School

School is a little different in the US ...

Wils on the back porch ... in "school"

School is fun!! ...

... but math is always math.

30 days or there abouts in the USA

Time to check back into the blog world after a transition time of moving us: family, pets and stuff from on continent to another.

The last two months have been a whirl of packing, flying, landing, semi-unpacking, and culture adjustment. I am slow to say culture shock, as it is more of an easing into new/old environments.

Life around Williamsburg has exploded with new roads and buildings. It is familiar, but at the same time new.

I noticed this yesterday while attending a worship service. Was this guy speaking in such simpler terms and concepts then our pastor in Germany or was it the fact that I did not have to have the words running through my internal translator first, thus eliminating one step along the way. It take much less energy to listen to your mother language.

Writing checks is a renewed item on my list of adjustments. I do find it much easier to keep track of monies with checks.

Drivers license: Somehow my renewal did not make it to our Virginia mailing address while we were abroad. So I am three years overdue, thus I need to take all of the test.
But first I need to prove that I am actually a resident of Virginia....my passport is only good to prove that I am an American citizen. At this moment I am stateless.
That will change this morning..I am off to take the tests...eye, written and driven. WISH ME LUCK!

Count down: Saturday 59, Sunday 58 Monday 57,

Saturday July 3rd; Countdown - day 59 - I like living here, when during the World Cup, I can be surrounded by 3,000 of our closest Friends while watching Germany boot Argentina 4-0.

✈

Sunday July 4th; Countdown day 58 - what I like about living here is even while in Europe we are able to celebrate our Nation's Independence Day with good American friends and that we can spontaneously sing the American National Anthem AND make it sound great with harmonies and proper breathing and inflection. Guess we have sung that a time or two in our childhoods! Oh, say can you see....!!!!

plus good hamburgers and marshmallow roasting.

✈

Monday, July 5th, Countdown day 57 - I like hearing a hawk call so directly overhead, that I duck to see if it is landing nearby.

Bärlauch Pesto, seasonal eating

Bärlauch is a garlicky leek tasting plant that is a sure sign of spring in Germany. In the States it is called by the name of Ramps or wild leeks.

When gathering from the wild here in Germany it is better to pick before the Lily of the Valleys spring up as the leaves look about the same. The Lily is poisonous and the other is not; although one must also pick the Bärlauch before its flowers start to bloom as they become poisonous then also. So your window to enjoy this great spring delicacy is not long. and you need to know what you are doing or buy it in the store.

A couple of Fridays ago we were by a friends home and they happened to have a patch of Bärlauch and she cut a large bunch. I happily went home and created the following new favorite of mine Bärlauch Pesto.

for 2 people:
50g Bärlauch (Ramps), 20g Pine nuts, 50-100ml cold pressed Olive oil, 50g grated Parmesan cheese. For nuts I did not use pine nuts but ssubstituted and combined nuts to get my 50g with Walnuts, Hazelnuts and/or almonds. Walnuts straight are my favorite taste.


Very simple to make: gather ingredients,

gind up nuts and cheese with a stickmixer,

drizzle in some of the Olive Oil,

start to add the Bärlauchs/Ramps

add more of the Olive oil as needed to keep it moist,

finish mixing to your desired texture, smooth or more smooth,

serve over pasta, season with pepper and salt and enjoy!

Since I had more than 50grams of Bärlauch/Ramps, I made a large batch and froze most to have for later after the plants are out of season.

I also use the same recipe with Rucola (Arugula) to make a pesto as a change from the normal Basil.

Links of interest:

caloriecount.about.com/blog/partners/ramps-wild-leeks-delicious-spring-treat-b414072?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_20100416&utm_term=continue1

dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/ramping-up-for-spring/

SLOW UP.ch

On September 20, the 3rd Basel-Dreiland slowUp ride was held. It was a ride composed of three loops through the three countries here in the corner of our world. The total loop was 59.4 km divided into a West, Mitte, and East loop. Paul and I rode the western most route, 21.9km, plus the mileage of getting to the starting point and back. So it was a nice day with stops along the way for food and music. real party scene.

Here I am just after crossing from Germany into France by the World's Longest pedestrian and bike bridge in the World! (source: Guinness)

More bikers crossing the Rhine and enjoying the day.

the off ramp, weee, fun

heading towards home....

..and dogs ride for free!

kool logo shots.

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Füller shopping

On Saturday, Wils reminded us that he needed a Füller for school on Monday. Thank goodness he said something on Saturday, as all shops are closed on Sunday.

So off we go to Müller's, a local general store, that has a great school supply department, to buy a left handed fountain pen. At the store there are many choices, but the lefties are harder to find so we ask for help. Now asking for help in most US general stores, is tantamount to asking "just show me where the stuff I'm looking for is located" and getting a reply to that request:"over here". Well, in this store, it is not the case. When we asked for help, the saleslady, came over asking if this Wils' first Füller and then slides out a glass table top from the sales rack and precedes to gather several pens for Wils to try. I am snapping pictures of this poor lady to document this cultural exchange, while I know she is thinking we are the craziest Americans she knows.

