Happy happy homemaking

Along with baking many batches of cookies today for our upcoming house party (everyone in apartment building is involved and each apartment invites 10 friends), I considered cleaning the apartment, had friendly conversations with the neighbors, went grocery shopping, and murdered at least 30 creatures.

I also murdered at least 50 creatures yesterday. And you thought I was such a nice person...

We have an ongoing fruit-fly problem. Granted, I have fruit lying around and there certainly are enough breadcrumbs and other savory items around all calling out to the little drosophila. But...that's how I want my kitchen to be. (Well, ok, I could do without some of the crumbs - but I like having fruit and tomatoes in bowls.)

Last week I walked around like a zombie with my hand-held dust buster. Getting dressed - ZAP!, cooking - ZAP!, cleaning - ZAP!, working on presentations, CV, etc. - ZAP ZAP ZAP! What's really really rewarding - maybe sort of like scrubbing your face or brushing your teeth or many other personal hygiene tasks that we won't talk about here - is watching the transparent dust and dirt holder fill up with the little annoying fruit vampires. Before the dust buster I had been slapping them with a rolled up notebook - but then I had to scrub the wall/mirror/window to remove their corpses every time I did that. At some point during wall scrubbing and subsequently dust busting - I realized how much TIME I was wasting on the continuous hunt.

So I googled "getting rid of fruit flies" or some such term and was happy to learn that I had everything at hand to get rid of fruit flies passively. Namely: One glass, a small amount of alcohol - preferably wine, one sheet of paper, a bit of tape.

See the contraption (and the success!) right here. (I know, you're all going "ick!" but some days...well...this is really the most exciting thing to blog about.) Passive murder. I'm responsible. The smell of the alcohol draws them in and then they can't figure out how to get back out through the funnel. They fly around until they die from exhaustion and drop into the liquid below.

I'm hoping when it gets colder that they will mostly die off anyway...

Shelf Cat

I admit it, I put her up there. But now she's been up there for an hour and has no interest in coming down.

"How Do you 'Du'?"

And now, for a little discourse on one of the great challenges of returning to the German language...

For those non-German readers out there, German has both formal and informal versions of the word "you." For strangers, professional situations, and to show respect, the word "Sie" is used for "you." And for family, friends, *some* workplace colleagues, and apparently the gym (in Germany: "Sportstudio") and hair salon establishments, the word "Du" is used for "you." So theoretically, you simply apply the right word to the right situation and everything is easy-peasy after that.

Ha!

Of course, having lived in Germany before, I knew the challenges that awaited me.

Example #1. Squirm factor: very low. I know when you go into a gym - for instance to inquire about the monthly cost of joining said gym - you can freely use the word "Du." Relief. No challenge. Doesn't matter if they are strangers. "Du" is totally fine, especially if you throw in a few English words here and there to let them know you're a foreigner doing your best with their archaic language customs.

Example #2. Squirm factor: low. Yesterday, at the hair salon - one which I've never visited before, I had an appointment for a hair cut. Ok. The trick here is simply to wait and see. Rather than establishing the rules of engagement, you let the STYLIST do it. And this is (thankfully) almost always done right away unless the stylist is not sure what to do. She might say, "so, what have we here today?" (CHEATER!) But you can answer with "I want to cut off about 2 centimeters." Understood is that you want HER to cut off two centimeters. And on it goes. But generally...she just simply uses "Du" and there is no more tripping around.

Example #3. Squirm factor: low-medium. Landlords. The ones who live right underneath you who you see frequently on the stairs and in the nearby grocery store. Well, of course you start out with "Sie." (oh, and btw, they are older than you - they're the age of your parents. Showing respect is expected.) So when you introduce yourself and discuss contractual terms, etc., it is "Sie" all the way. But then there is this little problem. Because I refuse to be called "Frau Nathan" if I can avoid it at all. (People botch the name or stumble on it, and I simply hate being called by my last name, it makes me feel like I'm 90 years old.) So when the landlord/lady politely inquires, "What shall I call you?" I politely answered "Please call me Julie." Ooooh, major problems begin. Because what I'm doing is effectively offering "Du." (Du=use of first name and vice-versa.) And in Germany: 1) the "Du" form is offered by older people/people in "superior" positions TO younger people/people in inferior positions and not the other way around and 2) this is only done after you *really* *know* someone. But I don't care. I just bulldoze my way through. What's particularly amusing is that they still call Andreas by his last name. But we've ended up with a compromise which is fairly common: I am called "Julia" (almost everyone here Germanizes my name) and the Sie form is used.

