Hi all!
Not much to post about this week. We have been keeping busy. Kristin hosted a girls' night last Monday night, while Matt joined some of his guy friends for a few drinks at a cafe. Later in the week, we watched a re-playing of the Presidential debate on YouTube. Thanks to modern technology, we can connect our laptop to the TV and watch the debate on the TV screen. We had a few of our German friends over to watch with us. Many of the Germans that we are friends with know more about American politics than many Americans! (Note: This is a bit of a skewed population sample though, as all of our friends are highly educated and very interested in world news in general) Anyway, it is always interesting to hear what the Germans think about American politics. In summary, I think they get a kick out of how theatrical and dramatic everything is. For example, you would never see campaign ads like what is shown in the States. Additionally, their campaigning process is not as long and drawn out. What's even more interesting is that most Germans (as well as most Europeans) find it difficult to believe that half of America is actually considering Mitt Romney for President. They just don't see why we wouldn't want any social programs to help those who need it. It's really interesting to hear some different perspectives. However, I'm not going to get into politics. We're well aware that Germany and America are two very different "animals." I just thought it would be interesting to share a bit of the discussions that we've had with some of our friends over here. After living here for a few months, we definitely get frustrated when we see uninformed American friends and acquaintances on Facebook post about how the “socialist” programs in Europe don't work. Every country is different and while Greece, Spain, and Italy are struggling (again, a different story), countries like Germany and Switzerland are doing quite well. We've already personally experienced a bit of Germany's healthcare, and along with discussions with friends, it really isn't what Americans imagine it to be. I wish I could tell all of my friends to refrain from opining on a topic unless they are truly informed or have actually experienced it firsthand.
Alas, I digress. The purpose of this post was not to discuss politics, but simply to update you all on our past week. Our respective German classes have been going well. Kristin is in her third week of classes. She goes to class every day, Monday through Friday, from 9 AM until 12:30 PM. She is really enjoying it and feels like she is learning a lot. Matt still meets with his private tutor a few times a week, and he is making great progress. It’s still quite difficult to interact with native German speakers, but we are becoming more familiar with the basics and can usually pick up some of the key words. So, we’re getting there but it will still take some time. The grammar rules are very different from English, and much more complex. We’ll get the hang of it though.
Matt’s job is going well. He is staying busy at work and learning a lot. While Kristin has not been actively looking for jobs (she wants to improve her German language skills first), she did find a German family who would like her to watch their nine-year-old daughter for a few hours a week. They basically just want a native English speaker to play with the little girl in English so that her language skills improve. Kristin met the family and they are very nice. They also live quite close to us, so it will be an easy commute. Her first day is this Wednesday. The family also mentioned that they have friends nearby who are also looking for an English speaker to watch their children. So maybe it will lead to a few more hours a week.
Last week, we also went to dinner with an American couple that Kristin met through her German course. It was nice to have dinner with some Americans and compare moving stories. They were very nice, but they are moving on to Nuremburg in about a month as the American guy has been put on an assignment there for Siemens. Maybe we will get to hang out with them one more time before they go.
Yesterday was our anniversary. We enjoyed celebrating it. It’s hard to believe one year has gone by already! Since we couldn’t have our wedding cake, Kristin made cupcakes. From scratch. (And not because she loves Matt that much, but because cake mix is no less than 6 Euro a box.) It was all worth it though to hear Matt’s, “These are bomb.” We also had champagne, of course. ;) Tonight we will watch the re-playing of the final Presidential debate. On Wednesday, we are planning to get dinner and drinks with one of our couple friends. The guy is from America and moved here a few years ago to be with his German girlfriend (now fiancée, they recently got engaged). So he speaks English (obviously) and she speaks nearly perfect English, as she spent several years in the States for school. We enjoy spending time with them because they have a lot in common with us and, it’s always great to spend time with native English speakers (nothing gets lost in translation, they always get your humor, etc.). On Thursday night, we’re going out to eat with a few other friends, including another married couple that we really enjoy hanging out with. He is German, she is American. They are both hilarious and again, speak great English. We’re going to a burger place in Munich, so we’re also excited to have some American food.
