Castle Motif

Another picture from Schloss Schleissheim. These marble staircases will someday be in my home.

Schloss Schleissheim

Schloss Schleissheim is a random castle in the middle of suburbian Munich. It greatly resembles Versailles (outside of Paris) and I'm sure the gardens are much more beautful in the spring. We happened upon the castle over this long weekend. Tiffany actually knew quite a few historical anecdotes that made it cool. It was a nice fall day to visit a castle and I love exploring.

Why is American Culture so Popular?

I went to a Vorlesung (lecture) at the University today. It was, unfortunately, given in English...but it was very interesting. Here's the course description:

Why is American Culture so Popular?
This course will explore the structures of American culture and follow their historical evolution. First we will position the "popular" in American political culture of the young republic, then chart the emergence of a popular culture audience and of a preindustrial entertainment industry in the context of 19th century immigration, nativism, populism and reform movements. Finally we will pay attention to the rise of a multiethnic consumption society with a strong culture industry, that is in place early in the 20th century, and to the creation of a global mass culture after 1960. By looking at selected cultural controversies we will see how the construction of a “national” culture ended up in social conflict and ethnic contradictions, and how these again gave rise to new culture formation processes. American culture is seen as a constant process of negotiation, an unending public conversation, as Kenneth Burke had it. In conclusion we will pursue the question whether the emerging American national culture follows a trajectories of social differentiation or of homogenization. Was the national cultural market a homogenizing force and common ground for the assimilation of other cultures, or did it open up "multiple markets" of ethnic diversity, regional fragmentation and class differentiation? In the second part we will address the question: Why is American culture so popular everywhere in the world? Why are its protagonists so mythogenic, why its icons and genres so adaptive, why its rhetorics and vernaculars so catching and why its ritual transgressions so captivating for audiences all over the world?

My main criticism was that the professor oversimplified the immigration issues in America. But coming from San Diego, I guess I have a different perspective on that issue than many other Americans as well. Overall, it was extremely interesting to hear the differences in his description of historical events. No matter how difficult it is to accept, there is more than one version of history. There's also more than one version of the truth...that's deep.

Tiffany came with me and people overheard us speaking English and asked us where we were from (this happens so often). This girl was so overwhelmingly excited to find that we were Americans! She studied for a year of high school in Apple Valley, California (which she said was very boring) but she loved the people that she met. And, I guess, talking to us reminded her of her experiences in California. She had the best accent ever! I seriously thought that she could have been from California. Recently, I have been seriously impressed by people with such perfect accents. I met a Korean girl the other day that spoke with a better accent than I do. I just cannot imagine that my German would ever sound that perfect.

Losing the Ability to Express Myself

I certainly still speak English much better than German. But as of late, I have been noticing a decrease in my ability to express my thoughts coherently in English. I have not been forced to do so, like in a school enviroment, for over 4 months. Now, in class, I am forced to express myself in German. I am really not very good at doing this either. So, it seems that I am progressing towards a state in which I will be unable to express myself in either language. I will regress to my toddler days and use hand signals and yelping noises to communicate. No matter how humorous that sounds, I am not looking forward to it. I am very accustomed to possessing a rather peculiar ability to articulate my thoughts (this does not apply to my feelings...but that's another issue for another day). Let's just pray that I quickly develop in my ability to express myself in German so that I can avoid this regression of my communication skills.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Ok, I just realized that the picture of the ugly bacon-plumbs is still quite prominent on the page. Now I have to post one last picture.

Here's just a random picture of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (what a mouthful!). Notice the changing leaves. Also note the Germans in their coats and 'Fall' attire.

A League of Their Own

Just because I don't want to end on such a disgusting note...

I just finished watching A League of Their Own with my girls (Ingrid and Tiffany). I'm going to be honest and say that it is still one of my favorite movies. It doesn't matter how many times I have seen it, or how sappy it can be. I just love it. It speaks to me, for some reason.

