Here, it is quite common for kids to use fountain pens for school, and they're very modern, cool-looking fountain pens, too. This one is so unbelievably awesome, I use it every day.
Today I went to a Schwimbad in a town near Baden-Baden with our neighbors, Frau and Herr Lieber. It was quite nice, like a giant, swimming pool-sized hot tub. There were water jets along the walls, and many fountains and whirlpools and water current things in the center. Every single person there was probably over 50. It was so, so funny, but felt really nice -- it's a thermal pool, so the water is naturally warm. It was actually raining too, which I loved, even though Frau Lieber made me wear this horrible swim cap.
Afterwards we had a lovely lunch; I had salad with rotkraut and then vegetable Maltaschen (which are like ravioli, only bigger and with spinach and mashed potato and usually meat) in alfredo sauce. Then, green tea. Then, we went on a drive through the Black Forest and then to Pforzheim. We went on a lovely, scenic drive through Pforzheim (sarcasm intended), and then to an accordion store owned by a friend of Herr Lieber. It turns out that he has about 15 accordions of his own, and he will let me play one sometime. Isn't that awesome?
The day before yesterday, I spent the day with Tang in Pforzheim. It was really, really funny for me because she had never been there before, and she LOVES it. She kept saying, "I love it here because it is SO much cheaper than Karlsruhe!" She is very frugal, but she bought tons of things -- clothes and shoes and shampoo and makeup. I said, "I don't like Pforzheim because it isn't pretty." She said, "I LOVE Pforzheim. It is pretty!" This was not even by the river. This was by the Hauptbahnhof. Isn't that interesting? Maybe it does depend on how one looks at it after all. Anyway, Tang's absurdly good attitude Saturday combined with a decent falafel sandwich for lunch made me a little more eager to give Pforzheim a chance.
Of course, all of this dialogue was in German. When I am with Tang, we speak nur Deutsch, which is one of my favorite things about spending time with her. We even watched Freaky Friday (the one with Lindsay Lohan, unfortunately) in German.
In other events, I am SO EXCITED to see Davy Rothbart in Stuttgart next week!! Plus I have a vegetarian dinner in Mühlacker to look forward to, so while I've still got this completely inappropriately horrible attitude, things are looking up.
3 Kommentare:
okay, i have to say while i sympathize SO MUCH with your homesickness, loneliness, culture shock, and admire your bravery to do this thing you're doing, i am JEALOUS now! of the following:
1)your cool pen
2)soaking in the warm schwimbad
3)falafel
4)accordions
5)davy in stuttgart
you are a brave girl, but you're also a lucky one!!
Thanks for the update. I, too, am jealous!
Have you e-mailed Davy?! If not, do! Make sure you coordinate saying hi, etc. I still think you should ask to introduce him -- just for fun!
love,
Dad
I am so jealous of all the things you are doing... I guess I shouldn't compare what I do here to your activities but, I do! It is funny how when I look back on Scotland it is the little things that I miss tremendously like the sandwich place that had cheap brie and apple sandwiches, the "conservators" who ran a/v equipment for professors and wore blue smocks/lab coats, the little kids walking to school with golf clubs, the chocolate selection, the little pints of milk that we would buy with the pull tabs, the yogurt, (notice it tends to be about the food for me)etc etc... I am jealous that you get to discover all those things now.
Having said all that, we do miss you tons and can't wait until you can see Stella again!
Kommentar veröffentlichen