So, as you can see, we’re staying very busy. But we miss you all very much! Until next time…
Cheers,
Kristin and Matt
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Grocery Shopping Adventures
Of all the adjustments we have had to make over the past few weeks, grocery shopping is definitely one of them. I’ve spent more hours in grocery stores than I care to mention. We have a decent sized market about two blocks from us (2 minutes on bike, 5 minutes on foot) where I can get most of our necessities – meat, milk, yogurt, produce, etc. However, I like to go to some of the larger stores at other spots in the city to get some items that are more difficult to find. There’s a department store chain called Karstadt that has a great market in the bottom floor of all locations. We have one that’s about a 3 minute bike ride from us. I can usually find everything we need there and it’s a nicer shopping atmosphere, if you ask me.
A couple of interesting differences:
1. The language. Obviously, everything is in German, so I sometimes have to pull out my iPhone and use our translator App to figure out what I’m buying. Usually, you can tell by the packaging, but sometimes there are additional words that need translated. Being lazy can be costly. For example, I tried to buy sour cream for tacos once and ended up buying a type that had herbs mixed in. Pretty tasty, but not on tacos haha. Grocery shopping is definitely a great way to pick up more German vocabulary.
2. The lack of variety and choices. For some items, there are tons of choices. They love this oat-ey, granol-ish cereal stuff that they call “Musli” and at every store, you can find at least 20 varieties with different mix-ins. Not exaggerating. There are also lots of yogurt brands, orange juices, and decent selections for a few other items. However, for most items, like milk, bread, peanut butter, eggs, etc., there are only one or two options.
3. The measurements. I almost fell over when I first saw the produce prices. But then I realized that they are per kilogram and not per pound (approximately 2.2 pounds in 1 kilogram). Sigh of relief.
4. The preferred types of meat. It’s sausage, pork, beef, turkey, and then chicken, in that order. There’s a huge wall of various types of sausage, yet only 5 packs of chicken breasts in the cooler (not 5 brands, just 5 packs). A huge switch from the USA. I will definitely be looking for more non-chicken recipes haha. Lunchmeat like turkey and ham are also sometimes difficult to come by. And forget bacon like we’re used to! However, again, at the largest stores, you can usually find a small package of “American Breakfast Bacon” if you search long and hard (Yes, that’s exactly what it is described as on the packaging).
5. The shopping cart system. Now, this isn’t true for all stores, but a lot of them have it and I think it’s worth mentioning. When you want to use a cart at the store, they are all linked together by keys on chains. In order to release the cart you want to use, you must insert a 1 Euro coin into the slot, which then releases the key. When you return it, it gives you your Euro back. I personally love this system because I hate hate hate it when I’m at Giant Eagle or Target and see lazy people leaving their carts in the middle of the parking lot instead of walking it 10 meters to the nearest cart return. Those Germans can be pretty clever.
6. The lack of pre-packaged, pre-mixed, pre-shredded, etc. etc. I’m sure glad I purchased a nice grater at Crate and Barrel before leaving the States, as it is nearly impossible to find cheese that is already shredded. I have seen shredded “Pasta Käse” (pasta cheese, a mixture of Mozzarella and who knows what else), but again, only one brand and only at the largest stores.
7. The lack of favorite “staple” American recipe ingredients… Such as chicken broth, any “cream of…” soups, cheddar cheese (so difficult to find and scarily expensive!), baking powder, baking soda… the list goes on. I will definitely have to get a bit creative as it’s difficult or impossible to find many ingredients that are used in some of our favorite recipes.
8. The “USA” section. This is my favorite. Most of the large grocery stores have a (very tiny) section that is designated for “popular” American products. It usually consists of BBQ sauce, salad dressing (mostly Newman’s Own brand for whatever reason), Betty Crocker brownie and cake mixes (for a mere 5.99 Euro!), maple syrup, “American pancake mix,” Oreos, macaroni and cheese in a blue box (although not actually Kraft), and every American’s favorite necessities – Pop Tarts and nacho cheese. Because who can’t live without nacho cheese, am I right? I think it’s pretty funny to see what they think Americans can’t live without.
