pizza

I just had lunch with Sara and she had a pizza. Here in Germany, for the most part, when you order a pizza you get your own individual pie. Its unsliced and you eat it with a fork and knife, the pizza slowly becoming a waning moon on your plate. Its eaten in a sit down restaurant and its all very civilized. Yes I can get a greasy square in 2 minutes at Moritzplatz and there are places in NYC where you can eat pizza with silverware but for the most part I'm used to sharing a giant pie between 4 people which has been sliced into triangles that I eat folded with my hands now dripping with grease and onto my lap. I miss the "miss, ya wan extra cheese on dat?" song, the throw away paper plates, cheesy table tops...

grandmas overtaking

The other day I was riding my bike up a hill rather slowly lost in thought when I became aware of a rider behind me who then passed me. It was a grandma on a bike. Her hair was white, her face wrinkled, her clothes were sporty. She was definately 70 plus, but she was fiesty. She was putting in her all to pass me and I appreciated that because when she slowed down midway up the hill I didn't pass her. This was not the first time and elderly lady got competitive with me and I think its great she's still riding her bike. In fact Ive seen some ladies so wrinkled and frail looking on bikes that I couldn't imagine them standing without a walker. And perhaps they can't! But at least they are still riding. Go ladies! This would never happen in the USA. My grandma was driving a car until she was 90 but a bike? Never.

Birthday

So today is my birthday. Its cold and raining but I'm inside my cozy studio painting and listening to my favorite program, New Sounds.Check out this episode, its with Guy Buttery. He's amazing! (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/newsounds/episodes/2009/01/24)

But today I have some pangs of guilt. In Germany it is customary on your birthday to bring in sweets to your workplace. You host your birthday party. But alas I did not bring in a cake or cookies to work like I planned. I had over ambitious plans which naturally fell through.

In America your boss throws you a little party.However Im the American (or British) tradition I did receive presents from my boss and students and that was very nice. Thank you!

birthdays

So tomorrow is my birthday but don't wish me a happy birthday just yet. In Germany its a no noto wish someone a happy birthday before the actual day. And you definately don't have a party before the actual day even if it's convenient. You just might not make it till then! In America, I'd say you can birthday it up from up to a week before the actual event. I mean if I die on my birthday, in America at least I could have enjoyed a big party the weekend before!

doctor visit

Today I went to the doctors for a check up. I walk into the waiting room and I am greeted by all the waiting patients. I am startled by all the gruß gotts I am getting. I look down at the floor and say gruß gott softly, I don't think anyone heard me but who was I supposed to direct my greeting to anyway? A woman leaves and the chorus sings, "Aufwiedersehen!" I say Aufwiedersehen uncomfortably to myself, no one can hear me. These are the only words said in the waiting room. An introduction and a conclusion but no body. Whats the point? In NYC you just don't acknowledge anyone and if you do say hello usually a conversation follows.

answering the phone

So when I answer the phone I say hello. This really irks Germans...even when they call me on my cell phone. Like, who else is going to answer my cell phone? In America when the phone rings and you pick it up, you just say,"hello". I'm not going to identify myself unless I'm at work because what if a telemarketer calls? A stalker or one of my ex boyfriends? I want them to identify themselves first so then I can decide if I want to say, "yes this is she" or "no she's not home right now" or "sorry you have the wrong number!" In Germany picking up the phone and saying,"Lisa Goldfarb" just doesnt give me this option.

snow

Perhaps its just my perception but in New York and Pennsylvania, when it snows the weatherman keeps track of how many inches has fallen. We get excited when we learn that yet another inch has fallen during the hour. Its in the newspaper. "5 inches of snow has fallen in Allentown PA today!!"
"Wow can you believe it? says the weatherman, The last time 5 inches has fallen on this day was in 2006! Wow so long ago! I wonder how many inches of snow will fall this entire winter. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!"
Here in Bavaria it seems no one cares. Its snowing all day and I ask my boyfriend how much it snowed and he just shrugs his shoulders. He doesn't even care! I want to know! I don't know if its because my German is so bad that I cant find how many centimeters of snow has fallen in the newspaper or internet or that I don't have a t.v. but I feel like no one seems to care. Next time I'm getting out my measuring stick and sticking it in the snow. I'll find out myself!

