Monday

I saw the Brandenburger Tor and Unter den Linden on Saturday. Sunday I went to Gottesdienst in the Berliner Dom. There was an English translator. The people here in Berlin are amazingly friendly, especially if they're also foreign and they can recognize that my German isn't so good. I'm here in Berlin until December 18 and then "zu Hause" (back home)

Einsteigen Bitte! Zuruck bleiben bitte!

Achtung Baby! Everyday I take U2 to the Goethe institute....but how does Bono fit in my bag? (U-bahn, line 2)
Berlin is full of Weinachtsmarkts this time of year. The streets are brimming with little markets that appear from nowhere in a morning. You can buy jewelry, Indian scarfs, roast chestnuts, crepes, Glühwein, assorted cheap trinkets....anything really.
The lab is closing now. Bis spater!!

Mischung

"Mischung" ist das Deutches wort für "mixture" or "combination. Berlin and The Goethe Institute are in every aspect a "Mischung" of cultures and languages. My class, Mittelstufe B1.1, has students from France, Bolivia, Switzerland, Japan, Russia, Serbia and USA. Monday I ate supper with a television journalist from Algeria named Mohammed. Tuesday I went for coffee after class with Xavier and Alexander from France, and last night I ate supper with Xavier, Alexander, Zoran from Serbia and Jennifer from Boston. Presently I'm waiting to go get sushi for lunch with Alexander, Xavier and Jennifer. Most people speak English, and we have to make it a point to speak in German so that we learn. It's amazing how much one can communicate with hands and feet and facial expressions and noises. Yesterday I went on a tour of the Egyptian museum in the morning, attended a lecture on the history of Berlin after class and then in the evening went to Stammtisch at Cafe Zosch, which was crowded, a bit loud, but there was a good swing band playing. I'm learning a lot about different countries and cultures.

First day in Berlin

I awoke from a fitful sleep on the night train this morning. A wet snow was falling. The man next to me was friendly, spoke English and told me he was on his way to visit the prince of Denmark. He showed me pictures of him and the prince of Denmark.My host lady, Heidi is nice, but very very reserved. She said she won't be home very much as she is also a student. But when she is home in the evenings she prefers to be alone. I pretty much have the run of the place, my own room, I'm allowed to use the kitchen and cooking utensils therein. She has a black cat named simply Katze. The cat is also a bit reserved, but friendly enough to come and rub on my leg once in awhile. The cat also has the run of the place. Hopefully the cat and I will be good friends. There is lots and lots to do and see here, so no matter what I'll be busy. There is a cultural program so I can see the sights and do things with other students and there is a Stammtisch at a nearby cafe every Wednesday night so I'll probably go to that. (A Stammtisch is a table where the people from the Goethe Institute gather and talk) There is also the possibility to connect with a student who is learning English and then you speak German for a half hour and English for a half hour. It's called the tandem program. I think I'll do that. The U-bahn is surprisingly easy to use and it's not nearly as crowded as I'd expected. Bis spater!

onward to Berlin

Verena's family is really nice. Her two nieces were here this weekend, so I played with them a lot. I can communicate better with children, they speak more simply. Also I got to read children's books to them....that was helpful for me I think because adult books in German are a bit hard to read. Yesterday I went to a Russian Icon exhibtion at the Lutheran Convent nearby with Verena's father. I'm killing time until Verena comes home and then later tonight I take the train to Berlin. Here is my address where I receive mail in Berlin, if you'd like to drop me a line. I promise I will write back.
Stephanie Blumhagen
Goethe-Institut
Neue Schonhauser Str. 20
D - 10178 Berlin
Germany

International letters from the US cost 80 cents.

Hellos and goodbyes

I said farewell to Erika, Ewald, Ottile and Christian yesterday. I'm gonna miss them. We prayed together before I left. I'm back at Verena's and I'm here until Sunday night when I take a night train to Berlin. I'll be living with a woman named Heidi on Schlosstrasse, there is a palace nearby. I'm a little scared. okay I'm terrified, but hey, what else is new. I've spoken with her on the phone and she sounds nice enough. Last night I watched Jahrestages with Verena and some of her friends. I didn't really understand much of it, but it's a good movie....really really long though. Miss you all bunches.

Don't marry your cousin

I spent from Monday until Wednesday afternoon in Ballingen with Emilie and her husband Johann, another relative of my grandmother. Balingen is in the foothills of the Alps. They were both very sweet and very nice and took me to a castle in Sigmaringen. Emilie is a grandmotherly time who called me 'Meine Lieblings' or 'Mein Schatz' a lot. I have never in my life looked at so many family pictures. Emilie is very interested in family history. Now I'm back in Höpfingen with Erika and family. I got to try Turkish DonerKebap last night. My German isn't really improving much due to the fact that I haven't got any of my grammar books and I'm being exposed to different dialects. The speak Schwabish here, and in Bavaria it's differnt and it will be different in Berlin too. I found out that I'll be staying with a host family in Berlin and I have to travel a half hour on the U-Bahn to and from the Goethe Institute every day. I'm terrified!!
Oh, and if you marry your cousin, it makes life frustrating for those of us who are trying to untangle family history and relations with relatives who speak a different language!!!

Bonfeld

Today I went to Bonfeld with Erika and her father Ewald. Bonfeld is where my ancestors emigrated from to Hoffnungstal Russia in 1817. It's a tiny little village. We went to the cemetary, but the grave isn't there anymore. They remove the gravestones after 30 years. We lit two candles and laid flowers in the cemetary. I took a picture of the house where my ancestors lived. Ewald is my grandmother's cousin. That makes Erika my father's second cousin, and Christian my third cousin. We're Schwäbisch, Germans from Russia. The dialect is a little different from the high German I learned in college, but I can understand. I might go visit other relatives on Monday.