9. They keep their eggs at room temperature. Enough said.
10. The hours. The stores are generally only open from 8 or 9 AM until 8 PM. And not on Sundays. Other than bakeries in the mornings and a few restaurants, nothing is open on Sundays. We used to always do our grocery shopping on Sundays, so this is a change for us for sure. Although, when the store is right on your bike ride home, it’s a lot easier to stop quickly during the week.
11. Milk. There are two types – 3.5% fat and 1.5% fat. No skim. As someone who has been drinking skim milk for about 10 years, this is an adjustment. But the 1.5% is not so bad.
12. The lack of diet, fat-free, sugar-free, etc. items. Nothing is labeled in this way. It's a huge change from American brands that seem to bombard you with this stuff. In America, you can find a "diet" form of pretty much everything. Not true in Germany, for whatever reason.
13. The lack of "snack" foods, like chips, crackers, cookies, etc. Maybe they don't need #12 because they don't indulge in these like Americans do. You can find some tortilla chips and potato chips, but not the variety like in America and definitely smaller packages. And there's certainly no entire aisle devoted to cookies like in American stores haha.
I also grocery shop much more frequently, as most things are sold in small quantities due to the fact that the average fridge is the size of an American college student's dorm room fridge (not kidding). I also think that they use less preservatives in their food, as things go bad quite quickly. Like I said though, it's not a big deal to go to the store more often when it's two blocks from your apartment. Additionally, since we don't have a car, I either walk to the store and carry the bags home or ride my bike and put the bags in my basket. So I usually try to not buy a million items each time.
This is only some of the differences. Nothing is life altering, but it definitely takes a little getting used to. We try to look at everything as an adventure, so it’s not so bad.
Cheers,
Kristin and Matt
Monday, October 8, 2012
A Couple of Americans in Istanbul
After much persuasion, Matt convinced me to travel to Istanbul. I admit I was a bit hesitant at first, due to Istanbul's location and the fact that the threat of terrorism in Turkey is slightly elevated (mostly due to other areas of the country, not Istanbul). However, after doing a lot of our own research, as well as talking to many of our German friends, we decided that it would be perfectly safe for us to go. So, on Wednesday we embarked on a 4-day trip to Istanbul, Turkey.
Istanbul is very different from any other European city we have ever visited, that's for sure. However, it still has many similarities to the other cities. We were also struck by how friendly everyone was (for the most part). It's definitely a popular tourist destination and all of the citizens seem to be comfortable with foreigners. Everyone we interacted with spoke at least basic English, which was nice. Many of them also speak a few words of other languages, as well. We would walk through the market, with the vendors trying to say hello to us in about 5 different languages. Sidenote: We get excited when Europeans mistake us for Germans or the French haha. Our hotel staff and our servers at restaurants were especially friendly. I would say that the people of Istanbul are more similar to the Italians in that they have a different idea of personal space than we do and that they tend to push and shove in crowded public places more so than we do. I don't think anyone is trying to be particularly rude, it's just in their nature to be more comfortable with getting closer to strangers haha. It wasn't a big deal, just something to note that is a bit different from Americans and Germans. Istanbul is a very busy city, due to the sheer size of the city -- It's Turkey's largest city with a population of 13.5 million. NYC has 8.2 million (for comparison). So yeah, it's huge. Also, there are stray cats everywhere. I used to think I hated pigeons in cities, until I tried to enjoy a meal outside with a stray cat at my feet begging for food. Definitely a different experience.
The city's natural setting is just stunning. It's set on the Bosphorus, which runs between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. It also is partly in Europe and partly in Asia, which is very interesting. We visited both the European side (the main tourist spot) and the Asian side, thus, being in Asia for the very first time! Very exciting.
