Die drei Hexen

As an American, if you take a step back from our culture you will find that Halloween is a pretty strange holiday. I mean, come on, think about it. We dress up and go door to door asking strangers for candy, we create creepy houses that are meant to scare us on purpose, and we aren't really celebrating anything in particular. Weird? Most definitely. But fun? You bet.

I was really sad that I couldn't celebrate Halloween here in Germany. People have tried to start it up here, but it hasn't really caught on. Christiane told me that it is such a unique American tradition that it would have a hard time really catching on in other cultures. Which totally makes sense. But even though I couldn't really celebrate like usual, I was determined to celebrate in my own way.

I woke up on Halloween morning really excited. As I styled my hair and makeup crazily, I formulated a plan for the day. It was to be a day full of crafts, dress up, and pumpkin carving.

Martha was on Fall holidays (Yeah. They get a week off just because it's Fall. Why didn't they have this when I was in school?!). And because of the holidays she had her best friend Carlotta (from Freiburg) over for a couple days. The house was full of a lot of energy and happiness, perfect atmosphere for a holiday!

When I walked in the apartment the girls pronounced that I looked like a witch (we talk of nothing in this house but Harry Potter these days). I personally was going for the 80's vibe, but I was totally stoked to be a witch if that's what the girls wanted. They liked my hair and makeup so much that they begged me to do the same for them. I obliged of course. I got the biggest giggle out of the finished product. Big, ratted, poofy hair. Dark brown eyeshadow and some mascara (Johannes thought they looked like vampires haha). Martha got the idea to dress themselves up in "witch costumes." They ended up looking much more wild than I did. But utterly adorable of course.

My 1980's/witch "costume"

The morning and early afternoon consisted of lots of playing pretend. The house was not just anyplace, it was Hogwarts. Martha was Professor McGongall and Carlotta was Hermione. I was not allowed to join in, but I got the biggest kick out of watching them. While they played, I set up different crafts. When they needed a break from playing they would come and do a craft with me. We made ghost windchimes, mason jar lanterns, halloween themed pictures, and paper plate monster masks. Both Martha and Carlotta did an amazing job! I love how all the crafts turned out.

Our ghost wind chimes.

My ghost lantern.

Martha's pumpkin lantern.

Carlotta's lantern.

Martha's drawing of her and Carlotta as witches.

Our paper plate monster masks.

In mid afternoon Frieda came home from Kindergarten with Johannes in tow. She, unlike Martha, didn't have Fall holidays. All five of us spent the rest of the afternoon outside soaking up the nice crisp Fall weather. Frieda scooted up and down the street on her "bike" (it doesn't have pedals), while Martha whizzed around on her unicycle, and Carlotta tailed behind on roller blades. Johannes and I were pretty much just there for moral support (and to make sure they didn't get run over). For awhile I held Carlotta's hand to help her with her balance, but soon she was zooming around without my assistance. And gosh, I must say I am so impressed with Martha. She has balance I will never have. My disastrous self will not be riding a unicycle anytime soon. But she on the other hand, can fly down the street and turn around and come back without falling. Martha did take a couple spills, but she knows how to fall properly. She definitely did get frustrated towards the end of the afternoon when her falls became more frequent, but with some encouragement from Johannes and I she kept at it. Totally proud of her!

After our romps outside, my little witches and I decided to go buy ourselves a pumpkin. We tromped down to the local supermarket with the girls chattering away the whole walk there. We searched the store but came up empty handed. All the big pumpkins were gone! So the next best thing was to pick out three mini pumpkins and hope that we would be able to carve them. While we were in the check out line, I realized we were garnering quite a bit of attention. I mean, it must be a rare thing two have three witches walk into a supermarket (haha). The checkout guy looked up when he took my money and his mouth just hung open. It was all I could do to not bust up laughing right then and there.

Once we got home we went straight to work. Carving pumpkins is of course serious business. I covered three areas of the kitchen table with newspaper and got out the knives. Yes, I let seven-year-olds handle knives. I (along with Christiane and Johannes) helped them of course! We don't need missing fingers thank you very much! Frieda then decided that she wanted to join in on the fun. Thankfully we just happened to have a extra mini pumpkin lying around the house.

Bernard the pumpkin (my creation).

After some serious carving time, the pumpkins were complete. I got the votive candles and all three girls set the pumpkins out on the balcony and lit them. They took out our lanterns too. As it grew darker and darker the lights became more and more distinct. It was so pretty and eery all at once.

Our creations!

After dinner Martha and Carlotta came to my room to tell me they were going trick-or-treating. I laughed. I figured that was going to be something I missed out on this year. Well, I figured wrong. Christiane, myself, and the two girls headed out into the night to go to Christiane's office. Two of her co-workers were still there so that's were we were we would get our treats.

