inevitably broken, looking for the next regional local time, and then climbing the stairs with luggage to a differnt track, doing the same luggage stowage as previously, and then managing to get down the train stairs to disembark at my local destination and walking five to seven minutes to the house.

Contrast the above to the complimentary (with mighty expensive hotel room) Disney's Magical Express where I do not need to collect my luggage upon arrival, but instead they will whisk me to the hotel and luggage fairies will look for the magic tags in order to identify and later bring my luggage DIRECTLY TO MY ROOM. (Up to three hours later), but hey, that's a billion times nicer than having to wait for it, cart it into a place not designed for it, and then drag it all over a hotel I will inevitably be lost in, all while being jetlagged.

I may become a fan of Disney yet.

awake at 3 AM

due to a bit of a cold that started upon arrival back in Germany.

however, as I had over 12 hours of sleep yesterday due to fine American drugs (Tylenol cough and cold, nighttime), i'm not so stressed that i need to be awake for work in 5 hours.

i was so out of things yesterday, that I went to bed around 11 and slept through all new year's firework activities, which in Germany, is hella lot.

from America

memo to self: it's the blue container that holds the real coffee with caffeine, NOT the red one which is 50% caffeinated.

Half caffeinated=half awake=half pleasant.

Greetings from America.

German translation - Schwimmkerzen

I was going through the store adverts and happened to notice Schwimmkerzen at Ikea.

Normally I don't give most German works a second glance, as they seem so clear and orderly in their logic.

This one gave me pause, however, because I had only learned
'Schwimmen = to swim' and
'Kerzen = candles'.
So literally 'Schwimmkerzen = Swimming candles'

But in reality they are not swimming, they're floating, so more passive than active.

If you go and ask Leo for 'to float' in German you'll get a plethora of translations in a variety of connotations, including 'Schwimmen'. If you putz around long enough, you'll find
'Schwimmen = to be afloat'

How about 'floaten' then? 'Floaten = to float' but in a financial sense.
'Floessen'? 'Floessen = to drive, to float, to raft' which sound rather in control of your water ways.

Hmm. I'm left with an uneasy feeling, as 'swimming' and 'floating' are two entirely different actions, so something seems off to me by having one general 'catch all' word in German.

Or what do I miss here?

comment posting is back....

i had broken it putting up a new profile photo. (oops) it's hard to believe i make my living working with computers all day long.

Packing it up

It's the last weekend before I leave for the US, so plenty to do. At least the weather finally feels like winter, the car tells me it was 2.5 C when I was driving to work today. Fortunately D leaves on a work trip Sunday and then goes directly to the US where we meet up again on Thursday. Therefore I can be uninterrupted in my packing frenzy that late this weekend through early next week will certainly be. Also, it's time for the semi-annual bottle return clean-up.

The packing should be easy this year, since I plan to do a lot of shopping with my euros. It's not so easy though, on the return trip packing, since earlier this year the US Postal service simplified their international shipping offerings, and removed the slow, but cheap boat shipping in favor of the more expensive air option. So everything will be fitting in the suitcase this year and purchasing will need to be limited.

The spirit of Christmas

H: Look what I found in the recycle bin while throwing out my newspapers. Pretty barely used wrapping paper and ribbon. It was probably for St. Nick's day. Score!

D: Do you really need to be picking out of the trash?

H: It's not the trash, it's the recycle bin. I'm going to wrap my Nana's gift in it. She'll love it.

D: How much do you love your Nana, to give her trash-picked ribbon?

H: Nana grew up during the depression and taught me everything I know about trash-picking. She'll be so proud. Besides, being green is in this year.

D: (Sigh)