Schneefall in Freiburg

Morning snapshot as I leave for town. First snowfall in Freiburg.


Christmas Market, Freiburg. Town Hall in the background. View from the resident director's decked-out eight floor apartment with surround sound window-walls.

A friend and I wanted to take a train to Strassbourg but couldn't due to financial complications and confusing schedules. Decided we would take the train that happened to be at the station on it's way to Neuenburg. It got to Müllheim and told everyone to get off. This was not where we wanted to go, and we weren't really sure how we ended up there. It's not a prime place to end up. It's not really a place at all. Maybe it was the one inch covering of snow, but it didn't look like there was any sign of life whatsoever. Also, although it boasts trains to Neuenburg every thirty minutes, there are none. We eventually got back on the exact train we had taken there from Freiburg to go right back home. We sat with someone who was rather peeved. He had spent two and half hours at the station waiting for any of the many trains to Neuenburg, but they never came. I don't think I'll go back. The train ride was however warm and cozy. And I like this picture.

It's like I don't Know how to not Write an Essay.

Some things are winding down as the 23rd of December and the start of the holiday approaches, other things are just picking up.
Wednesday evening I had my final exam for my German language course. To be honest I could not have looked forward to it anymore, not for the class’ end but for the test itself. I find a horrendous joy in test taking. I haven’t always, and if I’m not somewhat prepared, tests are a terrible thing, but there’s nothing like taking an exam when you feel good about it. That’s not to say you need to know everything, just to say that you’re confident you know enough, and the rest you will gladly learn, whether through studying or through reviewing your test-taken errors. The test was significant in length, and I was genuinely sad to be done. The rest of the evening I just wanted to be testing. The course is now at it's end, a tragedy. I can scarcely imagine a better class than this one; the teacher rocked, I learned only-goodness-knows how much German, and I now have two completely packed, self-compiled, almost fully extensive grammar binders. On Thursday we had a farewell party. Our class bought the teacher a lovely shawl and she was delighted. International House, I will miss you dearly.
A couple months ago I made friends with a girl from Serbia, Ivana. This week was her birthday and her farewell; she’s heading home on Saturday (by way of Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin—then Serbia. cheers to traveling). While she was here she quickly and cozily settled into a “locals” bar called “Eimer” (Eimer means bucket. It’s a word used in several German puns/idioms, some that translate well into English. For example, in English we say “kicked the bucket.” Same idea in German. If you say “I am in Eimer” you are saying I am done for/I’m ruined). This bar plays alternative/hard rock; System of a Down and Pantera are nightly favorites. Most importantly and close to home, they play the Mighty Mighty Bosstones all the time. I don’t just mean “The Impression that I get,” I mean throw down style anything goes, like Pay Attention and Let’s Face It. Anyway. This was of course the prime spot for her farewell/birthday party, and it ran as though scripted. There were five or so of us including Ivana somewhat early. At the very moment she disappeared to go the bathroom, a double-digit crew showed up with cakes and candles that they scattered and lit in front of her vacant chair. It was fabulous. I was happy for her. Also, in case you were wondering. German birthday traditions bring much more embarrassment than the group of waiters who gather around you at Friendly’s and sing you happy birthday. They include several varying songs, and this thing where everyone gets around your chair, lifts you up in the air and tries to throw you to the ceiling, doing sort of a “three cheers" thing for you.
I must share my source of personal excitement over the last two weeks. Sometimes good things simply present themselves, and you wonder how in the world you’ve earned a spot in their path. This is such an instance.
Germany is the world leader in Solar Energy. Renewables are one of if not the hottest topics across Europe, worldwide for that matter. The industry has the need and the ability to boom, but it lacks people in certain fields, including translation. Freiburg is a vital center for Solar Energy in all regards. I was recently put in touch with the director of an IT and Renewable Energy translation firm based in Freiburg, currently running at max capacity and in dire need of an addition to their translation team. The agency covers a large range of subject matter, and does the translations for Germany’s leading Information Technology publisher.