clothes shopping

I wanted to buy a pair of jeans in Augsburg so I went to Yeans Halle. I tried on a pair and asked the sales clerk what she thought. I thought they looked good and was just looking for false confirmation. To my surprise she said, "hmmm nicht so gut. Ich finde Sie andere." Well she said something like that but in better German. And off she went to look for a better fitting pair. At first I was horrified by the negative feedback but then appreciative that she cared as much as my best friend to tell me the truth and actually look for a solution. She didn't find a better pair in the end but I was happy to know I didn't walk off with a 70 euro ill fitting pair of levis. In America this would never happen. The sales clerk would tell me I look great, I would feel happy and walk off with an ill fitting pair that my best friend would later make me return.

art show

Tomorrow I have an art exhibit in Glonn, a small village between Munich and Rosenheim. Its at 7:30pm and the details are on my website www.lisagoldfarb.com. If you just happen to be in the area drop by!
So since its my show I will be expected to give a speech about my work. Ill also be expected to show up promptly at 7:30pm. These are 2 things that don't happen when you have an art show in the US. In the US you are undercover as the artist. Only people "in the know" know who you are. You will probably show up late or not at all. You are the mysterious artist. I must say its a lot easier being the mysterious undercover artist. Tomorrow not only is my work on display but so am I. I have to appear confident, be punctual and prepare something to say in GERMAN...that makes sense, like use German grammar correctly akkk!

Sunday

Today is Sunday and everything in Germany is closed. I just can't get used to that. In New York, that when I did all my shopping. I cant even go food shopping. Stores even close down in the middle of Saturday. My copy shop closed down yesterday at 12:30. Damn it! I miss food shopping at 2am. I dont like this Sunday day of rest imposed on me, Im just bored! In New York I lived in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood and everything was closed from mid Friday to Saturday night and that was annoying. But at least all I had to do was go to some goy neighborhood and get whatever I needed.

sun

Today it is sunny in Augsburg and everyone is outside sitting in cafes. This would never happen in NYC at this temperature of 10°C or 48°F. OK that's not that cold but it does happen at colder temperatures on the rare sunny day in winter. Cafes even give you blankets. Today hordes of people were even eating ice cream. I'm just not prepared yet to eat ice cream when I'm still wearing gloves.

rain

Its rained and snowed the past couple weeks here in Augsburg, yet in town amidst the white was a sea of colors. Blue, green, yellow striped umbrellas...Colorful rainbow umbrellas , the kind only weirdos in NYC use to stand out amid the sea of black umbrellas.

birds

It took me about 2 years of living here in Germany before I realized what these bird stickers everywhere were for. I thought it was an art exhibit or some sort of street art. But no, its just for the birds and perhaps people too who are prone to walking into windows. They don't do this in NYC but how cool would that be to have bird stickers on every window of every skyscraper in town..maybe in psychedelic colors...

The shaking of hands

One of the first questions I like to ask my business English students is, whose hand do you shake first? They always reply, the woman's. This, my German readers, will get you in trouble. My parents came to Germany to visit me and meet my boyfriends parents. My father stuck out his hand to greet his father and in return his father refused my fathers hand and went to greet my mother. My father was totally offended until I explained to him this custom of greeting ladies first. It is considered a major offense with Americans to refuse someones hand in a greeting. There is no greeting hierarchy, its first come first serve

Mickey D

So I set foot in a McDonald's for the first time since I've been here in Germany. Im generally opposed to fast food, but it was still morning and I had a hash brown craving.
The menu in McDonalds here is different than the menu in the US. For one, it omits certain foods of interests...like hash browns! I tried to explain (in Germlish) to the girl, in this surprisingly clean establishment, that hash browns were like Kartoffel pancakes. She had no idea what I was talking about. Saddened about the news I ordered bacon eggs and coffee. I paid and she said if I would sit down she would serve it to me when it was ready. I was a bit confused by that, 1. because I thought all food at McDonalds are hot and ready to eat immediately and 2. that I would be actually served in McDonalds. Anyway it was a nice experience and I didnt even get a stomach ache afterwards. Amazing.

fashion

It took me awhile to realize why everyone was walking around with their right pants leg rolled up. Is this a new fashion trend? Is half of Augburg part of a gang? Nope. The pant leg is rolled up to avoid getting caught in the gear wheel of the bike. My gear wheel has a covering on it so I was never inducted into the club. This fashion tend has yet to take off in America where most people go by car.

wildlife in Germany

You know the thing that is disappointing or a challenge depending on your perspective is that there aren't as many animals to see when hiking around as in America. I went on a hike with my Dad and Jurij in Pennsylvania a couple weeks ago and the trail was crawling with baby toads. Sooo cute. Like you would see 3 over there and 5 to your left. They must have just hatched. I saw a Garter snake slither by and we saw a white-tailed deer and without looking very hard.

