Pencils sharpened, clothes laid out.....

....I ate a decent dinner and will go to bed early.

I haven't taken a test in....years. Although I just started my language course two weeks ago my first big test is tomorrow morning and it covers the equivalent of a two semester university language class.  I feel uncharacteristically confident and relaxed.  The calmness of my nerves is aided by the fact that if I don't do well it means nothing except that I have more to learn, and that is already a given.  This experience has so far been so wonderful because I am doing the course for no greater purpose than to learn it.  My ability to get it or not doesn't affect how I am perceived or what I can or cannot do with my future.  There is no GPA hovering and threatening to crash around me.  It's quite lovely really.

So that's all.  I have a test.  It begins while most of you are sleeping.  So before you drift off tonight I would love it if you think a lovely thought and send it my way.

WE: When I listen to my heart.....

Acompañame a estar solo, originally uploaded by Debbie Cakes.

Interpret the question as you wish.

To find out what this is about and how to participate go here.

A song for You: Through the morning, through the night

Go to their site
Buy it on Amazon



Through the Morning, Throught the Night
Raising Sand
Robert Pland and Alison Krauss

A list of sorts OR why my ALC nickname sticks OR überblick

1.  As previously mentioned I have been helping my friend Karen design four (!) websites.  What this has looked like:  weekly chats over Skype about her vision for the sites, designing then redesigning then redesigning still more each little element.  Finding perfect color and image combinations to express a feeling.  Learning then editing lines and lines of HTML.  In addition to the design aspect has been the development of each of her businesses.  Getting clear about the intention of what she is doing and where she hopes to take it.  I LOVE this kind of work for the same reason I love hosting parties, planning menus and arranging furniture.  The excitement for me comes in establishing a certain energy and expressing that to a larger community.  Certainly Karen's personal blog, comedy site, pet service site, and food/movement site are targeted to and serve very different purposes.  Please, please, please (yes, I am begging) go check them out.  We have working for months and our work together is coming to a close.  I feel very excited to share my creative work/our joint creative work with all of you.

2.  I am learning German and quickly.  I am still enjoying the course very much.  Again, after months of isolating myself I am finally emerging from my cocoon and flitting around excitedly and gracefully in my new surroundings.  I love meeting so many new people.  I am often surrounded in class by atleast one of the three Brasilians.  Where else do people come from?  Tunisia, Russia, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Ireland (he's a boxer (: ), Morroco, Honduras..... all brought together by the common goal to learn.  I was invited by fellow blogger Gypsy at Heart to share an audio file of me speaking.  To that I say, "Vielleicht später.  Jetzt habe ich noch viel zu lernen, aber mein duetsch mach Fortschritte.  Danke für die Einladung."  In other words...soon.  Maybe.

3.  I have found myself in an interesting and potentially difficult financial situation, although that seems to be true for more and more people as of late.  I will say that my relationship with money has shifted even over the last year.  In the past I would be completely distracted and consumed by the obstacle I have come upon.  But I am finding it easier than ever to breath and relax.  Finding creative and fun solutions to what is happening.  Please stand by as one of those solutions will be revealed very soon.  How very fun

4.  Relating to both the language course and the money issue I learned something very exciting.  At the end of the seven months I must take the level B2 test.  Should I pass this test then nearly half the tuition I payed for the course will be refunded from the Bundesamt (State Department).  The course is already quite cheap, but really this is extraordinary news and ever more incentive to study hard and learn.  Additionally, if I pass this test I get a certificate which makes it much more possible to stay in Germany longer and to do more than just teach english.  The first exam is next Wednesday which is for the first level.  That's right.  What they teach in one year in school we have done in 1 1/2 months!

5.  The last point is another creative share.  Some of you may remember when I had this drawing and promised to design and make some coasters.  Eventually I followed through and Sarah received them this week.  I have been waiting to share until I got word that another package I had sent off as a surprised arrived to it's destination.  I haven't heard yet although I am certain it will get there soon so I leave you with a few visuals of the fun things I have been creating.  I hope I don't ruin the surprise of the other two items.




*Update* Since posting this I have taken a nap and cleared my mind a bit. I am reading and seeing my many typos and mistakes. Today I am choosing to leave them as I feel it accurately portrays the fact that my head is, as of late, buzzing and having difficulty focusing. I am looking forward to the weekend when I have a bit of free time to really do nothing.

I found your camera

Check out  I Found Your Camera.  A fun place to scan and look at found photos and a great reminder that people are thoughtful, it's always nice to hear a success story.  The can also be found on Facebook here.

