The Real Münster

Münster has had some unusually, well, unusual weather since I arrived. Temperatures have been in the mid to upper 70's and for over two weeks straight the sky was completely clear. The idea that Münster gets more rain than the rest of Germany isn't necessarily true. The amount of rain is the same as throughout the rest of the country, it's just that it rains ALL THE TIME here instead of just picking a few choice days to dump. So the sunny days have been blessed and welcomed. Yesterday, however, just as I was going into town to find some shorts and tanks for the weather I was unprepared for, everything became usual again. Rain, rain, all day long. Today too. I had to ride my bike to the northern outskirts of the city today (I live in the southern area) in pouring rain. The above picture is a blurry representation of what my pants looked like a quarter of the way there. I was soaked by the time I got there and the thought of bringing a pair of pants to change into didn't cross my desert mind. The day was spent drying off only to get back on the bike in the continuing rain. Not, of course without a pit stop to buy some rain pants. My ride tommorrow will be much more enjoyable.


Last night I walked over to the Promenade with Ryan and his roommate, Mitja. The Promenade goes along the old city walls and is a green space specifically for pedestrians and bikes. It is always a fun way to get from one side of the city to another meanwhile avoiding car traffic. Anyhow, today was the first flea market of the year along the Promenade. This thing is HUGE, at least a mile long. Everyone sets up on Friday night so the fun can officially begin at 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning. We went around 10:00 p.m. to get a little preview and the place was already buzzing (the above picture is an attempt at a photo in front of the pommes stand). It was a good time. Walking around with a beer and a flashlight looking for the goods. I saw a lot of stuff I don't NEED and it was a test for my inner shopper. Such a test. Until next month....

A Song for You: Le Tigre

I am missing Gabe and, while this is not something I listen to often, I listened to it often with the little boy. We both love to dance and after hearing it in Pibs one day this became a favorite of his, I think because he could sing along a bit and it was funny. He even started calling me Nanny Boo Boo occasionally. So here, have a little dance break today.



Nanny Nanny Boo Boo
This Island
Le Tigre

View

Now that I have my camera I thought I would share a view from my bedroom window. Above is looking straight out and towards the city. The spire you see is St. Josef Church which is a five minute walk from my front door. Of course this is just one of the some 55 old churches in the city. No matter where in the city you are you can rest easy knowing you are very near a church. Sound like Salt Lake? Hmmmm... on that subject... I passed my first pair of LDS Missionaries on wednesday. I could swear one had a distinctly North American accent, Utahn maybe? They were walking in the opposite direction I was cycling. Darn....no opportunity to stop and chat.


This picture is looking down and to the right on my street. Really, not much else to say about that one. Except maybe to note the unusual size of the cars. Small! Even a car the size of my Honda Civic back home is pretty rare except in the more expensive cars (like 30-40,000 Euros!). However, when gas prices are equivalent to $9.50/gallon (no lie) I don't think I would find myself driving some large, heavy piece of steel either.

Take a hop on over to the photo blog to see the wall next to the window and what a girl does when she has to assemble the necessities before she can really start buying art for the wall. Hmmmm....

What I do after a 6:00 p.m. shower...

This is what happened when we took a random direction from the city center. First a marshland/preserve, then a forest, then a farm, and back to a church plaza with cafes. It was a nice surprise for an evening ride.

You do realize what this means right?

Yeah, that I got my camera back! Woo hoo! And that I will now shower you with all the wonderfully random shots I will be taking in celebration.

I had to go to the customs office to pick it up and thank the lord that I live in a larger town. Even here the office is in a completely random, obscure, and hard to find spot. What could have taken me 15 minutes to find took me forty five and the building was hidden and unmarked. Not until you got up to the door (which was very far back from the street) did you see a very small sign that said "Customs". I then was asked to give some sort of proof that the camera in fact belonged to me. Of course I have owned the camera for over two years and had no kind of receipt or anything. In the end, however, I got to take it home with me.

Germany leaves me brothless...

Coughing fits woke me up throughout the night and when waking up this morning my back and stomach muscles were sore. SORE! While this illness could prove to be a great workout I would really enjoy my days more if it were gone. Soooo...This afternoon I thought it would be wonderful to whip us some of my wonderfully spicy Thai Chicken Noodle Soup to help burn up all the nastiness in the chest. I don't think there is any scientific proof to back up that this method works, but it always seems to make me feel better so I just go with it.

There is an Asian grocer just on my corner so all those things that are usually more difficult to find were there and cheap. Turmeric? Check. Soy sauce? Check. Curry paste, coconut milk and fish sauce? Check, check, and check. Now, for a quick walk to the large grocery store on the corner for the chicken and the.....what? No chicken broth!!! Lots of soup, no broth. Okay, a little lie. There were two options for me. One, a very small and expensive jar of broth with herbs and CHICKEN IN IT. Two, bullion. Both with very high sodium content (yes, even more than it's American counterpart) and MSG. I don't like salty food and I really am not a fan of meat in a jar or can. Dunno. Call me weird. I know there is always the option of making my own stock, but with a freezer the third of the size of mine in the U.S. and two other people to share it with I would like to save my little corner of frozen space for, I don't know, ice cream. Anyhow, I went with the bullion. The soup was fine and I wasn't as disappointed as I expected. When I got home I Googled, "buying chicken stock, Germany," and found a discussion forum on the subject. Glad to see I am not the only one with a boggled mind.