We Go Together Like Bacon and Plumbs...(oh wait, I meant PB & Jelly)

We found a little fest (there's always a fest in every German town...or so it seems). I decided to be brave and try Speck Plaumern Speis (or something like that). I didn't know what it was, but I knew the word for bacon (Speck) and was not frightened. Then, I was handed this stick. It was roasted plums, wrapped in bacon on a stick. I did my best to eat it, but the texture was just too much for me. I really don't understand what would prompt someone to combine plumbs and bacon...it boggles my mind. It might be awhile before I try another exotic dish. But then I went straight back to the ice cream shop and recovered quickly from my traumatizing snack.

Alpine Sunset

I did my best to try and capture the amazing Alpine Sunset on film. I can't tell you that I was successful. It was a really cool moment in our journey. I love exploring new places, so it was all awesome for me. But the falling leaves on the ground, the warm weather, the charming town, being a bit closer to nature than when in Munich, and the colorful sunset - made for a powerful combination. Moments like these are priceless...

Exploring Southern Bavaria

After the scenic train ride through Southern Bavaria, we made it to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Charming little town...not too big, not too small. We stopped for cake and ice cream, of course, and just explored the area.

Sunshine at the Train Station

We decided that a relaxing Day Trip would be the best bet for this weekend - after our week full of partying. The sun was shining and it reminded me of home. Ingrid, Tiffany, and I did look a bit too American for most of Germany. For the Germans, when it is officially 'Fall,' one never wears anything but 'Fall' clothing. We don't see it that way, and in turn, dressed for the weather. As a California girl, I was of course wearing my flip flops. We got some odd looks and actually overheard Germans commenting on 'the Americans with the sandals' as we walked by. But the way I figure, almost everyone can tell that we are Americans - one way or another - why not embrace this obviousness instead of fight it?

Where have I been?

Well, I just realized that I have not posted in awhile. The beginning of classes this past week provoked many parties. These Semesteroffnungsfests keep me out into the wee hours of the morning. The Germans are not as bad as the French, Italian, or especially the Spanish...but it is the European Way to begin and end parties much later than is commonly practiced in America.

So, two nights in a row, I did not get to sleep until 5am...it's just not good for my body. Now, it is Saturday night and I want to get to bed early...but these thin walls are allowing me to hear every single word of my neighbors current argument with his friend. I cannot understand any of these words though because they are speaking French.

In Honor of Someone Birthday...

In honor of Lisa's birthday, I thought I'd post this very special picture. It is my very own bathroom. Yes, it does really resemble an airplane restroom (if airplanes were to be equipped with showers). I've never seen anything like it in an actual permanent residence before. It works...and I do prefer it to the communal nature of our restrooms freshman year in Camino Hall. I hope you find this picture to be entertaining like I do...and not disturbing.

Happy Birthday, Friend!!!

I have to give this shout out to my favorite resident of Tucson, AZ.... Happy Birthday!!! October 20th...woo woo!!!

I'm cooking a pizza right now in your honor and will definitely toast to the One and Only JJ.

Promoted or Booted?

The beginning of the semester on Monday marked my promotion to the other German Grammar class. I began in the low class, but have now been booted to the higher class.

It is definitely an honor to be promoted in such a way, however I still have some reservations. Since I have missed the the first month of this other course, I am a bit behind. But I do hope that this will lead to that humbling experience that I hoped for before. In reality, it seems like my German skills put me somewhere in the middle of the two classes. So now, instead of getting the best marks in the class (one of only two A's), I will probably get some of the lower ones.

My main reservation is that my friends are all in the other class now. It makes things a bit difficult. But, if I look at it optimistically, it gives me an opportunity to make more friends. I'm not worried...there's too much else in this world to worry about.

Suprisingly Disorganized

I have decided that I am suprisingly disorganized. I think my disorganization began as a function of my 'pack rat disorder.' Anyways, I would like offer up a positive twist on my disorganization: It allows me more suprises in life.

In my lack of organization, I end up forgetting that I own something, and end up finding it to a great suprise. I am comfortable with this. Sometimes I do get frustrated when I cannot locate something in my room - mostly because it is so small and I have so little - but I don't like to dwell on this frustration. The suprises are always much better.

I experience these suprising moments daily, but an especially funny incident occurred this weekend. I had already ridden the U-bahn and walked several blocks when I stopped to remove a pebble from my shoe. It turned out to be the missing back of my earing. How cool is that! That is definitely an extreme example...but whatever.