The past two weeks have been a bundle of new experiences, first and foremost, trying to translate senior consulting letters summing up the price indexes of 2009 and laying out expectations for 2010.
After I sent in my first test translation, I had my very own experience with the strict, straight forward, and blunt dealings of Germans. The response email was a page worth merely of “don’t do’s” and “that doesn’t work at all” and “what on earth do you mean by…” and “where did you pull that from?” I thoroughly enjoyed the email. I had lunch with the director on Tuesday. He found it very amusing that my reaction to his criticism was somehow positive.
We sit down to lunch, and he says, “I’m offering you almost worldwide geographical freedom and an Income. You are your own boss, but I have the money. You would be a freelance translator.” At the moment it boils down to this. I’m working with him for the next two months. At the end of February we decide what will be best in terms of my time commitment (short and long term) to translation. It’s all very exciting. If you want a glimpse at what I’m working on now, check out http://www.pvxchange.com/, some of which is in English, some not. The price indexes are not. That’s where I come in (you can switch languages at the top left of the screen).
The next two months as I see them are a trial run to see if I want translation to be my venue of activism, and if I want my focus of activism to be renewable energy. The director is fantastic and offered me slightly different angles questions I frequently ask myself. We talked about the great value in university education, but also about the great disconnect between the university and its education, and the live issues in the world. I’ve got a whole new angle on translation now as well, though it’s quite basic. I somehow missed how important it is for the mere but necessary communication of ideas. It’s essential for the advancement of fields in our globalized world. Translation is not just good for expanding audiences of books and movies. The potential problem I can see for myself, as far as how much I could fall in love with translating and in seeing how important it is for global progress, is how removed it is from the action. It is no doubt 100% necessary for advancement, but it actively sees nothing. The translator’s activism takes place working alone in front of a computer leagues away from live conferences and research industries in which the discussions and advancements are physically being made. When I picture meaningful progression I picture masses of revolutionary people, not the absent behind the scene organizers who made it possible to put everyone together on the same page. Of course both parties are equally important. I just don’t know which one I want to be in, or if they have to be so distant. Then again our world is changing due to the web and globalization to such a rapid and awe-striking degree, the face of physical activism is being transported from assemblies to discussion boards. We shall see. This is all my pre-thought. I met Carl Kurz, the founder of Bikes Not Bombs, five years ago. I've never met anyone since who has successfully led such a powerful revolution, who has taken the little idea in the back of his head and turned it into a massive reality. This agency’s director strikes the same power and admiration and activist strains as Carl. These are the people who fascinate me; the people who run with their inklings and change the world.
Moving on. With the happy approval of an American friend of mine, I am glad to share with you that which makes learning a new language awesome.
While giving a presentation to a German political class of around 40 students, my good looking American friend with full beard and laid back personality had the following header to one of his power point slides: “Drei Ständer der Wirtschaft.” Presenting on the U.N., this slide was meant to show economic policies and foundations within the United Nations. It is intended to read, “Three pillars of the Economy,” though that title surely wouldn’t summon the laughter of German students and professor alike. “Drei Ständer der Wirtschaft” actually reads “Three Boners of the Economy.” He laughed, they laughed, he learned a new word. And this is why learning a new language is awesome.
What this post has in words it hasn’t at all in pictures. Hopefully I’ll get some up sooner than later.

