Stranger Than Fiction

Happy November folks! Just checking in to let you know that we're still here. Nothing exceptional to report...aside from the fact that we are functioning independently in a foreign country halfway around the world, and operating daily in a language we started to learn in September. Other than that, all is status quo:).

Today, I was musing over the fact that, in a way, our life here has become rather normal to us in these two short months. The smell of curry wurst, the noise of public transport, and the absence of the sun after 3 PM are just part of the daily fare. HOWEVER, now and then, we do get a seismic jolt of a reminder that we are not in Kansas anymore.

 If you'll allow me, I would love to give you a little survey course on the idiosyncracies and general wackniess that is Germany.

Wacky Fact #1 

First, I would like to start with a small problem that people here like to call "Winter." Legend has it that in the months of December, January and February people who live outside of Florida normally experience some drastic drops in temperature--- to the tune of 20 below 0. I've even heard reports that "snow" is not just an effect in the Disney Christmas Parade but rather a pesky little bugger that makes it hard to see and even more interesting to drive. Hmm. Sounds like some kind of sick joke to me. I'll let you know.

It seems like this Winter-thing is approaching. I did some research and this is what I found. 

Exhibit A: Me last November

Exhibit B: Us this November

Oh dear. 

Wacky Fact #2 

German dogs are much better behaved than American dogs. It's true! In Deutschland doggies are allowed to go any and everywhere with their owners- on the bus , in the train, in restaurants--ANYWHERE! Yes, friends, here in Germany man's best friend is quiet, nonchalant, and  decourous. Most of the time, I don't even notice that I'm sharing my train with a cainine until it's on its way out the door. When I do see one I usually call the hubby and squeal "I'm sharing a seat with Toto!" or "I just saw Wishbone go into the Kentucky Fried Chicken." Yay dogs!

Ok. So this puppy is a little naughty. But the owner was feeding Lady from the restaurant table. Can you blame her for accepting the offer?

I haven't gotten a good shot of any of the well behaved dogs becuase, frankly, they're so good I don't notice them 'til they're leaving. 

Wacky Fact#3 

This may not seem like a big deal, but printer paper is a completely different size here. Don't ask me the dimensions (I'm still furiously resisting the metric system). It's just bigger. So big that in Germany you need a FOUR hole puncher. This would be no problem except that all my sheet music and binders have to be bigger because nothing I print or copy now can fit. Soooo... who wants a triple hole punch and a truckload of 8 1/2 by 11 sheet protectors for Christmas?

Wacky Fact #4

Germans sing the Happy Birthday song--- In English! It's adorable because the average German speaker has difficultly pronouncing the "th" blended sound that we use so often in English. So the song goes something like: Happy Birssday toooo yooou. HAPPY BIRSSDAY TOOOO YOOOU! I love it.

Wacky Fact #5

When you order water in Europe it is NOT free. Ever. And in Germany it is always carbonated. I've tried several tactics to try to score some non-bubbly H2O. But to no avail. Each time I pay 3 Euro. And each time my beverage tastes like soap.

Wacky Fact #6

German words are incredibly, unfathomably, unreasonably long. I listen to people rattle off 20-25 letter words every day. I don't know about you, but coming from a language that only has 26 letters in the entire alphabet, I find this to be a liiiittle absurd. Instead of creating new words, (like the English word "glove", for example) the German language combines words into super-compound-nouns (like "hanschue" which is literally hand-shoe...glove.) Here's a good one I learned this summer: "Hoechgeschwindigkeitbegrenzung" Sounds like some kind of rare terminal disease, but never fear. It only means "speed limit":)

Wacky Fact #7 

Capitalization is fun here! In German you not only capitalize the beginning of a sentence and proper nouns, but all nouns! You should try it. 

Sometimes when I'm on the Laptop I forget to capitalize all the Nouns in a Sentence. It's somehow easier to remember with Pen and Paper. I had no Idea how fun Capitalization could be! Bubblegum!  Cactus!  Pony!

Last but not least, a little pronunciation lesson. In German:

S is pronounced like Z.  

