Why's everyone suddenly so loud?

After Germany won their third EM game against Denmark, thus advancing themselves to the quarterfinals (which they won against Greece), the people in Mainz were totally pumped! I watched that game at the Eisgrub Bräu with friends, and as we exited the pub after the game, we found the streets lined with cars, young people hanging out of the car windows and sun roofs, yelling, waving flags, and being generally elated. The car horn honking continued for at least an hour after the game had been won. Germans are, in general, very reserved in their actions and expressions (as contrasted to Americans who get reallyexcitedabouteverythingomg!). However, when it comes to soccer, Germans like to get wild, and it's so much fun to see!

I didn't watch the quarterfinal game against Greece. I know, I know, horrible of me. Instead, I went for a swim for the first time in about 2 months, knowing the pool would be nearly empty. Walking the mile from my house to the pool was like getting a preview of the world post-zombie apocalypse. It was empty. No cars driving down the road. No pedestrians. Nothing. I'm surprised I didn't see tumbleweeds rolling down the street. And I was right-- the pool was nearly abandoned, which was awesome. And the minute I left the pool, I knew Germany had won because I could hear the car horns blowing from way down in the middle of the city. It makes me wonder how soccer victories are celebrated in other countries, and it makes me really want to see Germany win their semifinal match up. This place is gonna go berserk.

I have a little video clip of the car horn celebrations after the Denmark game, but it doesn't seem to want to load. I'll try later.

Casper on the Rhine River

Found:

Casper, Wyoming in Mainz, Germany. It's a small world.

Berlin: Wrapping things up

I got to spend last week in Berlin. With one month to go until the end of my program, all 75 of us who have been living throughout Germany this year gathered for an end-year seminar. The week was complete with day-long cultural discussions, sharing our experiences and how to bring home with us and spread what we have learned, a day at the Bundestag and US Embassy, site seeing, theater-going, beer drinking, dancing, and soaking up our time together. The next time we see each other, we will all be on a plane heading back to the States. There is officially less than a month until this adventure is brought to a close, and it has been quite the ride. Here are some pictures of the week together in Berlin:

Berlin: EM'12, Germany versus The Netherlands

As previously mentioned a few days ago in this post, I watched the EM 2012 Germany v Holland soccer game from amongst the crazy Germans at the Hyundai Fan Park in Berlin which is set up at the Brandenburger Tor. It is so nice to see Germans decked out in ridiculous Germany gear and getting rowdy in support of their country. As Americans, we often don't realize how cool it is that our culure incorporates massive amounts of patriotism into everyday life. I highly doubt I'll see another game throughout the tournament in a setting quite like that. The best part of it was having about 15 other Americans with me who have been here for a year, just like me. With a little face paint, some flags, and of course German leis, we celebrated the extravaganza in style.

Gracia and Clayton getting flags in their proper place- the cheek

Joe doing a great job being a Germany fan

Diana and me waiting for kickoff

Diana, Geoff, and Jennifer

Americans in Deutschland

The Dutch players are hott. Am I right? Or am I right?

DEUTSCHLAND WINS

Ron only wears partial sunglasses at night

And, I am by no means a skilled videographer, so bear (bare?) with me here...

The fans after Germany scores goal #2 (nummer zwei):

The after-party

Berlin: quick update

update on time in Berlin:
Just saw LOFT at Chamäleon Theater. Phenomenal! Talent, strength, charisma, humor... completely engaging and highly recommended.

Quick "Hallöchen"

Liebe Grüße from Berlin!

Last night I watched the Germany/Netherlands game in front of the Brandenburger Gate. Pictures to follow once I'm back in Mainz.

Fourth Thing

I have a treat for you-- especially if you are a native German speaker. Gather 'round!

I met Mickey Mangan through the fellowship program that has taken us both to Germany for the year. Upon our arrival here last August, we were both part of the lucky crew that got sent to the town of Radolfzell on Lake Constance for 2 months of language school. Mickey and I both came into the program with little knowledge of the language, and so I had the privilege of spending the whole time there in the same class as Mickey.

Being the creative genius that he is - and that's just the simple truth - Mickey had the idea to create a weekly talk show to record the progress of his language learning. Each week he posts a new episode of "The Lernen to Talk Show" on his blog, Fourth Thing. Each 'sode is about 5 minutes long.

My language skills progressed at about the same rate as Mickey's did to begin with, and now I get to see where he has progressed and I haven't and vice versa. It's a good documentation of what learning a language is like. Also, Mickey has a zest for life and is one of the most consistently enthusiastic people I know. The passion that he has for the things he undertakes is one of his best attributes, and it shows in his work.

If you're a German native speaker, you'll probably get an even bigger kick out of this than us non-native speakers. Mickey goes through the trouble to make notes of the various errors that occur throughout each episode, but as a native speaker, you'll hear them right away. Sometime the mistakes are adjective endings, but sometimes it's the difference between saying "sausages"- "Würste"- and "deserts"- "Wüsten" (see Episode 27 in which he tries to explain the board game Settlers of Catan to a couple friends).

