New Horizons

My first week at my new working place is over and I've already learnt a lot. I wasn't bored and am confused in the right kind of way. You know what I mean: the way that urges you on to learn everything that you can possibly learn about the matter. So I'm looking forward to my second week.

As I am living in Bavaria now I can see all the things the whole world keeps talking about when talking about Germany. I've always wondered about some silly prejudices about Germany and the image of dirndl and lederhosen-clad Germans, sausages, huge amounts of beer and pretzels.
Well - now, I'm right in the middle of it. Yesterday, I went for a shopping trip to Munich and boy, did I see every single one of those things. There was even a fast-food-kinda-booth for pretzels:

You can buy the basic butter-pretzel there. But also pretzels with cream cheese or even Leberkäse (the original Bavarian meat loaf). Oddly enough, they are also offering coffee drinks and mashed (Bavarian) potatoes with different toppings. My butter pretzel was really good and next time I'm trying the mashed potatoes.

(The first picture is Bad Tölz at dawn. It was my first day at work and I missed my bus and had to wait for over an hour to take the next one. I was really embarrassed by this and called my workplace. Fortunately, they were really nice about it.)

Christmas Bonus

Sorry to bother you again, but I just wanted to show you our Christmas tree 2011. We bought new glitter balls this year at Lauscha, where all glitter balls are originally from. The years before I decorated our tree with old glitter balls from our family. We've even got some from the 1950s. And we normally stick to traditional colors. We never intended to buy something in Lauscha - we just wanted to show some friends our Thuringian forest. But then - we saw a Christmas tree in white (frosted and with a luster like a pearl), green and tea brown (however you call it) glitter balls and fell in love!

I totally love the owl. (Can you spot it?) (And we spent most of pre-Christmas to fold Bascetta-stars to put them into the branches.)

The tree was from our garden.

(Pictures taken with the Lumix DMC FZ48. My mother got this camera for her birthday in late november. I'm very jealous. )

Yes, I just love this owl.

Now, hush, to bed I go. Good Night.

Christmas Markets No 9

Christmas time this year has been kind to me. I visited no less than 6 different Christmas Markets all over Germany. That's not bad. Not bad at all. (Normally I'm happy to see two different Christmas Markets in one Christmas season.)

This last picture was taken two days before Christmas Eve in Weimar. This Christmas Market has been voted the best Christmas Market of the World by the bloggers of CNNGo.com. See the article here.
Sadly it was a rainy and grey day. Which is odd as my visits in Weimar are normally sunny and much more welcoming. See picture for reference:

(Same spot in summer. It's a normal weekday market.) I love Weimar and just can't recommend a visit enough. It has atmosphere. History is all around (the good and the bad) and you can find many things in its crooked backstreets.

For me Christmas is already far, far away. I'm back in HD, collecting my stuff, sending some home, packing up the rest. It is just unbelievable how much I could fit in this small room of mine. And I totally need an e-book reader. All my books are way too heavy.

I hope I find time to write before leaving. I don't know how my internet connectivity will be for the next two months or so as my pension won't have wifi. Fortunately a friend lends me an internet stick, but the connection might be too slow for uploading anything here.

Only two days till leaving! Still can't believe it.

Christmas Markets No 8

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. I - for my part - did. Sadly, our Internet broke down and I wasn't able to post some pictures I took earlier. These pics are from my last visit to the Heidelberg Christmas market. Once again - sorry for the poor quality.

Christmas Markets No 7

Christmas market booths in front of the Munich city hall.

Here I am. Sorting my things and throwing away stuff. Stuff I wouldn't throw away if I could help it. Stuff I'd love to give to friends if I'd knew they want it. But sadly, they don't. (Really, it's just old pens - most of them not working anymore -, some tea no one would drink, tons of copies from Japanese and English books (I swear I wanted to read those!!), seminar notes (I'm always thinking that I surely will need them again - but really it's about the definition of literature in different cultures and I'm fairly sure they are not going to ask me about that in my new position.)

Thank God I was quite well organized with my Christmas presents this year. The rig rag scarf for my father is finished and a crochet scarf for my mom will shortly be. May take some pics and show you.

Greetings!

Christmas Markets No 6

Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt: I just loved this city of tents with stars all over the place. Sorry for the low quality. I normally don't take pictures at night just because my little Lumix camera just can't cope with it. But my time in Berlin was so limited and I wanted to give you an impression.
The atmosphere there was the best! Even though one had to pay 1 Euro to get in. Not really a big problem, as I know some middle age themed Christmas Markets in my home area that cost easily up to 10 Euro entrance fee, but some people in my queue were actually complaining.
Well, the prices inside aren't funny either - so I didn't even buy a hot waffle as I had planned to (3 Euro with plain sugar as opposed to 2 Euro for the same in Heidelberg).

And so the year comes to a close...

...with many new things to begin next year.

If you asked yourself where I was last week:
- from Sunday till Tuesday I was in Berlin enjoying the Christmas Markets there and also attending a second round job interview.
- they wanted me
- but I said NO.
- I'm not greedy or anything but I'd like to actually be able to life comfortably from now on.
- also there were no possibilities of ever going anywhere else.
- Yes, I was sad about saying NO.
- Actually it's hard to always get rejected when searching for a job but being the one to reject a job is even harder.
- I went to Munich on Thursday for another job interview.
- I got this job! (What's wrong with december?? ;) )
- I said YES.
- I will live and work near Munich starting from January 2nd.
- I'm super nervous if I'll be able to do everything the way they want it.
- Also about finding new friends.

But I'm happy that the Time of Waiting is over now. My life starts afresh.

At this point I'd like to thank YOU, my readers (especially the BIG FIVE up in the corner) for finding me here and following the hardest year of my life.
I like writing here and will go on. Please feel free to come back here often!

Greetings!