Made My Day

Some days I can't even explain the happiness I take from my daily life in Germany. Yesterday was one of those days. I was especially in a good mood because Jeff had just come to visit. He was sleeping at Chelsea's place and Mike had stayed the night too. I woke early to shower and await their call. At noon, we all headed into town to our favorite bakery/cafe'. Padeffka will always hold some of my favorite memories with Lisa. It's in that cafe' that she's heard some of my most interesting thoughts and stories. It's there, we spoke of our families and friends and our wishes and hopes for the future. And Jeff got to enjoy it's delicious assortment of breads and pastries. He even told us he was no longer allergic to chocolate, and I immediately offered our hot chocolates for him to sample.

After an hour or so of relaxing, we made our way into the Altstadt, always a favorite place for me. He exchanged his money and we bummed into Hannes in front of the bank. After quick introductions, Hannes let us know he'd see us later tonight for dinner and we said goodbye and headed to Nonnenhaus--a small grocery store in town. Jeff sent a post card to his girlfriend and we picked out a few good looking drinks for that night's soiree before heading to Lisa's Wohnung where David was wonderfully preparing vegetarian and meat lasagna. 

A few problems occurred regarding planning our trips with Jeff, as well as his solo adventure to Berlin on Saturday, but with a little help, we managed to figure everything out. Mike organized the trip to Berlin for Jeff and ended up hitching a ride there himself. Hannes graciously offered to call his friend in Berlin to have the boys stay there until Tuesday and Lisa found a cheap alternative adventure since Amsterdam wasn't going to work out. We ended up booking a flight to Budapest for three days ^_^

After a great dinner with splendid company, we all took our own part in cleaning up. While I cleaned up the table and set the chairs straight, I got a chance to thank Hannes for his help. When I helped stack the dirty dishes by the sink, I got to watch Chelsea and Lisa place slices of eggplant on David's back as he was lying on his stomach on the floor and wasn't giving us the satisfaction of moving. And while I got my chance to wash some of the dishes, I got to get to know Nazario just a little better than before and realize what a nice and enjoyable guy he is. Since he's not only Italian, grew up in Germany and is involved in his church in town, I couldn't help wishing I could take him home for Kara ^_^

Later, around 10pm, we all ended up walking to the Irish pub near the Brechtbau Theater, called Saints and Scholars. We set up shop on a table outside and I met up with Dagmar, a friend from Black Comedy, who encouraged me to get a strawberry daiquiri with her....a great choice I soon learned, haha. Chelsea, Mike, Jeff and David showed up next, after hammering out the details to the Berlin trip, and soon our table was crowded and full of people laughing, drinking, hugging, taking pictures and catching up. Some friends I hadn't even planned on seeing walked by the pub and decided to join us for the night and some friends called and wanted to know if we'd still be around later so they could join us.

Well, the night ended slowly. Jeff and Mike left first to get some sleep before their journey and then a few others followed shortly after. When Daniel showed up at midnight after work and dinner, it was only Dagmar, Maria, Hannes, Oliver, Nazario, Chelsea and I. So we spoke mainly of theater and film, all in German. When I'm outnumbered to Germans in my company, I always speak German. It's nice to know that after a long night, a few drinks and a lot of fun, I can still carry a lengthy conversation in German without too much help.

By 1am, Daniel, Hannes, Chelsea and I were left. All headed in the same direction, we walked up the street and tried to say our good byes. But, as what commonly happens to me when I'm spending time with such interesting people, we ended up talking on the corner of the street for another hour. Chelsea and Daniel talked of Whose Line is it Anyway, and I talked to Hannes about his adventures when visiting his mom who's lived in Afrika for the last 6 years. We parted ways at 2am and Chelsea and I walked home listening to our iPod.

There's nothing in life more enjoyable than company with people you know you're going to miss someday.

Back to the Future

It means your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one.

 I usually wake up a few times in the middle of the night. Some would call it a restless sleep. I call it my regular routine. Last night was no different. But I don't mind it, most of the time. Most of the time, I enjoy the feeling of falling back asleep and dreaming. Last night I kept waking from the constant buzz of people at a party next door and the vibrations of a loud bass. To top it off, being sick and having a cough makes things more complicated. 

But I got to sleep in, so I woke in good spirits. After waiting too long for the shower, and making myself a cup of morning tea, I headed out the door. Picking up some snacks, missing my bus stop, discovering that Tubingen has a graveyard and walking all the way to Lisa's house, I finally arrived for our scheduled Back to the Future marathon. Israel actually decided to join us this time, and it made me happy to see things begin to go back to how they once were. I miss spending time with him. We even spent some time excitably talking about The World Cup in June. In a half hour, Chelsea and Mike arrived and we made tomatoes with mozzarella and started the first movie.

After 5 hours of movies, 4 spilled drinks (one of which, I wore), one bag of popcorn, and insisting that Lisa's mom look like one of the actresses, we were finally finished. Rubbing my eyes and trying not to yawn, I kissed Lisa on the cheek and said goodbye. I'd see her the next day, and I had some much deserved rest to catch up on. 

Yet here I am. Still awake. ^__^ Seems to happen a lot. I don't mind. Tonight I'm awake because of what Doc said in Back to the Future (^above quote^). I use to worry a lot more about the future. It always made me anxious. It was like something I felt I couldn't control because so much depended on it. It was always so messy and complicated to think about. Now, I am sometimes comfortable knowing only a few things are certain in the future. One of them is that my sister will always be around, even if she doesn't live by me. And the other is something I hope will be as great as I think it will be.