Countdown to Nick Mon's arrival: 5 days.
Countdown to Father's and Erinn's arrival: 8 days.

That's pretty wonderful. Happy happy Friday.

Once Upon a Time

With the student train ticket here you are covered for all regional commutes within the greater Freiburg area and beyond. You can stand on the bridge above the train yard, pick a red train that you like, and get on it. If you want to play the less risky version, you can glance slightly to your left and read where the trains are going. This game shuttled me to Offenburg on a dark, cold but wonderfully crisp Friday evening. I learned many things about the city during my 90 minute walk through its Christmas Market.
The economical epicenter of Offenburg is socks. They’ve misunderstood the concept of “Christmas stockings” here, but have thereby done something rather astounding. Every other business at their Christmas Market is a Christmas Stocking dealer, and they sell socks. People buy them and love them.
A warning to those who are planning a visit to Offenburg: watch out for unwholesome, self-idolizing high school degenerates. They are everywhere.
Saturday night I went to a Märchen Party, a fairy tale party. I have never, never never, been to a party with such lavish, successful, and time consuming preparations, nor have I attended such a victorious costume party. 96% of attendees came from Brothers Grimm. I don’t have any pictures, which is a shame; I can only mention for description the walls lined with evergreens, the dozen or so detailed fairy tale passages written throughout the apartment-turned-forest, and the “Rapunzel-limbo” built by the hosts, a game which involved coupled-off guests limboing under the ever lowering hair of the singing beauty.
At the beginning of the evening I was the brother of little red riding hood, who lead the lost through the dark and dangerous forest. My character quickly became disbanded. I had managed to prepare a basket and flower pot full of lit candles (eight) to bring with me to the party. My guiding light was immediately abandoned, due to the ridiculous danger factor when around too many people, and walls lined with tree branches. After several, several times clarifying that “it’s not a gender thing! I have no problem being a girl. I know little red riding hood didn’t have a brother! The point is to run with your imagination! I’m adding to the story, you see,” I simply became little red riding hood.
On Wednesday evening I and two other students from Madison went as the student representatives of Madison to a dinner hosted by the “Madison-Freiburg Partnership” (sister cities). This “Madison-Freiburg Gesellschaft,” as I came to learn, is merely a cover up, an excuse, for the richest people in Freiburg to have a dinner in a castle restaurant of the highest vantage point in the area. From the red leather lined lounge in which we were served from platter carrying peasants, we were led to the private dining room in which we would feast. There were 25 or so of us around one of those long rectangular wooden tables you see in the king’s court. I and the other students were presumably the only ones under 50. It was a five course meal, of which each course (excluding desert) included meat. I told the wait staff I was vegetarian five minutes before serving and I was made something especially tasty for every portion. It was, well it was great, but certainly noticeable. When it came time to serve the goose, and everyone had a white plate covered in dark meat and darker gravy, one could scarcely avoid noticing my brightly vegetably colored DELICIOUS platter. Easiest version of “Where’s Waldo the Herbivore” ever. Honestly I think the cooks had a blast cooking for me. Vegetarians may merely be myths at such a place in Germany.
Luckily I sat between the two out-of-their-mind clowns at this jamboree. The woman to my left was a rich gossip who just laughed and laughed and laughed. The man on my right was a family man first, a lady’s man second, both of which provide for highly interesting stories. I talked with them for several hours; we were the last to leave the dinner. We’re getting together before Christmas for a wine tasting. Splendid. Grandiose.
I went to a sort of Christmas Party hosted by the International House where I have my German course. I thought they did a really nice job turning a classroom into a Christmas party room, tree and all. Everyone grouped off into different country assemblies and performed for each other. There were three rappers who rapped in Arabic, some Spanish guitar, and Christmas songs in half a dozen European languages. There were four Americans including myself. We sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in fabulous four part harmony. Everyone who came brought a gift and threw it in a sack. Then you'll never guess what: SANTA CAME! I ACTUALLY GOT TO MEET SANTA! Turns out she speaks German. And he is a she. That was a surprise. She distributed the gifts along with personalized words about each student, which the teachers frantically wrote down and handed to her. Props to the International House for being awesome. I received a lovely teddy bear ornament which is now hanging from my Christmas desk lamp.
The “German is not my native language” thing is started to fade into the background a little bit, which is a very cool thing. It defines me here much less, it allows me to show people other sides of me, other than “I’m here purely to learn the language…oh you can already tell?” When the first impression you make on someone isn’t “I’m a visiting student studying your language,” many, many more doors for communications and connections are opened up.

I've been getting a good amount of writing done lately, in styles that I haven't really touched before. It's exciting. I'm looking foward to visits from Nick, Pops, and Erinn this Christmas, aka, less than three weeks. I've rediscoverd The Shins as a great late night walking band, and rediscovered the Onion as an awfully good time killer.

A lovely second Sunday of Advent and week to follow.

Until next time.

Ice Skating at the Offenburg Weinachtsmarkt. If you look closely you can see a skater with a penguin. This was a common commodity for learners, one that I find much more creative than the New England milk crate.

Welcome to the Offenburg Weinachtsmarkt.

Rathaus, Offenburg.

Offenburg.

Freiburg!

Residential Quaters.

Downtown.

Münster, Freiburg.