Wils got his first Füller and is up and off today, after a nice Easter break to give it a try on school work.

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Month of Malaise, March

I am continually amazed at how it is the seemingly little things that make all the difference in the undercurrent of a culture. Take the example of attitude toward health and sickness vs school attendance. March has been our month of sickness. We have had atleast one child home, three out of the four weeks of March and as we are approaching the Easter holidays in April and I still have one in the bed and all three are finishing up their antibiotics tomorrow. So a lot of school time has been missed. I really cannot believe those words are coming from me, but I am concerned about this; I, who am a homeschooler at heart and who thinks that organized school rooms classes with 23+ plus kids is too much for sanity. But I ramble....

The point of this cultural observation:
Stryker-Ann has been sick and has missed two solid weeks of school. I have emailed one of her head teachers, and I stopped and spoke to her French teacher today. BOTH responded the same: yes she may have some work...but it is more important for her to stay quiet and to get well.
My American culture of: you must go to school or work at all cost of health peaked out and could not believe it ears. You mean really just don't worry about it and get better? What about all of those days missed? get healthy, the work will be there when you return healthy.
From Wils' teacher I recieved the same response, and I am sure if I asked Vaden's it would be the same as well.

I am really liking this attitude of: health really does mean something and the understanding that it does take time to heal some illnesses; which is a part of life. Unlike the attitude of the American culture, that illness is a form of weakness and infringes on ones independent life style. Remember in school, the kids that got an award for not missing a day of school the whole year? I have a friend who received one. I also remember a girl receiving an award for not having missed a day of school her whole high school years. On first analysis this is fantastic and it really is amazing no matter how you look at it, but underlying it is a work ethic that puts all else aside, it is one of the building blocks for future ill health. Now if the child is truely not sick then great, but it is that attitude of I must at all cost to my health and the health of others around me go to work, school, etc. What are we really saying when we do this?

The life here seems to encourage that, if you are sick you stay home and get better, there are enough sick days to cover it, you are a better worker, student if you are healthy. My home culture seems to say..hey you lazy bum, you are not really that sick, are you? It is a real inconvenience and besides you only have so many days to be sick so you better pull your self together and get in to work or school.

Please don't think that because of this attitude toward health, all is peaceful....I'll blog next about the Abitur Prufungen which are the Senior's exams.

on to Amberg, Germany

We traveling to Amberg, Germany this weekend to foto-docu a live nativity.

www.amberg-live.de/single.php3?liste=4&kamera=2
www.amberg-live.de/single.php3?liste=4&kamera=1

You can check out the weather and maybe even see us on this live feed.
So at 6pm (our time), 12 noon EST Saturday I'll find this camera and we will wave to you! look for us to the right of the big tree (from camera 1) or to the left of the tree from camera 2.

You can reply if you see us!

Merry Christmas to all ... we are off to a Weihnachtsmarkt.

random fotos from Basel

A couple of weeks ago I was in Basel, Switzerland for a training meeting. Basel is a beautiful and old city founded by the Celts many years before Christ. so we are talking old, but I have so pics of new randomness that goes along with the old, enjoy:

this is a Xmas shop and it has got to have one of the longest German words I have ever seen. Translated it means: Holynight tree decoration configuration business.

Bikes are all over Basel. It is a major form of transportation...

and parking can be a problem. Check out the sign painted above the bell. Velo (bike) parking forbidden.

pretty iron work on a random door

Hey there!

Driving to Texel, Nederlands, August 23, 2008

And we enter Holland.

cute car...

first old windmill sighting...

cool bridge...

flat farm land, note the new windmills on the horizon...

dike with the first of many sheep sightings...

local industry...

we had a surprise as we entered Den Helder...

waiting for the Ferry at Den Helder

a tall ship coming into the harbor

lots going on this weekend....

our Ferry arrives....

a look back at Den Helder, check out the naval ships....

getting closer, island in view, as well as gulls....

excited, almost there.....

WHAT! only a thirty minute ride!

We made it, and they left the light on for us!

Waterloo-being there

Wils get to handle an infantry sword. It is pretty heavy according to him. The French re-enactor chuckles as we all look on.

Paul says this guy is "Hardcore" meaning for us laymen to reenacting: His outfit is well researched and put together....nothing "farbie" about it.

We like reenactors. V and Paul posing with the infantry. This guy to the right looks the part: right age, right size, (also a good looking Frenchman...yeah Pauls holding on to Vaden pretty tight in this picture)

Here is a statue of the little man himself. This is an excellent museum to visit. We thought the info was given in creative and varying ways. There is even a tour of the battle field by four wheel open bus. We chose not to go as we had a ferry to catch....we also felt like that was for the real enthusiast of the battle ie. lots of Brits the day we visited, they like it here, they won!