German Food?

After our Big Mexican Night, what would naturally follow?

Chinese food.

A bunch of JYMers (not as many as the night before) met up to go to a Chinese restaurant. The food was actually really good. The menu was humorous, in that it displayed like 4 different languages, but it appeared as if it was translated from Chinese into German into English. So the English translations were a little off.

Then we made our way to the center of town for 'Die Lange Nacht' (the long night). It is was a city wide event in which 70 museums open up their doors and everyone takes buses to each of the museums. It was jammed packed with people at some places, but it was really neat to experience. I've already done a bunch of the art museums, but Munich has so much more to offer than just that. Die Lange Nacht lasted from 7pm to 2am...and there was live music and food everywhere.

We started at the Egyptian museum, went to the Botanical Gardens, the BMW museum, and the Siemens Museum. It was a bit cold, but overall a cool cultural experience. Munich is proud of it's museums, as it should be.

Tiffany and I decided that since we were out at the museums until 1:30ish, I have already completed my required Sunday Museum Visit to keep up with my tradition. So the tradition is still going...museum every Sunday...but I might go again today to one of my favorite free museums, I'm not sure. It's tough because not much is open on Sundays around here. For this reason, Saturdays down town are beyond crowded. On Sundays, the only people down town are tourists. All the stores are closed and only the touristy restaurants are open. That's the primary reason why the museums are such a good option for Sundays.

As Sweet as It Gets

I returned from my Alps excursion and we did a bit of studying to prepare for our Final the next morning. The test wasn't that bad...I really don't mind tests. I'm actually really comfortable with test taking in general.

Anyways, right after the test, we made the trek to the best ice cream in town. I am so excited that we've already found the best ice cream shop. I was starting to get worried about the lack of ice cream in Munich for the winter. Apparently, most of the Italians (who own the ice cream shops) head south for the winter because business is too slow. This was quite a shock to my heart...but I think we have found at least two shops that are permanent installations - including the one with the very best ice cream in the city.

Then I brought my bike back to StuStadt on the U-bahn (the subway). It must have been quite a hilarious sight...it's not easy to get a bike up and down stair and esclators and into a crowded train.

On the walk home, I realized what an amazing day I was experiencing. The sun was shining (it was by no means hot, but the sun was out), I had absolutely no homework to worry about, and my grandma sent me brownies (I know! Can you believe it!?!)!!!

To top it all off, all of the JYMers met for Happy Hour at a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the completion of our Intensive Language Course. The pitchers of margaritas and sangria sure made for a fun evening. Even Herr Söder (the director of our program) stopped by for a drink. He's such a cool person!

Here's a few tidbits from Herr Söder, regarding German culture:

German children are raised to be correct. American children are
raised to be polite.

Germans don't turn on the heat full blast in the winter because a certain
level of uncomfortablitily is the just the German way.

For Germans, there is a place and time for laughter/jokes. This is
why many people think the Germans have horrible senses of humor. This is
also why all of the Germans give us weird looks when we laugh on the U-bahn or
on the sidewalk. It's a dead give away that we're Americans.

Fairytale Castle

It's really tough to get a quality picture of Neuschwanstein...which is why the gift shop sells forty different varieties for all you photographic needs. The castle itself is quite overrated. I can't really understand why Walt Disney used it to base his animation on...it's not that special. The best aspect of it is it's location in the mountains. However, pictures of that are most easily obtained from a heliocopter - I assume - so all pictures that I took were really disappointing.

Another Church

Another church. But I actually remember the name of this one: Wiese Kirche (Meadow Church ??)

Essen

We ate some really cool Bavarian food at this restaurant near the monastery. At this time, many people became aware of my desire to be a superhero in my life. I'm still not sure how they took this...but let's just say that part of my argument asserted that Jesus was the original superhero...with his 12 sidekicks...well, I hope no one is upset by that...

Cool Church

Not too far from Oberammergau, lies this monastery/baroque/rococco church. It was really beautiful and I wish I could remember the name...but that's the problem with these types of tours: too many churches. I love churches and architecture, but sometimes it gets to be a little too much.