A gift and LOVELuck

"Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert, originally uploaded by harmoniousmanic.

I have been helping my friend Karen design and launch her new websites and have had a grand time playing and creatively collaborating with her. We both have talked about community, why it is so important to us, how to extend beyond our existing communities to share and grow. Part of that, for me, has been Weekend Exposure. For Karen it is the LOVELuck Bookclub. It is a monthly bookclub that is centered around food, movement, laughter, and community. All things I love.  And this bookclub works so well for me because:

• It's free (except for that part where you have to go to your local bookstore and buy the book)
• It's centered around an  online forum, not monthly meetings, meaning anyone in the world can participate.
  
• Again, because it uses a forum, all time constraints are lifted.  I can read a previous month's book and still be able to share my thoughts and read the thoughts of others.

Reading is a favorite thing of mine. I usually have three or four books going at once but reading has fallen along the wayside since moving. English books are not so hard to come by, but they are much more expensive. I have been s...l...o...w...l...y... reading the new Jeanette Winterson book. Dragging it out as long as possible so I don't have to purchase another book.  Today I received my copy of this months LOVELuck book, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  It's all about a woman who leaves what she has always known behind to find love, good eats, and learning abroad.  How fitting. It was gifted to me from Karen and I was so stoked to see the package sitting on my desk this afternoon.  (Thanks K.....I can't wait to start chatting with you about this book).

Have you already read this book?  What did you think?  Go to the LOVELuck Forum and share your insights.  This is another community that I would love to see grow, grow, grow.

*Update*  Amanda walks around town and happens into a discount bookshop....with an English books section.  She then proceeds to have a private celebration internally.

arrival and release

Week one of my intensive language course is officially finished. Since arriving my main goal has been to really learn German. I have spent the last months waiting for the course to begin and in that time have worried myself sick. Would I be able to handle it, could I keep up, would I be behind before it even started? Could I make friends or would I revert back to my old ways of being a wallflower? As per usual, I needed not worry. The ulcers I potentially gave myself were for nothing.

I have learned a lot about myself in the last few years, specifically about the way I process and retain information. It's something that would have been wonderful to know fifteen years ago, but I am glad I have the opportunity to apply it now. Mostly I know that I need to be having fun in class for anything to stick. Laughter and movement are a HUGE part of my learning process. I have had a great time bringing my own sense of humor to the classroom. Finding the balance between helpful and conscious play and distracting play. When working with in pairs I challenge myself to move my body and laugh. I am surprised how easeful this week has felt. I feel I am emerging as a sort of leader in the group, a role I have never felt comfortable taking. I have always preferred hanging back and observing. That was always the less scary alternative, but I didn't learn a whole lot in that way. I am feeling surprisingly confident in this new dynamic.

The possibility of making friends in this class is wonderful as well. Twice this week I hung out with classmates after class. Today I spent an hour or so at the bookstore and over coffee with Amel, from Tunisia, speaking German the entire time. I felt a great release afterwards, feeling unafraid when going into a shop and having to ask about some things. I feel absolutely energized about learning which is a very new and exciting sensation. The sense of of having no direction that has been hanging over me these last months has suddenly melted away. How lovely it is to feel as though there is some purpose in what I am doing, and a purpose in making this ridiculous move.

Today, my heart sings with joy.

WE: What are you doing this fall?

Mette's wellingtons, originally uploaded by Michel...

To play along read the rules/guidelines. Do you have an idea for a Weekend Exposure topic? Send it to me via email.

A bit of geekery

My hands have been quite busy making scarves, gloves and hats for the upcoming winter. But I took a small break from all the "practical" things to use up a little of my scrap yarn. What resulted was this severed monster finger, used to hold my Burts Bees lip balm on my key ring. A bit tacky? I don't much care.

When given a free morning and clear skies....

Originally today was to be my first day "back to school" so to speak. Believing you can never fully understand a place when you can't fully communicate, learning german is my main goal in moving here. I have enrolled in an intensive seven month language integration course. With twenty hours a week in the classroom through March I better know the language when it's all over. School has always been a weak point for me. My grades were always okay, I was even in accelerated and honors courses, but at the expense of working my ass off and just getting by. I have learned a lot about myself since then, however, and feel excited to tackle this form of learning again. It's that excitement that surprises me, although there is good share of fear mixed in as well.