Die Verwandten (the relatives)

Erika picked me up yesterday around 1. She is very nice and very sweet. Yesterday was St. Martin's day here in Germany. The children make paper lanterns and St. Martin comes riding on a horse and the children walk through the streets and they sing and then they end with a bonfire and the children get sweet buns and there was a table selling Glühwein (hot spiced wine). My cousin, Christian (age 15) is on the fire squad and so he had to help with the bonfire so we went and joined the festivities. Erika's father is the son of Gustav Ehrman. Gustav's brother was Jakob Ehrman, the father of my grandmother. Today was Erika's mother's birthday so we had a big dinner with a goose. (All I've done is eat. I'm going to be so fat when I get home!!!) Our family, although originally German, emmigrated to Russia in the last century. One brother(Jakob, my great grandfather, went to America around 1909) Erika came to Germany when she was 17...so in the 70's I think. Her parents followed later and now live in the same house. (they have the basement, she has the upstairs) I'm going to Brunfeld to see where the family originated in Germany before we went to Russia.

Hallelujah!!

Praise God it's all okay. I called the Goethe Institute and they have recieved the payment. I just didn't know because somehow their e-mail ended up in my junkmail folder. So...all is well again although I still miss you all. Glad to hear that some of you are starting your own weblogs. Today: Neustadt and then to the relatives. I pray for you all by the way.... that God would take care of my friends

prayers please

I'm getting pretty worried because I STILL haven't heard from the Goethe Institute and the deadline is tomorrow. I'm going to call in the morning. please please please pray for me. I have plane tickets home already and they aren't until Dec. 18. My other option I suppose is to wander around Europe until then, but wandering alone isn't much fun.Anyone want to come join me? Please? Today we went to Bamberg and saw a Romanic church and a Gothic church. Also Little Venice. Bamberg is a really nice town, renowned for it's beer and there is a University there. The food is good in Germany.

Rottenberg

Today we went to Rottenberg. We saw St. James church and teh Christmas shop. This evening I went to choir practice with Verena's family. Tomorrow we go to Bamberg. Vielleicht wirt meine Deutsche eine bischen besser. Still don't know if the money actually got to Berlin for my tuition at Goethe Institute. Lord I hope so.

Verstehst du mich?

I'm in Bavaria and it's snowing outside. Last week I left Helsinki on Wednesday. I arrived at the airport and was greeted by the word CANCELLED next to my flight number. There was fog in Amsterdam, my destination. After being rebooked standby and waiting several hours and making a few new friends, I finally made it. That's a story for another time.I spent two days in Amsterdam and found a really great hostel there called The Shelter. Then Friday I took the train to Germany (another frustrating day of travel. All the trains were late. But again I made two new friends....a German couple going to Wurzberg and we both got on the wrong train. So we found the right train together.) And now I'm in Bavaria and I'm going to meet my relatives on Thursday afternoon. They'll come to pick me up here in Scheinfeld and take me to Hopfingen where thezy live. Bavaria is very pretty.....rolling hills and woods, farmland, small villages, castles, vineyards. We went for a hike yesterday also to an Evangelische Kloister...a convent, but the nuns are Lutheran. It's called Schwanberg. Verena and her family are very kind and wonderful hosts and they're taking me around and showing me everything.
The only difficulty I'm having is communication. I speak German, but not real well and everyone talks so FAST!!!! It's difficult to get into the conversation when there is a group of people and I'm afraid I'm really not saying much. So if you pray for me, please pray that my German improves and that I learn to more assertively make conversation with people. I miss everyone that reads this.

Verstehst du mich?

I'm in Bavaria and it's snowing outside. Last week I left Helsinki on Wednesday. I arrived at the airport and was greeted by the word CANCELLED next to my flight number. There was fog in Amsterdam, my destination. After being rebooked standby and waiting several hours and making a few new friends, I finally made it. That's a story for another time.I spent two days in Amsterdam and found a really great hostel there called The Shelter. Then Friday I took the train to Germany (another frustrating day of travel. All the trains were late. But again I made two new friends....a German couple going to Wurzberg and we both got on the wrong train. So we found the right train together.) And now I'm in Bavaria and I'm going to meet my relatives on Thursday afternoon. They'll come to pick me up here in Scheinfeld and take me to Hopfingen where thezy live. Bavaria is very pretty.....rolling hills and woods, farmland, small villages, castles, vineyards. We went for a hike yesterday also to an Evangelische Kloister...a convent, but the nuns are Lutheran. It's called Schwanberg. Verena and her family are very kind and wonderful hosts and they're taking me around and showing me everything.
The only difficulty I'm having is communication. I speak German, but not real well and everyone talks so FAST!!!! It's difficult to get into the conversation when there is a group of people and I'm afraid I'm really not saying much. So if you pray for me, please pray that my German improves and that I learn to more assertively make conversation with people. I miss everyone that reads this.

I went to Kiasma today and to a church carved into a rock....and I can't get this keyboard to work right.

Helsinki

I write this from the Cable Book Library in Helsinki. It's 5:41 and already dark here. I flew here from Oulu this morning and booked a room at a youth hostel here. Such a busy busy city. I feel a little homesick and a little nervous, but I'll be okay. I stay here until Wednesday, then I fly to Amsterdam, where my mission is to buy a train ticket to Bavaria and call Verena's parents to let them know when I'll arrive. I'm glad I'm here, but any prayers you say for me would be much appreciated. It's going to be a long and interesting week.