Most European cities we have visited in the past are cities with an obviously Christian influence. There are churches everywhere, and they are usually very large and elaborate. Istanbul is very different, as there is a strong Muslim influence. There are mosques everywhere throughout the city. We visited three during our trip, including two of the most famous -- Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sofia is interesting because it was first built as a basilica and not a mosque. It's sheer size is just amazing.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or the Blue Mosque as it is also known, is also very impressive. This mosque is still used for worship today. It was built in the early 1600s. It has 6 minarets (the tall, skinny towers surrounding the dome), which caused some contention when it was being built as 4 minarets is the common maximum number. The mosque is tiled with beautiful hand-painted tiles inside.
Other interesting sites that we visited during our trip included the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, and the Basilica Cistern. The Grand Bazaar is a huge, indoor market where vendors set up "stalls" to sell various items, including pottery, scarves, bags, shoes, jewelry and more. It was huge inside, but not as crazy or crowded as we thought it was going to be. The Spice market is an indoor/outdoor market where vendors sell, you guessed it -- spices. It was pretty cool to see all kinds of different spices everywhere. They also sell various types of nuts, cheese, Turkish delight, baklava, and more. It's smaller than the Grand Bazaar, but still very cool. We bought some pistachios there.
Grand Bazaar
Spice Market
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. It was built in the 6th century and is capable of holding approximately 2,800,000 cubic feet of water. The ceiling is supported by large marble columns. In one of the corners of the cistern, the bases of two columns are blocks carved as the head of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. One head is turned on its side and the other is upside down. Archaeologists believe that the placement is on purpose, but no one knows why. Pretty cool.
While all of these sites were very cool, our favorite was the Topkapi Palace. This palace was the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years, from 1465-1856. The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point, overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, with gorgeous views of the Bosphorus from many spots in the palace. While the palace is quite stunning in itself, it also houses many interesting historical artifacts, including jewels, art, clocks, and weaponry. We got to see an 86-carat diamond! There is also a room with relics that are believed to belong to many of the Islamic prophets, including Mohammed. It houses what are considered to be "the most sacred relics of the Muslim world": the cloak of Mohammed, two swords, a bow, one tooth, a hair of his beard, and an autographed letter and other relics which are known as the Sacred Trusts. Several other sacred objects are also on display, such as the swords of the first four Caliphs, The Staff of Moses, the turban of Joseph and a carpet of the daughter of Mohammed. It was really interesting to see some of these artifacts. We spent several hours here since there is so much to look at.
We also tried lots of Turkish food on our trip. We ate at two really great restaurants. Both had outdoor roof terraces and we had fantastic weather, so it was pretty amazing. The service was great, too. The food is similar to Greek food -- chicken, lamb, spinach, tomatoes, olives, etc. They also use a lot of spices, which isn't surprising considering the climate. One of our favorite parts of traveling is enjoying the local cuisine, and we were definitely able to do that on this trip. Drinking alcohol does not seem to be as popular as it is in most of the other European cities. Our best guess is that the strong Islamic influence is the main reason. Matt still found an opportunity to try the Turkish beer Efes (the only brew we saw offered anywhere in the city).
The weather was beautiful, the views were stunning, and the people were very helpful, so we really had a great time. Although the city was different than what we are used to, we really enjoyed experiencing a new culture, which really, is the whole point of traveling in the first place. It wasn't our favorite European city and we don't know if we'll make it back, but we're definitely glad we had the opportunity to see it. Here are just a few more photos.
Istanbul is very different from any other European city we have ever visited, that's for sure. However, it still has many similarities to the other cities. We were also struck by how friendly everyone was (for the most part). It's definitely a popular tourist destination and all of the citizens seem to be comfortable with foreigners. Everyone we interacted with spoke at least basic English, which was nice. Many of them also speak a few words of other languages, as well. We would walk through the market, with the vendors trying to say hello to us in about 5 different languages. Sidenote: We get excited when Europeans mistake us for Germans or the French haha. Our hotel staff and our servers at restaurants were especially friendly. I would say that the people of Istanbul are more similar to the Italians in that they have a different idea of personal space than we do and that they tend to push and shove in crowded public places more so than we do. I don't think anyone is trying to be particularly rude, it's just in their nature to be more comfortable with getting closer to strangers haha. It wasn't a big deal, just something to note that is a bit different from Americans and Germans. Istanbul is a very busy city, due to the sheer size of the city -- It's Turkey's largest city with a population of 13.5 million. NYC has 8.2 million (for comparison). So yeah, it's huge. Also, there are stray cats everywhere. I used to think I hated pigeons in cities, until I tried to enjoy a meal outside with a stray cat at my feet begging for food. Definitely a different experience.