It was a chilly night and I was thankful I had thrown on a scarf and sweater. We walked for a good fifteen minutes and actually ran across a few other trick-or-treaters. When we arrived at the office, the excitement was running high. The girls rang the doorbell and announced "treat-or-treat!" to Christiane's co-workers. Lots of smiles and laughter followed. We stayed and talked for a few minutes and then we were off again. The girls of course got candy and were utterly happy. Christiane surprised me with a Twix bar. So even I got candy. Which made me really happy too!

Me, ridiculously excited that I got to go trick-or-treating.

Over all it was a great, very eventful day. It may not have been the usual Halloween for me, but I enjoyed myself all the same. Halloween with a German twist... what a treat!

I Spy With My Lil' Eye...

Having lived here in Karlsruhe three weeks; I have come to notice the many things that make Karlsruhe different from Long Beach. Mostly I get the biggest giggle out of the differences, or I like them. There are very few that I don't like. I thought I would give you a list of some of them. Tell me if you find them as interesting or different as I do! Here they are in no particular order:

1. Language. I thought I would start with the most obvious. This is the one cultural difference that is giving me a run for my money. I have never been very good with picking up languages (see my 3 years of Spanish in high school for affirmation of such). But I am a very stubborn and driven person when I want to be. I really enjoy learning, and I must push myself to learn and become fluent. I will do this... It is just going to frustrate me to no end for quite some time.

2. Food. Bread, meat, and cheese. That is my diet these days. Along with organic fruits and veggies, coffee, beer, jam, and dairy products. I love it! I just really miss American food. Don't get me started! I have been dying for a bean and cheese burrito...

3. Fashion. This one is a sorta different. There are elements of American fashion here. But there is something that makes it all uniquely German. I can't quite put my finger on it yet. But I like it, and I plan to give my wardrobe a mini style makeover while I am here.

The morphing of my style has begun!

4. Smoking. People smoke so much, everywhere! Christiane tells me only recently they made smoking and non smoking restaurants. As a So Cal girl I am so spoiled with all the rules about where and when people can smoke. I really don't like the smell of smoke, and I'm also allergic to it a bit so it makes my eyes all red and itchy. Blah.

5. Plugs/Light Switches. The plugs are all circular and have two circular holes in them. It's so strange. I need an adaptor for anything (like my straightener) that I need electricity for from the States. The light switches at my house (and other places I have been to) aren't the flick up and down ones, they are big flat squares buttons that you push to turn the light on or off. They do have the same type of dimmer light nobs here though!

6. Curbs. There are pretty much no curbs. They are like an inch tall, or there isn't any at all. Which also means the gutter system here is different. And from what I hear it handles water and snow much better than Long Beach's gutters do and doesn't flood. Just sayin' haha.

An example of the drains and no curbs.

7. Church Bells. Every hour on the hour at least one or two church bells can be heard across the city. Certain hours (like 9, 12, 6) get more bells ringing. I adore this! It makes me feel like I am in a fairytale/back in time. It also makes me think of Christmas, which makes me very,very happy.

I can hear the bells from this Catholic Church from my house!

  8. Sundays. Absolutely no stores, except the Bakers, is open. All day. It's the Lord's day and that is that. (I imagine it as... No Ashley, buying that pair of shoes is not more important than going to church. And just so you don't get tempted, I am closing all the stores!)


9. Politeness. The Americans and Germans are kinda flip flopped here. Germans don't know the meaning of bubble space. For example: standing in line at the grocery store tonight I wanted to turn around and tell the person behind me to take a step or two back. They also don't concern themselves with how tightly they squeeze past you if you are shopping or walking. And man, do they walk and bike fast! I am so not fierce enough; often times I have to just stop and get out of their way. They are friendly, but not in the way that Americans are friendly. Usually we consider people we just met as friends. But here it takes awhile to be considered an actual friend and not just an acquaintance. But, they are super friendly in so many moments where Americans would be rude. Ahh, these are little examples, it's hard to explain the widespread difference of it.

10. School System. In 4th grade kids (along with the parents) choose their future. They have to choose between three different "high schools" and only one of those leads to going to a university. Oh the pressure. I don't envy this school system all too much.

11. Finishing Your Plate. In America it's considered pretty rude to gobble down your whole plate for several reasons (including that people will think you are a fatty). In Germany, it is considered extremely rude to not finish your plate. Why? Because you aren't accepting the wonderful generosity of whoever made the food/it makes it seem like you didn't like the food.

12. Size of Food Portions. The plates, cups, spoons, etc are actually smaller here. The bowls are more shallow. It's so strange! But it's crazy how quickly I have gotten used to these portions. I can no longer eat as much as I used to (thank God) but it is kind of a problem when we are out at restaurants. The portions are bigger there. What would have been an easy plate to clear three weeks ago, is now a monumental amount of food that I struggle to finish. I have tried and failed each time we have gone out.  Remember, it's super rude not to finish your whole plate. I am try my hardest to not come across as rude, but I just can't eat it all! (Never thought I would say that!).