Alp Excursion - Take 2

We got up early after our Capture the Flag endevour for an excursion into the Alps. Unlike the last one, there was no hiking involved. Our first stop was the very small town of Oberammergau. It's the sight of the famous Passion play every ten years. Since it isn't 2010 yet, the town is really calm and adorable.

Capture the What?

I just returned from a two hour game of Capture the Flag in the Englischer Garten. My favorite park was the setting for a dangerous rendevous of only the bravest JYMers (that's the term we use to describe the 35 or so of us in this study abroad program).

It was definitely less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit (about 4 Grad), foggy, dark, and absolutely impossible to see anything. In spite of all (more likely, because of all that), we sure did have fun, even though my team did not win. It was awesome to actually find out that there are some people here that are more competitive than myself (I know, that is hard to believe). We actually thought that we won 3 times before we actually lost (there was an issue with decoy flags...), so I don't feel like I really lost.

I'm covered in dirt from my pseudo-military crawl through the park and definitely hyped for our trip tomorrow to Neuschwanstein. For me, there's nothing better than sports and traveling (then there's chocolate and ice cream...)

Capture the Flag also supports my theory that regressing back to my childhood serves as the greatest stress reliever. How can you be stressed out while playing a children's game?

Speaking of Running...

I finally went for my first run in the Englischer Garten (Europe's largest city park...or something impressive like that). It was certainly a pleasant suprise to not have to run up and down hills - like one must always do in San Diego. As it turns out, I love running in this park! Some people are trying to plan a big game of Capture the Flag in the park before it gets too cold. I'm kinda excited about that, but I'm not sure if it will really happen.

(If you just checked out that link and are worried about the nude sunbathers...don't. It's too cold for them right now. But I did see a few last weekend...and I did actually hear a rumor that they play volleyball naked...)

On a completely random note, I just bought myself some thick Norwegian socks. I figure the Norwegians know how to make warm socks...we'll see...

Munich Marathon

Ingrid is posing for a picture that I'm sure she never expected me to post here...hmm...sorry dude. Wandering around down at Marienplatz this morning and happened upon the Munich Marathon. There's always something going on in Munich, or so it seems. (If you're ever curious about what's going on, this Marienplatz webcam can be interesting.) The race was exciting, but I really didn't know what to yell as encouragement for the runners...Du kannst es machen! ... Schneller! ... probably not the most encouraging things to say. I'll have to ask a German.

One man on the sidelines was holding a sign that said: Er kam, er sah, er lief! (He came, he saw, he ran!) And I am proud to say that I understood (actually, I figured out part of it right now - like 10 hours after I first saw it...but hey, I still got it). But as for usual, I am much better with the comprehesion than with the actual formation of my own sentences in German. Getting better everyday...

Sunday Tradition

I've been here for a short time now, but I already have my very own tradition. On Sunday, I go to the museum. Not only do I go, but I bring with me another person from USD. First it was Emily, then Detgen, and finally Isidro. It's a pretty cool tradition, if I don't say so myself. In a short while I'll be able to give tours...maybe I can make some extra money that way? No, probably not. But I do love Munich's museums. It's a cultural and intellectual experience that city dwellers are privileged to have access to. I also went to a church service this morning. Both of these cultural experiences may not seem that significant now, but I think they are a part of a whole. The whole will hopefully be my development into a more culturally aware individual.

Spicing it Up?

I just felt the need to post a picture...I don't want the blog to get boring or anything. This is from the top of the St. Peters Kirche - 306 steps...but there's a very rewarding view. This is from the first week on our Scavenger Hunt. I hope next time, I'll have a more recent picture to post (and more interesting things to say...jeez, did I really dedicate two entire posts to laundry? That's sad).

Laundry Update

I have now survived the German Laundry Procedure twice. I have to admit, it is not as bad as I previously asserted.

There are only 3 washing machines in the entire 8 story building. Since school has not yet started, there aren't enough residents yet living here for the machines to be in high demand. The machines are in the stairwell, which is relatively close - no matter where your room is located. The machines didn't ruin my clothes and the drying process took a little more than a day. All of my clothes are now clean.

It just takes a little more patience, but I would be lying if I said I didn't need practice with my patience.

