Wow, it's 2012 and I'm amazed at how quickly 2011 passed by. I had rung in the New Year's with some friends from Church and it was pretty low-key evening with pizza and games until we headed out into the city. In Germany it is legal to buy Fireworks from the 29th - Jan.2 and you can set them off during this period as well, anywhere. My friend had purchased some fireworks as well and as soon as we walked out, it was a firework blitz. He was setting off little fireworks as we walked towards Unter den Linden - the main street that leads to Brandenburger Tor - other people were setting off fireworks as well. Once we reached the main street it was controlled chaos. Fireworks were being set off everywhere and there were a lot of people all heading to Brandenburger Tor, which is the place to be at midnight. My friend's father was doing the light show at the Tor and we were hoping to get into the fan area which would be in the front but by the time we got there, there were thousands of people. Think Vancouver during the playoffs.... We ended up walking about another 30 mins and ended up watching the fireworks from the Hauptbahnof - Berlin's main train station - on one of the platforms and it was a great view. I hae to admit that being on the street was a little scary for me. I did receive a little shrapnel in the corner of my eye from a tiny firework thank goodness it was some of the packaging only. My friends and I had some mock champagne, like Martinelli's but without the flavor (so tasted like the real deal haha) and at New Year's we toasted each other and watched the firework show! It was like a July 4th finale for 20 mins. It started to mist from all the fireworks and the smoke was so heavy in the air that you could barely see the skyline anymore. The lineups for the trains were massive and we didn't have to pay but I wasn't sure and so the one time I tried, there were 3 guys nearby and one said in German, you don't have to pay, no one is checking. Then in english, he said "No one is controlling it" and they all laughed. We all boarded the train and for the next 4 stops to my stop, he would say: "excuse me can I see your ticket" or "show me your ticket" and him and his friends would laugh. Drunk people are so funny....
These past 2 weeks have been very enjoyable spent with good friends. Over Christmas, I went my friend's parents home with my good friend Saria in Sauerland, near Meschede, a 5 hour drive, faster when his brother drives. He drove at 180-190 KM/hr at some points. I didn't notice and didn't want to think about it in the VW we were in. I love road trips and when we arrived at house, we were told it was big and was shown the roof on a google earth search but did not imagine it. The house was built in the 1300's and restored again in the 1600's and was the biggest and still is the biggest house in their village. It was used by the US army at one point during the war. After 25 years of not being bought and being loitered in, vandalised, etc, they had purchased it because they needed a house for their family of 11 children:) The rooms are quite large and they had to do a lot of work to restore it to a livable state and it looks so good now. They had kept a lot of the character of the original house and some of the stairwells and doors are amazing. The cellar/bottom floor is where you can see how thick the stone walls were built and where there was a Cold storage and more hidden rooms. It's an amazing place. There is a wooden staircase that winds up to the attic and I love it. I took a lot of photos. Their dad also collects artifacts from different countries when he travels and in the livingroom area is a display of Indian artifacts, such as, bows, arrows, dream catchers, etc. My favorite room was the dining room which has a custom built family table which is sooo large to fit everyone around it. Now that there are additions to the family, there is another table too but that was bought it maintains the character of the house. Every morning, I would get up before my friends and head down to the kitchen where some of hois family would be gathered already eating breakfast, which were fresh baked buns(from a local bakery) with gouda, butter, jam or nutella. I would have the gouda and butter, sooo lecker = yummy/delicious. One morning, I made French toast for everyone and bacon. Bacon is not common in Germany and so it wasn't the first to go, not like in the Americas. We went for walks, travelled to see other nearby towns for shopping and one time we went to a Sauna and swimming pool. In Germany, Saunas are very popular and everyone must be "naked" in a Sauna - no swimsuits but you can wear a towel - thank goodness! The Saunas are not like back home, it's a ritual. They said we woould be there for 4 hours and I wondered, how can we stay for that long in a sauna until you see that it's like a spa and there are Saunas of varying temperatures. Jeremias' brother