13. Modesty. I almost jump out of my skin everytime I see a naked or half naked people in advertisments. And I thought we were scandalous! Pff. I never realized how modest we Americans are. I blush at these ads. When did I become such a prude?!

14. AC/Heating. I have yet to see anything A/C related so I am guessing that is very few and far between; it might not even be used here. I can see why, considering it doesn't get very hot. Heating on the other hand I have seen a lot of. But not like the central heating most of us have at home. In Germany "old looking" wall heaters seem to be what is used. And when I mean old, I don't literally mean it's age, I mean they look the same as they have been making them for the past hundred years or so. I like them though. I have four in my mini apartment.

15. Cars/Transportation. To start, the cars are smaller (this is how it should be America! Step away from the SUVs and drop your keys now!). They are also used with less frequency. With trains being able to take you somewhere almost every couple of minutes, why would you take a car? And who needs to drive down perilously narrow streets when you can get around much quicker with your bike or on foot? (The fellas at Top Gear would be so ashamed of my no car promoting). Of course cars are still useful. Especially to get places that your feet, your bike, or a train can't get you to. And then of course, there is the Autobahn. You can't miss out on such a fabulous opportunity. I can't wait to learn how to drive stick shift! Then I can drive on the Autobahn (insert manical cackle here).

My bike! His name is Sebastian.

16. Houses. Most people live in apartments. It is super rare to live in a house. When you live in a house that means you have a lot of money. But the apartments here have a different vibe than the ones in California, so I don't think that everyone living in apartments is in anyway demeaning.

17. Household Appliances. It's all about actually being "green" here. So that means energy saving appliances to the max. It takes the dishwasher like and hour and a half to do one load. And it's not a very big dishwasher. The washer and dryer take almost two hours each. And they are really small too. What used to take me three loads of laundry at home now is about six loads.

18. Closets. Built in closets are not a very common thing. Most Germans buy closets for their bedrooms. How strange.

19. Beds. They are much lower to the ground. Also they don't use sheets, its all about down comforters and pillows. Which is just fine with me!

20. Sidewalks. Almost all the sidewalks I have seen have some form of cobblestone going on. Which is so neat! It makes me feel like I am stepping back in time. Of course, its deadly if you wear spiky high heels. Thank God that's not an issue I will be dealing with.

The cobblestones on Helmholtzstraße (my street).

So that's my list! There are many more I assure you. And there are a lot of similar things too. But differences are much more interesting to point out aren't they?

Four Stories Up

When I think of apartments, several mental images come to mind. The first being flashes of nasty, grimy apartments that I have been to in my lifetime, and that can be found in many corners of the globe. The second being the ritzy apartments that can be found in major cities (like NYC) that I have only seen in movies and TV. The third being the apartments my friends are slowly beginning to migrate into after leaving home. The last image is a newer, less familiar mental image. It is of the apartment that I live in, and of all the many interesting apartment buildings in Karlsruhe.

The word "apartment" brings a lot to my mind. Some thoughts negative and others positive.

Apartments hold a particular intrigue to me. As a child I grew up knowing that to live in a house was an amazing blessing, and only people on their way to the top had to live in apartments (unless you lived in said ritzy apartments). I always wanted to live in an apartment though. They were just so different from what I was used to.

I currently am living in an apartment for the first time in my life. And I love it! Of course I live in a beautiful apartment, so that makes it hard not to like. It's not the Ritz. But I think it is just perfect.

I will describe it to you!

To get to my apartment you must walk up "four flights" of stairs (more like eight in my opinion... there isn't an elevator since the building is like 200 years old) and then you will arrive at the fourth floor landing. Here you have the option to open two doors. The door directly in front of you takes you into the main apartment. The door to your left takes you to the mini apartment (my room).

The main apartment is where Johannes, Christiane, Martha, and Frieda live. It is very open, big, airy, and sunshiny. The walls and ceilings are all white and the whole apartment has light colored hardwood floors. There is a modern flair to everything, with a touch of traditional here and there.

My room is big, white, and full of light. The floors are a light hardwood, and the walls and ceilings are white. It is a very odd shape because it goes along with the shape of the roof (we are on the top floor), but it is roomy and big all the same. I have my own bathroom which also has white walls, and the floor has really pretty jade tiles. All of the furniture and accessories in both my room and bathroom are from Ikea; which gives it a modern feel. I think the coolest looking thing is the big, white flower light that hangs in the middle of the room. I am not quite finished decorating my room; it is a work in process. But I like how it is shaping up.

My flower lamp! Isn't it the coolest?!

So that is my home here in Karlsruhe! I love it so very much. Whether I spend time in my room, or hang out in the main apartment, I feel very at ease. The sense of "home" hasn't quite happened yet, but I don't think it will be too long before that feeling occurs.

From now on when I think of apartments I think this home will be the first thing that comes to my mind. And that doesn't bother me one bit.