The class was cancelled today giving both Ryan and me a morning off. The weather the last few days has been agreeable so we decided to take a chance and ride out of the city. We were greeted with mostly clear skies but it was a bit colder than either of us prepared for. Nonetheless, it was nice to get a little escape. My aunt Racine sent me some of her fabulous cinnamon dried apples which I picked up from the post office just before we left. One bag was gone before we had even left our first sightseeing spot. Thanks Nene, the are SO GOOD (see how satisfied Ryan is).

Our ride took us to two moated manors and one moated castle.  Our luck was greater than our first castle ride as Burg Hülshoff is not abandoned.  It is linked to a famed family in the region and one of Germany's greatest poets, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, and therefore kept up very well and greatly visited.  The main castle houses a restaurant and museum, both of which cheap R & I did not patronize.  Instead, we packed food and roamed the grounds which were more than large enough to occupy our time.

It was a magical place, green and grand.  As we were walking along this stretch of the path my mind wandered to Alice, peacefully reading under a tree until the curious white hare came busily wizzing by starting a whole chain of events.  The magical wonderland was unfolding in my imagination until it was interrupted by Ryan who was laying out all the reasons that this would the perfect stronghold when the dead rise.  Easily destructible wooden bridges, surrounded by water, land to harvest food, fenced in.....  We were both in our happy daydream lands.

Walking away from the castle through a long path in the woods you came to this structure.  I got quite excited when glancing at the door in which it said 'Tea House'.  With barely contained joy I exclaimed, "I would totally ride my bike out here just for a cup of tea."  Alas, it was a tea house long ago, but is now used as an art gallery.  That didn't stop my mind from creating wonderful scenarios in which I was the owner of such a tea house where I wore a flour smudged apron, chatted with visitors over ginger-peach scones, and heated the tea water in a kettle over the fire.  Occasionally, the little aristocrats from the main house would run down and I would share my knowledge of living simply and joyfully while showing them how to make the perfect shortbread.  Ahhhh, but back to reality.

It was lovely to take the opportunity to escape for a half day.  There are many other castles I would love to visit, but I have a feeling that will have to wait until spring, it is getting too cold now.
Instead of returning home and via the way we came, I had to go to work, taking another route.  My great sense of direction is something I am always very proud of.  But since getting here I find I am often completely turned around and going a direction I don't want, suddenly I am in the middle of nowhere.  I got frustrated on the way to work because none of the signs seemed to make sense with the map.  But then,  on the castle grounds, there was this sign.  Ausgang=exit.  There was just one exit but apparently it doesn't matter which way you go, eventually you will get there. No wonder I am often confused.

More photos from the day can be found here.

Giving in

Not only have I come to terms with the fact that autumn is not coming, but is fully here, but I am actually loving it. I usually do, but after a summer of cold, cold, cold with a few sporadic moments of warmth, it seemed the magic of fall would be lost. Thankfully the weather has been beautiful. Today, as I walked about, wrapped comfortably in my scarf, I caved in and finally visited Starbucks. Coffee shops just don't exist here the way they do in the States. One of my favorite parts of fall is walking in the crisp air, being warmed by the hot drink in my hands. How I love a caramel latte.....I will shamelessly be returning. 
This woman is demonstrating some of the wonderful fashion choices made here.  People have a really wonderful time creating their own artwork for the home.  I wouldn't be surprised if she bought this white suit and thought to herself, "This would be wonderful if I stenciled on some butterflies."

I spent most of the day walking with Ryan around the Old Town watching people. The Münster marathon was today so there were crowds everywhere. Below is a photo of the Prinzipal Markt just after the festivities ended.

A Song for You: Tiger, My Friend

I don't have a lot to say. Only that a shift in my attitude towards this weather brought a shift in what I was listening to. You should listen too.

Psapp Website
Psapp MySpace



Tiger, My Friend
Tiger, My Friend
Psapp

Take the Toss

I have noticed a some entries for Weekend Exposure with some lengthy, some not, descriptions.   Here are my thoughts.

Firstly, I love seeing an image stand alone.  As a viewer I have the opportunity to interpret the image rather than being fed it's meaning and in this way it can have many meanings.  When I don't understand I have the chance to ask more questions and it opens up a flow of creative thought.  It is for this same reason I don't read artist statements or description of music and dance pieces.  Creativity is lost when it gets explained away.

Secondly, I am interested in seeing what comes up by letting just a picture stand in for what I want to communicate.  Will everyone know what I am thinking?  Will I be misunderstood?  Will I be judged?  All are questions that go through my head.  I think what is more important, though, is the letting go.  It is seeing what feelings or thoughts occur when I do, then answering those questions.  Why am I afraid of judgement or misunderstanding and what does that mean?  That, I think, is an interesting narrative and one that I feel very interested in engaging in with anyone who wants to join me.