A Relaxed Room

I am still waiting for my camera (USPS tracker says it landed in Germany yesterday) so this was taken with my laptop. I love it. Regardless of the time of day my room is sunny and bright. My windows are constantly open so I can hear the neighborhood traffic and conversations and listen to all the birds. And check out my new bed!

Below is some inspiration....some ideas I eventually have for my room. Steady job first...

Landing

It has been nearly two full weeks since my plane landed in Germany launching me into this new chapter. Today, fourteen days after that fateful day, I am noticing that I am not really here yet. Not one hundred percent anyhow. Pieces of me have slowly been finding there way to stable ground, but I have yet to allow my entire self to experience what I am doing. I have been using small excuses such as jet lag, no room of my own, illness, or lack of a bed to rest on to get around completely showing up. "Well, when I just have (insert silly whatever here) I will feel like I am really here."

Uh, wake up call Amanda, you are really here. You are already immersed in a city and by accepting more jobs or invitations you are strengthening your bond to this place.

I noticed this disconnect for the first time today. It usually takes me less time to become aware of such a situation. In such a new space it is easy for me to fall into old unconscious patterns. What is is I feel afraid. Through all the excitement and anticipation I haven't given love to the part of me that is afraid. That part of me will, if I continue to ignore it, bring me down. And I don't want to be down.

I henceforth commit to loving myself for feeling afraid. And to being conscious of my fear when it shows up so that I may have a connected and honest relationship with each person and situation I come into.

Country Sunday

First is a little disclosure for those of you that happen to read both my blog as well as Ryan's. If you see duplicate photos it is because I am waiting for my camera to be sent from California to Germany. So....for now Ryan and I are sharing which means we may end up with the same photos at times. However, I take photos more frequently so I will have a lot more photos to share once I recieve my camera. Okay...on with the post.
This Sunday was spent at a lovely country ranch. Another potential counselor of the camp I am working at this summer teaches riding in Amelsburen, just outside of Münster. The point of the trip was to meet her and watch how she works. She is German and grew up just outside Münster, but has family in New Zealand and has spent a lot of time there. So, naturally, her English is very good. Aside from teaching riding she also coaches vaulting teams. I felt a little silly. I am sure I have seen this before, but it never really clicked that it was popular anywhere. Vaulting is a combination of dance and gymnastics all done on a trotting horse. A team was practicing while we were there so we watched for a short while. Impressive.
The day was warm and beautiful and the relaxed atmosphere was welcome. Aside from the many horses were a few goats, rams, kangaroos (yes, kangaroos) and a peacock. A very colorful cast of characters indeed. I loved how green and vast the space was, beautiful flowers. Just once we saw a regional train quietly whiz past in the near distance. It is nice to know that sort of tranquility is so accessible from the inner city. By bicycle I would be able to be in similar surroundings in 20 minutes. And it is flat so riding the bike is not even so tiring.
Now, two days later, I am quite sick. It seems to be going around here and I usually have a pretty good immune system, but I am all out of wack with the time and climate change. My body doesn't know what to do. I finally got my mattress today and am so happy. Tonight will be my first of many nights in my very own bed in Germany. WooHoo! I will now celebrate by passing out in said bed. Good night.

Song for You: Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

Isobel is the Belle of Sebastion. Mark Lanegan is himself. Together they make fantastic music. This album is fabulous. Another, Sunday at Devil Dirt, is somewhat folksy, somewhat haunting. Try it out....



Do You Wanna (Come Walk with Me)
The Ballad of Broken Seas
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

A First Glance

One month after leaving E Street I have landed in my new home. The photos here are taken with the built in camera from my computer as I am waiting for my digital camera to be cleaned and returned. I have stayed in five different places in as many weeks. It feels nice to know that this is where I will be. After walking over with my things I did the same for Ryan to his new flat. When coming back my first order of business was to unpack all my things, the next was to retire my bags to the basement storage area. Ahhhhh..... Normally I don't have a problem traveling and living out of a suitcase, but I think because I have known that this time is different, that I am moving, it has been especially hard. Especially draining. It feels refreshing to know that this time I don't have to repack in another week. Also, now that I am in my apartment, I will finally have internet and will be able to better answer emails and keep up this blog.

I found a bed for a very good price but when I arrived to pick it up we realized the car was too small. So I took the bed frame tonight and have to rent a car tommorow to pick up the mattress and bed slats. Luckily you can rent cars by the hour so it should only cost me another €5-10. Could be worse. I feel happy that it is a bed I really like. My home space is so important to me so it was a big deal to find something wonderful. I even made the call by myself this time which was huge. I am finding that it is not the skills I lack in speaking, but the confidence. When I am forced to speak German I do fine. Or at least well enough.

Ryan went yesterday to find a bicycle and ended up buying a very good used one from a shop. It turned out, though, that he didn't want it. So without any effort on my part I acquired a bike that I like very much. Also for a decent price. This city is so lovely to ride around, I feel very excited to now have a bike.