Struggling to Find My Deutsche Bekannte

German culture has a big distinction between acquaintances (Bekannte) and friends (Freunde). You have to know everything about someone and be able to talk about anything with them in order to be a 'friend.' Or if they are a friend of the family, you can classify a person as your friend. But otherwise, German people tend to have many more acquaintances.

Perhaps, in the US, we overuse the word 'friend'. It' not something that I think about often...when can I classify this person as a friend...but I have been forced to in my new cultural environment. I think in the US, we use the term 'friend' to describe both our friends and those we see as potentially becoming 'friends.' Acquaintances are people that you barely know and don't care to know that much. I'm not sure if I'm way off base with that brief analysis, but I provided it anyways.

Last night, I made 3 new Deutsche Bekannte. Three German girls took us out to their favorite club. I also learned about the different way that Europeans dance in comparison to American dancing. I really can't go into an explanation of how young Americans dance, but if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. In Europe, it is quite different. Then, they asked us to show them how Americans dance. Let's just say that we were the comic relief for all of the Germans in the vicinity.

Of all of the cultures in the world, German and American are realitively close to each other. However, the little differences are what makes life over here so interesting.

On Faith

In all of her wisdom, Detgen shared something with me this weekend that really stuck with me. We visited a large church in the center of town - St. Peters. It was actually very nice looking, not too gaudy, not too dark...just right. But as we were looking at the golden statues up on the alter, Detgen pointed something out to me:
So much of the world's money is spent on trying to create beautiful things for God. These attempts are sometimes pathetic and at other times useful for society. But when God looks down on these artworks and structures, it is most likely comparable to when a 3 year old child brings home a drawing to his parents. The child is very proud of the drawing and thinks that everyone should be jealous. In reality, the picture is just not artistically significant, but the parents love it just the same. So our grand cathedrals and other works of art dedicated to God are nothing compared to the real beauty that God knows, but he loves our attempts just the same.
I'm not sure if I articulated this well, but I really am glad that Detgen shared this thought with me. The next time that I see art dedicated to God, this thought will be on my mind. It is not a negative thought...it reminds me of both God's parental love for me and God's patience with my immaturity and monetary obsession. But when it comes down to it, I can see God's love everywhere...if I remember to look.

Laundry Predicament

Generally, laundry is a realitively unimportant thing in my life. At home we do laundry so often that I never worry about anything even related to laundry.

Things have changed.

First of all, I brought much fewer clothes with me than I normally have at home. Second of all, the rain and mud tends to dirty clothes here rather quickly. So, obviously, I should do laundry right now.

There are only 4 or 5 washers in the entire building that I live in. These washers take tokens - tokens that are specific to this building only. These tokens are only sold in the basement of this building (where they also sell beer). This 'Keller' is only open from 7pm-8pm MWF. If that seems absurd to you, you are in good company.

I have washed some important undergarments in my sink and they are hang drying in my room right now. Oh, that's another variable in the German-Laundry-Predicament...no one here uses dryers. I think there are 2 in this building, but I've heard rumors that they ruin your clothes. Since all of my clothes must hang-dry, the drying process is bound to take days. If I do not wash my clothes soon, I will have only 2 options: naked or dirty or wet. Which will I choose? I'll let you know if it comes down to it...which would you choose?

Detgen's Visit

Detgen's studying in Konstanz (a beautiful lakeside town that I have not yet visited) and she trekked the 5 hour train ride to Munich for the last weekend of Oktoberfest. We had fun, but it certainly wasn't easy getting through the throngs of people that bombarded the city. Luckily, most everyone was only on the Oktoberfest grounds, so we could easily explore the rest of the city.

My First Munich Sunset

Since everyday in Munich (up until this weekend) has been dreadfully gray, we have not had a real sunset. Detgen and I tried to go to the terrace of the Gruenes Haus to watch it from high up. The terrace was locked, but we watched through the window. I think Arizona sunsets might still be my favorite, but the fact that Munich sunsets are so rare made this particular sunset awesome.

Detgen and I strolling in the Englisher Garten

I'm really making a stupid face, so this picture should not be reproduced and shown around school or anything (maybe that should be the standard ground rules for all of the pictures that I post). Detgen came to visit me this weekend and she brought the sun with her. For that, I will ever be thankful. Munich has seen three straight days of sunshine and it makes me feel at home.