Ah, Future, you don't scare me so much these days. And maybe, someday I'll actually look forward to you all the time.

Rain in May

This morning I woke to a cloudy day. I sat by my window while rubbing my sleepy eyes. I had fallen asleep the night previous to a irritating email, and had just woken from a strange dream, so I noted that the day was as dreary as I felt.

The room was dimmed by the clouds and was chilly because I had left my window cracked from the night previous. It was sprinkling outside so I grabbed a blanket off my bed and snuggled into my cozy chair. Remembering the promise I made last night, I decided to upload some pictures from Black Comedy for a friend.

Gazing down at the street below my window, I saw that the rain was harder than I had thought. Some people were rushing. I’m guessing most of them were students running late to class or an officeworker who’d overslept and was trying to catch a bus. Ironically, I'd be doing the same thing in about an hour. Others were idly walking by, umbrellas in hand. From thier blurred faces, they’d all seem like mechanical things clad in color-coded attire off to do their part in a greater system. It seems sad that the demands of everyday living slowly drains them of life.

To shake my dreary feeling, I made myself a cup of tea. I've finally found a flavor that suits me. I don't like the idea of adding other ingredients to tea (lemon, milk, sugar) while I should just be able to enjoy it as it was meant to be. I opened my window a bit more to let the sound of rain pour into the room. It was nice. I never noticed the smile that crept up my face until I had placed the warm mug against my lips.

Looking up, the sky was covered by pale silver wash of gray. I guess the small rainstorm had come in the night and had realized I needed a little cheering up the next morning. I even noticed the smell of the fresh crisp rain as I got ready for class. As I put on my long socks and boots, I admitted to myself that I have always disliked the gloomy light when the sky is overcast, but I will always welcome the fresh scent and feeling
of rain. I don’t really know why. It’s nature’s magic after all.

Revisiting those golden moments

What's America's favorite German word?

I read a study yesterday to decide worldwide, which German words were "das schoenste deutsche Wort (the most beautiful German word.)". In August 2004, 111 countries were asked, and I found the list of words to be enjoyable. Thought I'd share.

To begin with, Germany decided which words they found the "most beautiful." Among them, Liebe (love), Frieheit (freedom), Sonnenschein (sunshine) and Schmetterling (butterfly). I can't decided if they just found the meaning of these words to be beautiful or the actually sound of the word. Hmm, that's thought provoking.

America's number 1 "most beautiful German word" was Gemuetlichkeit. Funny enough, the word means someone's good social behavior or charming demeanor. Most countries consider Liebe to be the most beautiful word. Perhaps, the most well-known German word. I'm sure there's no connection there at all. =)

One German was asked for his most beautiful German word. The joker replied "Rhabarbamarmelade." That's a fruit marmalade jam. Apparently, his wife's name is Barbara. He says, it brings him great joy to say, "Barbara, bitte bring mir die Rhabarbermarmelade." Now, there's a tongue twister. ^__^

I guess I'll have to think about my choice for such a contest. I'm sure I'll get back to you.

Why I Enjoy My Sore Muscles

Last night I fell asleep pretty quickly. Sure, I had a lot to think about but I'd say for the most part, all my thoughts were silver-lined. The next time I woke up it was 8:30am and the sun was dripping slowly through my window. I have a new habit of waking at around 8:30am. I don't have blinds to keep out the sun, so I am often awoken by the sun's rays hitting my cheek. All I remember so early was that I had a good dream. I turned to my side, preparing to drift into another good dream about him, when it hit me. My left knee hit the bed and pain from it's injury jostled me awake again. I noticed suddenly that not only my knee hurt, but my thighs, arms, shoulders, neck and back.

How does one procure such a cornucopia of sore muscles in one day? If you're Rachel, through theater, of course. It was at 8:30am in the morning, after wincing from the pain, that I had to chuckle quietly to myself. Why do I voluntarily devote so much time and energy in theater? I couldn't even go a year in Germany without seeking out theater. And not just one play, but two, could suffice...as if I had to make up for lost time. And not only that, but I've already see two professional musicals (one in London and one in Germany) and one amateur play in Tubingen.

I don't consider myself exceptionally devoted to theater (I've realized it's something I want to do as a hobby, not as a career) and yet, I still receive such satisfaction from it. I'll spend 8 hours every weekend rehearsing and 3 hours/4 days a week at the theater running lines. I'll lose sleep, procure bruises, skip dinner and juggle classes/homework/tests and work just to be in a show. And why?

Simple. I love it. Every bit of the show. I love the first day we read through lines. I love meeting new people. I love being stressed about the choreography, and spending my weekends painting the set. I love the first run-through. I love the costumes, and the first dress-rehearsal. And, on opening night, I love showing my friends how hard I've worked. I don't think I'd enjoy it as much if my friends never saw it. I do it to make them laugh and smile. It's not the applause I like, but the pure and simple fact that I've helped my friends have a really unique and enjoyable night. =)

Unexpected

How can I ever explain how I felt when I picked up that package from the international office? On the outside, it looked as any other package a student would receive. Green and red international post stamps covered it's front. I didn't expect it. I looked closer, and surprise reached my eyes as I noticed who it was from. Carefully unwrapping the package, I soon realized what was inside. I took the letter out first, and slipped my finger under the sealed flap of the envelope. I don't know much about the card, it looked hand-made (perhaps from his mom?) but the words inside brought a smile to my face as my eyes started to burn. It was the most kind gesture anyone had done for me in a long time.

I can't explain how good it made me feel to know I crossed your mind. You not only thought about me, but cared enough to let me know everything would be ok.

Thank you