Z is pronounced TS (like in pizza), 

SM, ST, SP are pronounced respectively SHM, SHT, SHP

IE is pronounced EE, and EI is pronounced EYE

And of, course that nasty TH tends to come out as SS

So, my official German name is ZI donn ee  A.  Shmiss:)

So until next time, this is Seargent Shmiss Signing Off. Love you!

Work Hard, Play Hard

Happy November!

I hope this blog finds you happy, healthy and not drowning in election propaganda:)

So, how am I? I'm glad you asked! 

It is fall here in Germany. The wind is a-blowin', the leaves are a-fallin'-- colors, coats, cocoa and all that jazz. Don't worry mom(s)! We're keeping warm:)

School is a bear. A big, hairy grizzly bear that only speaks German. But, it is going exceptionally well! My voice lessons are a dream. Sometimes I don't recognize myself. Of course, I'm putting in hours and hours of practice a week but it is SO wonderful to see such great results. 

Dance is still intense. I laughingly made the comment today in class that I am growing some of those famous "ugly dancers' feet". And it's true. My dogs are blistered, bruised and boo boo-ed. BUT I'm growing muscles that I've never met before. Truly! Every now and then I'll pass a mirror and think "Is that my arm, leg, toosh etc...?" Concerning my jazz "warmup" (See post entitled "Elaborate Excuses") I am making visible progress. For example, that straddle with your chest on the floor thing gets easier all the time. A few weeks ago, with the help of a firey little Italian dance teacher's knee in my back, my upper body was practically flat with my nose on the floor and I started to cry. My teacher thought I was in pain (which, of course, I was. And lots of it). But that's not why I cried. I was in shock. I've never been so happy to see the floor in all my life:).

Language is also going miraculously well. I understand most everything that I hear all day long. And when I don't-- I just ask for clarification ( in German, of course:)). I've been flexing my linguistic muscles in different, more advanced situations lately. For example, taking instruction in German from someone that I can't see. (i. e. Listening for the overhead announcements on the train, "watching" TV with my eyes closed etc.) It's a lot more difficult. No physical contextual clues, you know? I've also stopped sitting/standing front and center in class so that I'm not dependent on hearing and seeing every single syllable clearly in order to have full understanding. Furthermore, I have been practicing listening to two German speakers at the same time. Just the other day, I realized that I was actually eavesdropping on an argument in the green room (lounge). I originally didn't leave the room when they started their little row because I figured I could never understand two Germans hollerin' simultaneously anyhow. They must have agreed with me because they didn't seem to care that I had a front row seat to Oktoberfight 2008. But as I read my magazine I realized that I was catching everything. And so I stayed. What? It was an educational experience;).

Ok. Now for the part you actually came to see. Pictures!!

One of the perks of going to school at the largest musical production company in Europe is that you are invited to all of the musical premieres. It's a nice break from the 6-day school week!

Me and my class at the Euro premiere of Tarzan! Yay, first semester:)

A shot of the Tarzan Premiere party

Ich (Translation: me!)

Some of my sweet classmates. l-r: Melanie-My, Carina, and Stefan. My class is truly an international one. We have four nationalities in just this picture ( USA, Finland, Germany, Austria). Believe it or not, we also have students from Brazil, Switzerland and Denmark in the first semester.

Sid and Stefan post show. We liked it.

My friends Marco and Benedikt post show. I think they liked it:)

The premiere of 80s Rock musical "Ich Will Spaß" (translation: I want fun!) The lovely ladies are l-r: Evelyn, Lara, and Luisa.

I scored a free ticket for the hubby!!!

Ich Will Spaß Premiere Party

Apparently in Germany musical theatre stars are wildly popular the way that film and television stars are in the U.S. This premiere was littered with big name stars from around Europe and my classmates were freaking out. I, on the other hand, was ignorantly nonplussed:). 

Next weekend we're going to the World Premiere of Stage Entertainment's Christmas show Holiday on Ice. Can't wait! Stay tuned for pics:)  Just in case you didn't already know, my illustrious husband, Master Christopher Ryan The Great, of the North Florida Christopher Ryans, also has a Germany blog online - check it, yo! thereismethodint.blogspot.com

Auf Wiedersehen!