Out of Place

Just a few things that I've noticed lately:

In two different cabins in the Alps, I found bottles of soy sauce on the
restaurant tables.

I ate mexican food on Saturday in a restaurant called Tijiuana Cafe in
Munich.

I definitely heard country music on a German radio station last
night.

This morning, I watched Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman on German
television. It was voiced-over, of course.

Is it just me, or are these things out of place?

Ain't Nothing like an Alpine Adventure

We set out Thursday morning bright and early for the Alps. No more than an hour out of the city and we were passing by beautiful lakeside villages in the foothills of the Alps. I have been in the Alps before (Switzerland a few years ago) and it was one of my favorite travel experiences of my life. That time involved no real hiking...we were wimps and took almost 5 different modes of transportation to reach our destination - Mount Pilatus. I'll never forget that, but my most recent Alpine experience was truly an adventure.

I am not an extreme outdoorsy person, but I can handle myself. I certainly had the intention of 'kickin the mountain's ass.' But more importantly, I was going to have fun. Being a fan of The Sound of Music, I knew that this trip must incorporate singing. We tried...but it's difficult to think of hiking songs when you're forced to. We tried to sing '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall' in German...what a tongue twister! Neunundneunzig Flashen von Bier and der Wand, neunundneuzig Flashen von Bier... Ok, so that didn't work. Then, the path got steeper and I needed all of my oxygen. The singing stopped.

My Head in the Clouds?

I have too many pictures that I love of my recent journey in the Alps! We were definitely above the clouds...closer to heaven? Not sure, but it sure felt like it.

Me? Competitive?

I live on the sixth floor (which would be called the seventh floor in America) and our elevator is extremely unreliable, so I like to think that I am in shape. I haven't really worked out in two weeks because of the whole moving process and readjustment, but I would not go as far as to say that I am in bad shape.

Somehow, I ended up in the leading pack of the hike. We had about 25-30 people with us to varying degrees to athletic ability and speed. I tried to keep up with Ingrid. This was quite a challenge. She's from Alaska and is like the most experienced freakin hiker that I've ever met. Then, Alex was with us as well. She's from Seattle and has done a bit of hiking in her day as well. Seeing as I have only tackled Camelback Mountain a handful of times, I was a little out of my league. But I didn't let that stop me. I'm actually really proud of myself...I'm a pretty good hiker.

So we were the first to arrive at the first check point. We sat down, ate, and then waited for everyone else to come. Some arrived 20-30 minutes later, others an entire hour later. By this time, we were absolutely freezing. We were soaking wet from the sprinkling rain and sweat. I'm not sure what the temperature was, but when we stopped moving it was freezing. So when we started doing pushups, jumping jacks, and dancing all of the others thought we were insane because they had not yet reached that point of coldness. It was really funny because they couldn't understand how we had such energy. I still do not know how I made it this entire trip without dying of exhaustion...the energy comes from somewhere...

Hiking Buddies

Well, this is before we were muddy, wet, and out of breath...so they let me take their picture. Here's Alex and Ingrid. They were my teamates for the first leg of the journey. We won! (yes, some people definitely were frightened by my competitiveness...but isn't everyone?) We were the first one's to the lake (in the next picture)...

My lake

I don't know the name of this lake, but I want to call it mine. Some of the toughest hiking or the trip led up to this spot, so when we found it...pure elation. Right when we turned the corner, this was the exact view that we got. It was quite suprising...defintely a pleasant suprise. Then we sat on a log and ate our lunch waiting for all of the others to catch up. I love this lake!

We found it!

I think our hike to the hut lasted 4 hours or more. It really wasn't that bad, but it certainly took some work. We arrived at our Berghuette not really knowing what to expect. First of all, you must remove your muddy shoes before walking around in the house. And it was much like a house. Upstairs were two bedrooms, one for women and one for men. The men had like 3 beds per person, but the women's room was quite full. Let me tell you, it was not a good thing. All of our smelly bodies sleeping in one big room was not really pleasant. But it was warm. Downstairs they had washrooms, a kitchen, and a living room type area. This area was the warmest, so we all congregated there. It had a bar and was where you could order food.