Example #4. Squirm factor: medium. Let's say you're meeting with a former work colleague who you've known for years. You of course use "Du" when talking to him. You meet up with him at his place of work and then head off to get a cup of coffee. In the parking lot, on the way to the cafe, you run into one of his colleagues (this is at a new place of work, not where you used to work) who you don't know. Don't panic. Simply AVOID the word "you" as in the hairdresser example. One can get very very good at this. For instance, if in your little huddle, people start talking about weekend plans because it's Friday afternoon, you can ask the stranger what he's doing during the weekend by saying "So, what's up for this weekend?" while looking directly looking into his eyes rather than saying "So, what will you do this weekend?" The real challenge that I faced a few sentences later was "YOU" PLURAL. Yes. More language traps that can send you down the long dark hole. Because there is also a you plural FORMAL form. And what do you do when you want to say YOU PLURAL (like "what are your company's plans for expansion with these new business models?") and you generally refer to one guy as "Du" and with the other guy you don't know or you do know you should say "Sie?" Mind Boggling. I have no idea. Andreas says it depends on the situation. Which means you need to be a German equivalent of William Safire ("On Language," NYTIMES MAGAZINE) to know what to do.

Example #5. Squirm factor medium-high. You are making an appointment to meet with the former colleague in the example above. You are talking to his secretary. So, you don't know her (stranger factor="Sie"), but she's lower on the totem pole than the guy you call "Du" (call her "du?"), and she's probably younger than you (again, "du?") and it's a media company where everyone uses "Du" internally ("du?") but...it's about a job application (uh-oh: "SIE"). I went with "Sie." But then she called me "Du." (Totally incorrect.) What to do? Go with her bad manners or potentially embarrass her by sticking with "Sie?" I went with bad manners.

Example #6. Squirm factor: HIGH (squirming in seat just thinking about it). Someone contacts you online on a social/business networking website. They are a friend/contact of a friend/contact of yours. They are looking to hire. *They* write a message to you in German and use "Du." Ok, feels a bit odd, but the guy is German, so he must know what to do. So you APPLY for a position with this guy's team and then you wait to see what will happen. You figure, well, he was interested, so he'll definitely call to make an interview appointment. But then he doesn't call. So you decide, "what the hell, I'll call him." GULP. So 1) he used "Du" online ("Du?") 2) but...online is generally more informal than offline ("Sie?") 3) You don't know him ("Sie"?) 4) He's a friend of someone you call "Du" ("Du?") 5) It's about a job ("Sie?" 6) He's more senior than you in both age and potential position ("Sie?") 7) BUT HE USED "DU!" ("DU!!!) Vicious circle. I called and used "Du." Was totally totally weird and uncomfortable. Not sure what was correct. WHAT WAS CORRECT?????

Lesson learned - follow Golden Rule? "Du on to others as you would have others Du on to you."

Höllentalklamm

Emily, Jake and Gino might recognize where we went hiking today - they've all been there already. I sort have have a soft spot in my heart for this beautiful location which is in Garmisch-Partenkirchen - a little over an hour away from us if traffic is flowing normally (which it was not and we spent an extra 45 minutes on the way there and an extra hour on the way back sitting in traffic, but c'est la vie). And at some point during the outing I was wondering if Hans and Dorothee have ever been to the hike at some point in all their exploring, which is outrageously gorgeous, even when you've been there and hiked it a half dozen times. (Which we have - because we often take our visitors there, if you haven't figured it out. Mom, Dad - forget it - not possible in winter.)

I'm happy to simply arrive (it's usually a Sunday when we go - inevitably because in Germany, the stores are open on Saturday and you usually have some last minute grocery shopping or errand running to do, so therefore Saturday is the day to do it - yeah, Sunday...NOTHING EXCEPT GAS STATIONS ARE OPEN - and museums and restaurants - but forget about shopping and rather go hiking. It really takes some getting used to and after living in Singapore, the no-shopping-Sundays are a major source of culture shock. Along with the fact that I realize I have not eaten sushi now for TWO MONTHS) anyway, long aside over - because on Sunday, especially, you can see all the locals walking around after church in their tracht (the word for local German formal wear, which yes - please Google "Lederhosen" and "Dirndl" if you don't know what old fashioned - but still fashionable here in Bavaria - German formal wear looks like.) But in its old fashioned way, it is still quite beautiful and great for people watching and lots of fun during Oktoberfest (Walt, Chris - you coming?). It gets boring just to look at the tourie hikers in their hiking pants with their sticks. Tracht is much more interesting.

I'll keep it brief now. We spent two hours going up the mountain, at which point I gratefully dug into some pea soup with sausages at the local mountain hut. Unfortunately (fortunately?) it began to POUR and we froze to death for a good 15 minutes because the seats inside were all taken and the ones outside were only half-way under a huge umbrella. After a quick purchase of a plastic bag in the shape of a poncho, we headed back down the mountain and back to the car. Honestly, I was tired. I need to get used to this hiking stuff again. I must be a bit wimpy after only 1.5 hours (max) yoga classes for the last two years.