So my invitation and request for all current/future WE participants is to take the toss.  I request that your entries include a photo and credits only.  No other commentary, justification, or narrative of any type and see what happens.

Thank you all for playing along.  Each week our community grows by a few which brings me so much joy.  I would like to start a blog list of all WE participants in my sidebar so people can easily browse.  If you don't want to be included in this public directory please comment or send me an email.

WE: What do you appreciate most about America/your home country?

Tree of Hope, originally uploaded by carf.

WE Rules/Guidelines

Es tut mir sehr leid

I always snicker to myself when my english is corrected by Germans.  Occasionally it is over my word selection but more often it is my pronounciation.  You know, cuz we 'mericans don't speek so good.  It is engrained in them, especially among the well educated, that the British are the only one's who speak properly. I think the scene that happened earlier today takes the cake.

Guther (yes, that's really his name):  What would you call this?

B:  That would be garbage or trash.  However, since kids are taught British english it would be rubbish.

Gunther:  They would not be taught that in schools, they learn Oxford English.

Apparently, in my American ignorance, I have been unaware that there is a strain of the English species that has evolved in a way that they are beyond waste.

A Song for You: Salty Air

I have resolved myself to the fact that any chance of summer has passed and we are officially on to fall. But consider this song my one last complaint, beckon, mention, yearning....... oh sweet warmth.

Bitter:sweet Homepage
MySpace



Tiger, My Friend
The Mating Game
Bitter:Sweet

WE: What are you currently daydreaming?

All day I have been walking around an....................around and wondering what this weeks question....would be. I would begin....come to something....mind...........suddenly it was....................

House On The Mexican Cap - [02] - Hopes And Fears, originally uploaded by Ichor.

Want to know what's going on and how to join the fun? Go here.

Labor Day mish-mash

Ahhh....the one time I have had a lot of action in my life is the time I go awol from the blog. Beginning last thursday I went to a lot of events around the city. Beginning with a horse show on thursday. Entry was free so I went in the morning, for "work" mind you, and watched the Dressage competition. I had no idea what was going on but it was entertaining none the less, I made up amusing rules and scoring methods in my head most the time. The horses were graceful and sometimes seemed to float across the grounds. Unfortunately I did not get video of my interpretation as shown to Ryan, rather amusing. The setting didn't hurt either as it took place in front of the Schloß (castle). I never made it back on Sunday for the jumping competitions, that would have been fun to watch.

The Münster hotair balloon festival (photos) also stretched out over the weekend for four days. It was situated right on the lake along with music and food. I haven't been to a ballon festival since I was a kid so it was fun. It also meant the each evening fifty or so balloons would be floating over the city. Very fun.

We were graced with an entire weekend of sunshine and warmth for which I am very grateful. Leaves are already falling to the ground here and the coming of autumn feels less magical than usual. The surprise is lost on me here since the warm days are just little treasures to be found between all the cooler days. But R and I took advantage by sleeping/picnicking along the canal on Saturday. It is a favorite place for me to go, more so than the lake. The lake is in the city center and is often busy with people running, playing and barbequing. The canal is just far enough that it feels like a bit of an escape and there is still enough people watching to be had without feeling like the tranquility of a summers afternoon is lost. I love listening to the water and watching the barges float by.

The next day R and I escaped the city for a ride through the forest and corn fields, our end destination a cafe in the countryside with mini golf and canoeing. After our bratwurst and beer lunch (which were, more or less, our only options) we played a round of golf and at moments it was actually a little hot. I was pleased.

All in all, a wonderful way to spend a holiday weekend. Friday night, as we stood watching the balloons getting ready for their big show, I stood silently listening to the woman on stage singing. Many of her selections were good ol American favorites icluding Sweet Home Alabama. At one point, while singing Take Me Home, Country Roads, my heart swelled with love and missing. Certainly, being away from home reinforces the love and ties I have to Utah and to the US. It has been interesting being here, especially in a Presidential election year. Learning about this culture, one that I, admittedly, have judged in many ways superior to our own. Seeing it's flaws and in return being able to embrace more than ever all that I love about my home country. I feel excited and scared about our future as a nation, and optimistic. I also feel proud to be here at this time and be a representative of the US, to show the people what is good and right in our country and our people. So, I leave you with this:



Photos in Mosaic:
1. CIMG1787, 2. CIMG1758, 3. CIMG1745, 4. CIMG1638, 5. CIMG1734, 6. Untitled, 7. CIMG1755, 8. Rubin Cortes, 9. CIMG1634