You can access every episode chronologically by clicking here. It is amazing to see how far he has come since Episode One! Gut gemacht, Mickey. Lass nicht locker!

...and now I give you Episode 1 of the Lernen to Talk Show, filmed in Dulles airport on July 31, 2011 as our group is about to fly away for a year of life "auf Deutsch" in Germany.

Hawaii in Mainz?

Mainz built a beach along the Rhine. Complete with the yellowest sand I've ever seen and palm trees which are trying their very best to fit in. I kiiiiiiiind of love it. Now all we need is hot weather and a full day of sunshine. Mainz Strand... check it out!

All over the place

where was i?

8 years ago: in wyoming, making the grade
7 years ago: in a lifeguard chair, making sure kids didn't drown
6 years ago: in hawaii, making my dream come true
5 years ago: in a bank, making my résumé look better
4 years ago: in yellowstone, making memories during a family reunion
3 years ago: in starbucks, making a special order latté
2 years ago: in washington DC, making my dress sweaty at taste of the south
one year ago: in wyoming, making sure my brother knows i'm proud of him

today: in germany, making a euro, making plans, making guesses at what i'll be up to next year

The Rhinelands are busy making future wine

Soccer lesson: UEFA Euro 2012

Oh, is Germany ever soccer crazy right now! They (not me, I'm a clueless American) are anxiously awaiting the start of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. What's that, you say? You're an American who doesn't understand anything having to do with soccer either? Unless I hear the specific words "World Cup", I haven't a clue. And even then, my knowledge extends more to how to throw a successful World Cup backyard barbeque and, thanks to 2010, how to properly annoy everyone with the use of a Vuvuzela than it does to the actual sporting event.

For the last, ohhh I don't know, every day of my working life here I hear talk of soccer, er sorry 'football', over the lunch table. And between desks. And in the elevators. And on newspapers. Really, one cannot escape it. I'm used to being well informed about sports. Over the last year while I've been living abroad not only have I fallen completely out of touch with American sports, but the two sports that seem to be popular here - football and handball? - are two over which I know nearly nothing. So I've done a little research for my own sake and possibly to help keep you from looking like an idiot if you happen to bump into a really enthused European.

Basics: UEFA stands for Union des Associations Européennes de Football. The name comes from Switzerland. The UEFA's 'About Me' page says, "The organization is one of 6 continental confederations of world football's governing body FIFA*." There are 53 total associations in UEFA.
*FIFA! As in World Cup! I know this one!

Ok, so what is exactly going on in June that has everyone so pumped? That, my friends, is the UEFA Euro 2012. From June 8 until the finals on July 1, sixteen teams will be competing in this final tournament hosted this year at 8 different locations throughout Poland and Ukraine.

That's right, this is the final tournament. The tournament really started in 2010 when 51 entrants were drawn into 9 groups. Matches were played on a home/away basis (I think this has something to do with the points system?) between 3 September 2010 and 11 October 2011. From that play, 9 winners and the runner up with the best record against top 5 sides (I don't know what that means) in their pool qualified directly for this finals. The rest just... I don't know, snuck their way in, maybe.

Germany is in Group B for the tournament. There are Groups A-D. They are grouped with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Portugal. Their first game is June 9 at 8:45pm. I'm really looking forward to it because that's right about the time I go swimming, so the pool will probably be pretty empty. Lane to myself! What's up!

I'll be pulling for Germany, not because I live here, but because I hear that the Portugese language is even more grammatically confusing than German, and I refuse to support such a thing.

As your treat for reading, or perhaps skimming through, that whole thing, here is a picture of the Rhine River as seen from the Seilbahn in Assmannshausen, Germany!

Ten Months Down

Today is the first day of June, and that means that it is the beginning of a bittersweet month. June is the last full month I will spend in Germany since I leave part way through July. I read through a few of my posts from earlier in this journey of mine, and it is so funny to read posts from November in which I declare that I can't believe I've lived in Germany for 4 months. Time flies. Fast forward, and now it's been exactly 10 months and roughly 3 hours since I stepped off the plane to begin my year here.

I got exactly what I came here for, although for most of the time I've been here it hasn't felt that way. I sought something new, unfamiliar, challenging, and exciting. My evolution as a foreigner has been quite the adventure. I'm incredibly excited to go home-- I'll be honest about that; however, I can already start to feel the nostalgia. I can already sense what I'm going to miss once I step foot back in the States. I'm starting to understand how this journey has changed me, how it has become part of me.

And I have the sneaking suspicion that my return will not be as easy as I imagine it will be. All of these small things that I have encountered in Germany, all of the differences that I have not only experienced but also learned how to be part of or at least live with, will no longer be part of my daily life. There will be the small aspects of American culture that I have forgotten, and I will have to remember how to readjust and reimmerse.

This year has been so sweet and so difficult. The lows were real low. But the highs have been tip top. The next month will be also sweet and difficult, not difficult in terms of cultural assimilation, but difficult because the time is finite. The end of the tunnel is within sight. How could it be that my year in Germany is nearly over? Wow.