Now I haven't been going out searching for animals, or turning over many rocks like my brother does, but just walking around Augsburg seems to have an abundance of crows, slugs and a couple of jack rabbits here and there.
I rescued a hedgehog from being roadkill one night a couple years ago but rarely do I see a squirrel.
I saved a few mating toads from being roadkill with official toad rescuers outside of Salzburg on a late Summer evening
One day this spring I saw a couple of European Jays outside my window, but never to be seen again.
This summer I actually caught a lizard while bike riding in the Alps which was very exciting. Matt and I saw the poisonous Black Adder near KuSee. And last weekend I found an Alpine salamander on a rainy hike in the Allgaü which was also very exciting.

a bruise or a beard

So while I was in PA visiting my folks I went on a bike ride with my Dad. I was testing out my Moms mountain bike when after only 8 miles I stopped short and flew over my handlebars. My only injury was a small cut on my chin. It didnt hurt so much but it was a real bleeder and the sight of my own blood makes me pass out so we had to wait awhile before I was back on my feet. Luckily a man in a red pick up truck with a confederate sign on the front of his truck that said redneck loaded us into his truck bikes and all and took us home. He was patient, didnt say much and didnt smile. He was our unfriendly good Samaritan.

For one week I had a small cut on my chin, no big deal. But then on our way to the Alps for a nice hiking weekend, I bumped ever so slightly my chin on my bookbag. Bam! Extreme pain and a big blue bruise to follow. We hiked to the top of the mountain and had lunch at a mountain lodge. There I was made fun of by a picnic table full of drunk Germans. They said I looked like I had a beard. In fact they were so drunk that I think they did think I actually had a beard.

People were really staring at me and some asked questions. I began to empathize with cirus freaks. In America, you dont stare or at least youre not obvious about it. And I think this is where American and German differ. My German friends and collegues immediately asked me what happened and were giggly about it. My American friends didnt say anything but waited for me to volunteer the information.
Luckily after 2 long weeks the drama is over and Im back to looking just peachy instead of having a blue moon.

america visit: restaurant differences

I'm visiting the land of the free for a few weeks and I'm really enjoying the free ice water I get as soon as I sit down at a restaurant not to mention the butter that comes with the bread!

I really find it annoying that I have to pay for bottled water in Europe. I have gotten free tap water at restaurants in Europe but they make you uncomfortable for doing so. And I must admit the bread in Germany is tasty enough to eat with out butter and I'm saving a few calories in the process!

coffee talk

The other day I went to Powwow, a local coffee house, with a friend. It was pretty warm out so I thought a cold drink would be a little more refreshing than the hot coffee which I would normally get. So I ordered an ice coffee. I said, Grüss Gott. Ich hätte gerne einen ice coffee. ( I would like an ice coffee. She said, "ok" and I paid. Then I waited longer than I thought for an ice coffee. And I wondered why the guy in the back was making some sort of ice cream sundae and not my simple ice coffee. Shouldn't my drink come first since I just paid?

In the next minute the guy turned around, smiled at me, said "ice coffee?" and handed the bewildered me the ice cream sundae.

Ok so it wasnt an ice cream sundae. It was a glass of hot coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top. What I actually ordered was an Eiskaffee. "Eis" sounds exactly like the English word "ice". Eis means ice cream. It is one of the rare German words that actually has less letters than the English counterpart.

If you want an ice coffee, that is a cold coffee with ice cubes in it, go to Powwow and ask for an Iced Kaffee and really pronounce the d. However when I tried asking for an Iced Kaffee in several other coffee houses in the area, they had no idea what I meant...so I suffered not to badly with an icecream coffee. Damn they are really good!