Everyone jumped on the offer of hot chocolate. Ingrid and I tried what the lady recommended - Jagertee - let me just say that it certainly warmed us up! Then we all sat around big tables talking and relaxing. Dinner was served and we scarfed down some hot Bavarian food. The desert was like chopped up pancakes covered in sugar and then you dip it in apple sauce. I forgot what it was called, but it was so good. Then we stayed at the tables playing cards and talking about life until everyone went to bed.

We awoke to more rain. The weather in the region can change quickly though...it's so hard to predict (unlike so-cal). At this time we split up into two groups: those who wanted to hike to the highest peak or those who wanted to take the gondola-thing down to some town and wait for us there. Of course, I wanted to hike. I really have no rain gear, but I was ready none-the-less.

Green Rolling Hills

Here's Anna standing next to some random mountain hut. They have troughs like this everywhere...for the cows and sheep, not the people. The worst part is all of the animal droppings all over the trail. If you look up at the view for too long, you're bound to step in some...ewww. I have concluded that is one of the reason that the Alps are so green.

Our Oasis (this is not a postcard...)

This is our beautful Alpine hut (for lack of a better translation). I loved it! The sleeping accomadations were less than perfect, but the atmosphere was perfect! We left in in the morning with nice a clear weather, but soon after the weather caught up with us. Our little oasis was already too far away at this time...

Nass

Well, the rain didn't stop. So let me tell you the two new German words that I most often used during this second day of our hike: nass (wet) and gefaehrlich (dangerous).

We made our way up the slippery, muddy trail to the peak - Rotwand. It was really cool. But seconds after we reached it, the clouds came. We couldn't see the beautiful view in any direction and it began to pour. No pictures here for me. So I the water just kept coming. Anna was wearing a trashbag and many other smarter people were wearing raingear, but not me.

By the time we made it to the Rotwandhaus (a pit stop type place, very similar to the place that we stayed over night), I was soaked through. I changed my sweatshirt with a dry one from my bag, but I wanted to save my dry pants for later. Then, Ingrid and I went searching for hot chocolate. We ordered some in the restaurant while most everyone else was just trying to dry off. It sure hit the spot and warmed me up. But then someone stuck their head in and said that we were leaving. We had to chug our hot chocolate.

The hour immediately following the chugging of the chocolate, I was completely high on sugar. I had so much energy all of the sudden. This is when we really got to the singing. Since we were going downhill, I didn't need all of my oxygen as badly as before. Ingrid, Tiffany, Andre, and I sang horrible Disney songs, lame kareoke songs, and even Raffi songs all the way down the mountain. Other hikers just laughed at us, but it was so much fun. We were still wet, but we were wet and laughing so it seemed so much better.

After we ran out of songs to sing, I realized how badly that I had to go to the bathroom (a consequence of the chocolate chugging). Tiffany began explaining to us theories of Platetechtonics and other Geological mumbo-jumbo. It was actually really interesting and it kept my mind off of my bladder.

We were all wet and smelly and dead-tired...but we made it! We made it to a little town (that supposedly has an amazing spa/sauna that we really wanted to search for) where we picked up our bus.

Final Alpine Thoughts

I can now officially title myself Koenigin von die Berge (Queen of the Mountain). I love the Alps!

This journey showed me that I can do more than I think that I can. I made the most out of the it, no matter what got in the way - weather...it really can't bring me down, no matter what it does. I think the trip really helped us get to know each other better and I hung out with some really cool people. Herr Soeder (the director of our program) is definitely a classy guy. I am really glad to know him. It's moments like these that I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I know that this is where God wants me to be.

I also think it is really important to interact with nature every once in awhile. I get my share of the ocean, usually, but this kind of nature is a bit different. It is very hard to describe the feeling that being in nature gives me, but it is definitely special. I feel the power of God in nature - it's realness, the awe of it, and combination of strength and beauty. I hope to not go so long again before my next journey to the Alps. They truly do make you want to sing...the hills are alive...

Well, if you didn't notice, I kinda published this story in reverse order so that it would flow better. Let me know if my plan backfired and I confused anyone.

I wish I could be more descriptive, etc. but I am so tired right now...