As usual, the Klamm did not disappoint. Totally gorgeous views and though on one hand I wanted to take pictures of everything (with my phone), on the other one really has to balance that with simply enjoying the view and not worrying about what photos will look best on the blog. :-) Enjoy and come visit - we'll take you to the Höllentalklamm (literally, "Hell valley gorge.")

"It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood..."

"...a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won't you be my, won't you by my, won't you be my neighbor?" Oh...remember those days....when Mr. Rogers would sing to you while he changed his sweater and shoes? Hmmm....you don't remember? Ok...so I'm dating myself maybe.

But, after a perfectly miserable weekend (in terms of weather), when I was chanting the nursery rhyme "Rain rain go away, come again some other day..." the SUN HAS COME OUT.

And I went to yoga this morning.
Went to the post office and mailed two packages.
Went bike-riding around the English garden a bit.
Went grocery shopping at the bio goods shop.
Talked to various people/sent various people emails about career.
Still have a good couple hours left to continue to get many things done.

Two photos (boring, sorry) from the weekend. Must have been Sunday morning.

Andreas working - and doesn't the light from the window make him look like a glowing alien from the back? And do you see what is sitting next to him in the funny little brown cave-like thing next to the desk?

Even Sammy didn't like the weather and was trying to keep cosy and warm. :-)


No big news here. Maybe some by early next week...

Amsterdam photos 2

Monday morning. Coffee and toast. Finally, a really good night's sleep.

I didn't mention - the first two nights in our hotel, we were attacked by mosquitoes. The hotel was right next to a canal (not a difficult placement in this Venice of the north), which means...breeding ground. Emily and I woke up looking like characters out of Star trek. Woke up is the wrong word. Got up. We compared our "Borgness" and because I was the one with the eye swollen shut, I decided I was in better costume.

Joking aside, the third night we finally had some bug spray, which helped a lot. Over the weekend, I must have murdered at least 9 mosquitoes in the bathroom hanging out on the shower curtain.

Anyway, some more images of the city here. Dorothee mentioned to me that she's never been to Amsterdam and wants to go and visit all the museums there (hey - birthday coming up! :-) ) but for me, I was just interested in wandering around and looking at the beautiful houses and not always so beautiful tourists. Also, except for Sunday morning, which I had to myself cause Em flew out in the early morning, we didn't really have time for museums. But, it's a city I'd go back and visit, and then I'd make it to a few more of the other attractions.

Meanwhile, Saturday was spent grabbing the last few photos Emily needed, going to yoga, as mentioned, watching a bit of the gay pride parade which filled the city with lots of revelers, having a nice dinner at a restaurant near our hotel, etc. Sunday morning I slept in, and then headed over to an antique market. I accidentally wandered through one block of the red light district on the way and scurried through, a little embarrassed. I went to a design cooperative (picture of the carved wooden frogs from that place - a statement about how 3rd world countries like Indonesia, are often used for low-cost labor. In the case of the carved table, only a country with skilled artisans are even able to make such a table - it was gorgeous) to look at some modern dutch design. At around 1, I slowly made my way to the airport and then flew home.

It was a lovely weekend and so nice to see and hang out with Em. She even let me touch her iphone. :-)

Amsterdam photos 1

We're heading to a yoga class in a few minutes, but here are some quick impressions of Amsterdam from our VERY FUN, but somewhat tiring day yesterday. The nice thing about running around a city with a professional photographer is that you REALLY SEE A LOT VERY FAST. The other side, is of course (and I'm told yesterday was a RELAXED AND EASY DAY), that you are running around with a lot of equipment for many hours.

On top of the planned running around, I totally screwed up. We were going to go to yoga yesterday morning, and I had looked up the address and had a map ready and route planned, etc. I told Em we had to leave an hour before class in order to walk all the way there and make it on time. Emily is like: "but Ayla said it's really close by." And I said, "it doesn't look close by on the map. It looks like a 40 minute walk...." And so of course, after 40 minutes of walking there, we get to the street to do yoga exactly on time...except for the fact that IT WAS THE WRONG STREET! :-( ARGH!

I had looked up the wrong street. So we walked all the way back - and then walked to the right street (an hour late), and looked at the schedule for today. So now we know. And we're going. And almost all the shooting is done, so today should be super relaxed.

Last words for the moment - Amsterdam - which I saw one other time when I was 8 years old - is BEAUTIFUL in a sort of quaint but grungy way, and I love all the canals and bikes. I'm getting used to the smell of marijuana everywhere....pretty funny to see it. Doesn't seem to be a real problem here. Anyway...more commentary later.