The city's natural setting is just stunning. It's set on the Bosphorus, which runs between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. It also is partly in Europe and partly in Asia, which is very interesting. We visited both the European side (the main tourist spot) and the Asian side, thus, being in Asia for the very first time! Very exciting.
Most European cities we have visited in the past are cities with an obviously Christian influence. There are churches everywhere, and they are usually very large and elaborate. Istanbul is very different, as there is a strong Muslim influence. There are mosques everywhere throughout the city. We visited three during our trip, including two of the most famous -- Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sofia is interesting because it was first built as a basilica and not a mosque. It's sheer size is just amazing.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or the Blue Mosque as it is also known, is also very impressive. This mosque is still used for worship today. It was built in the early 1600s. It has 6 minarets (the tall, skinny towers surrounding the dome), which caused some contention when it was being built as 4 minarets is the common maximum number. The mosque is tiled with beautiful hand-painted tiles inside.
Other interesting sites that we visited during our trip included the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, and the Basilica Cistern. The Grand Bazaar is a huge, indoor market where vendors set up "stalls" to sell various items, including pottery, scarves, bags, shoes, jewelry and more. It was huge inside, but not as crazy or crowded as we thought it was going to be. The Spice market is an indoor/outdoor market where vendors sell, you guessed it -- spices. It was pretty cool to see all kinds of different spices everywhere. They also sell various types of nuts, cheese, Turkish delight, baklava, and more. It's smaller than the Grand Bazaar, but still very cool. We bought some pistachios there.
Grand Bazaar
Spice Market
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. It was built in the 6th century and is capable of holding approximately 2,800,000 cubic feet of water. The ceiling is supported by large marble columns. In one of the corners of the cistern, the bases of two columns are blocks carved as the head of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. One head is turned on its side and the other is upside down. Archaeologists believe that the placement is on purpose, but no one knows why. Pretty cool.
While all of these sites were very cool, our favorite was the Topkapi Palace. This palace was the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years, from 1465-1856. The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point, overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, with gorgeous views of the Bosphorus from many spots in the palace. While the palace is quite stunning in itself, it also houses many interesting historical artifacts, including jewels, art, clocks, and weaponry. We got to see an 86-carat diamond! There is also a room with relics that are believed to belong to many of the Islamic prophets, including Mohammed. It houses what are considered to be "the most sacred relics of the Muslim world": the cloak of Mohammed, two swords, a bow, one tooth, a hair of his beard, and an autographed letter and other relics which are known as the Sacred Trusts. Several other sacred objects are also on display, such as the swords of the first four Caliphs, The Staff of Moses, the turban of Joseph and a carpet of the daughter of Mohammed. It was really interesting to see some of these artifacts. We spent several hours here since there is so much to look at.
We also tried lots of Turkish food on our trip. We ate at two really great restaurants. Both had outdoor roof terraces and we had fantastic weather, so it was pretty amazing. The service was great, too. The food is similar to Greek food -- chicken, lamb, spinach, tomatoes, olives, etc. They also use a lot of spices, which isn't surprising considering the climate. One of our favorite parts of traveling is enjoying the local cuisine, and we were definitely able to do that on this trip. Drinking alcohol does not seem to be as popular as it is in most of the other European cities. Our best guess is that the strong Islamic influence is the main reason. Matt still found an opportunity to try the Turkish beer Efes (the only brew we saw offered anywhere in the city).
The weather was beautiful, the views were stunning, and the people were very helpful, so we really had a great time. Although the city was different than what we are used to, we really enjoyed experiencing a new culture, which really, is the whole point of traveling in the first place. It wasn't our favorite European city and we don't know if we'll make it back, but we're definitely glad we had the opportunity to see it. Here are just a few more photos.
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