explained to me that you first go into a warm sauna for a bit then you come out do the cold shower, the go into the next sauna, which should be hotter, and repeat that until you do a full round getting hotter and hotter. There was a communal shower in the middle and a freezing cold pool that people can jump in betweem the saunas. You can also soak your feet in a hot sink...a footbath, I enjoyed that one. I hesitany did the communal shower when there was no one else (ok an older lady) until I was shown another shower that was more hidden and individual in another area. YAY! My friend Saria and I would opt for that one...we definitely were not German enough for the middle. We went into one sauna that had scents and they would pour water on the rocks and a scent - this was evergreen - and then the guy would twirl a towel above his head and we would feel the heat. I was sitting on the top bench and my face and shoulders were on fire! It was so hot and I remembered, heat rises!!! It was so funny. After that I was tempted to jump into that cold pool not caring who saw but thankfully, I cooled off fast enough to remember my modesty haha. Another sauna was full of thick steam and smelled of lemongrass. Besides the lemongrass, that is what my friend Saria and I were used to. Then, I headed to an outdoor cabin sauna. Some of them had leather lounge chairs that people would just be relaxing (in their robes) on but other ones - the true saunas - you walk in and there are naked people. The one I wemt to with my friend's brother, had 4 guys, all naked, chatting it up with each other. I felt it was a good time to nap for 15 min. While we were in there. The sauna is super relaxing and after you make one round, you are to then go relax on the lounge chairs, drinlk and eat something for 30 min. And then go back for round 2. We spent some time in the swimming pool area too, which are swimsuits only, Yay! I went on a waterslide for the first time and swam in the lazy river, went in the outdoor salt pool and hung out in the hot tub. After that experience, I now understand how one can do that for 4 hours. I had a good sleep that night and felt very refreshed.
Christmas was on the 24th and their family did a dinner, I helped by folding napkins and I opted for a turkey leg. There were 2 - 9 kg turkeys for 22 people. I had to eat the leg in 2 sittings. Haha. Afterwards, we all gathered around in the livingroom and we watched some of the family sing songs they prepared or little videos or poems. Then they distributed gifts. I have to admit that I didn't think too much about gifts, except for pitching in for the Parents gift. My friend didn't want to buy anything for him and I thought it was mutually agreed that we would just think about the parents. Yet the boys, Jeremias and his brother (who we hang out in Berlin) had gotten a game for Saria and I called "New Amici" it's a language learning game for children up to 8 yrs old. Saria's is a Spanish-German and mine is English-German. The boys want to learn Spanish and improve their English, and we need to learn German, so it's mutually beneficial. The parents gave us a German Bible and Saria gave me some earrings. I felt so blessed and so loved! I cried out of joy but also I wished I had gotten them something too. We had a good night filled with games and singing and lots of laughter. I skyped with my Mom and it was nice to talk to her. My friends spoke with her too:) During the week it was great hanging out with a large family. I missed that and the feeling of comraderie they all had. It was nice to be part of that. His family is really nice and we felt very welcome in the home. The house is so large and so, there is a not a lot of heat but many blankets. You learned how to layer.
My time in Berlin has really opened my eyes to new things, great people and showed me the good friends I have here. 2011 has been a great year for friendships, old and new. Re-establishing family ties and reforging bonds. I have more confidence in my path here in Berlin and know that my 2012 will be successful and full of joy. I couldn't wish for anything more...okay, more work but I know that will sort itself out as the year progresses. I am excited for 2012 and my renewed sense of purpose towards my spiritual progression as well my personal progression. I still have my same weakness' that I need to overcome and was told a German saying that, although you can move, you always take your skin with you. My friend tells me a lot of fun German sayings and when I can remember them in German, I will share.
Here's to 2012 and the adventure that awaits! I don't have a set theme yet but it should be the "Year of Progression" because I am going to be forging some new ground and getting out of even more comfort zones. If we are not progressing, then where are we in life?
Tschuss and much success in 2012.
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