A Highlight From the Heart

Okay, so I've seen some pretty amazing and beautiful things in the last 10 months and making a list of highlights would be almost impossible. However, yesterday afternoon in the living room, the sweetness of my five year old brother, Samuel had me smiling from ear to ear in what I have no doubt will forever remain a highlight.

Samuel and I were home alone and were both reading on the couch in the living room...his steady commentary had me reading more of his book full of pictures than my own, but it was cute :) I was tired and so, jokingly, laid down with my head in his lap. I expected laughing or maybe even the daily questions "are you ticklish today?" but instead received the reply, "Ok, I can read on your head." Seconds later I felt the book on my head as he silently continued to flip through the pages.

The phone rang. Sami let it ring three times and then said softly, "Julianne, the phone is ringing."

I got up and answered the phone. It was a quick call and as I hung up the phone and stood in the kitchen I heard from the living room, "Are you going to come back?" My heart just about melted. I asked him if he wanted me to and he responded with only a grin. I walked back in and he smiled and put a pillow on his lap before I laid down.

Not often can you catch a five year old boy calm enough to sit still for minutes on end but Sami didn't say anything...and I started to drift off to sleep. Then he started rubbing my back and I couldn't contain my smile. A few minutes later he started playing with my hair...gently and carefully working out the knots he found it that mane of mine.

Then out of the blue a giant blow in my ear! Have you ever had someone blow in your ear? Saying it tickles is putting it lightly. To Sami's delight he got quite the squeal out of me which triggered a fit of laughter from both of us. There was no more going back to sleep or silent book reading once the giggles got out, so instead we moved on to a heated game of memory :) It was an afternoon I won't forget and I only wish I'd had the entire thing on video. I'll say it again, it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen!

We're Celebrating!

In a family the size of mine, there is always something going on, always something being planned, and always something to celebrate! Naturally, birthdays certainly lead the charge, thoroughly hitting every month of the year, but Anniversaries, weddings, baptisms, and Confirmations are not to be forgotten.

The Owens family interprets "crazy picture" differently..

The Weihing birthdays are perfectly scattered throughout the year; summer, fall, winter, and spring. Wayyy back when, we Celebrated Christian's birthday with a day trip to Switzerland after a week on Lake Constance. In November, our house looked (and sounded) like a kindergarten with Samuel and all his friends running around happily. Selina and I share February as our birthday month and although it wasn't on our birthday, the family ski trip was certainly a great Feb. treat. In March, friends and family came for the evening to celebrate Papa's birthday and unlike in American culture, I've come to learn that adults usually throw themselves a birthday part too--why not? To Jonathan's disappointment, I'll be in Berlin over his birthday but once I promised to bring him back a surprise I think the disappointment faded a little bit :-) And then this summer, after I leave, Mama will celebrate her birthday. Mentioning the birthdays of my eight cousins, three aunts and uncles, and grandparents would simply take to long and bore anyone to death...but i think you get the idea!

Me with my cousin, Annika

However, at the end of April, our family had something bigger than a birthday to celebrate--a Confirmation. The closest thing to compare it to in the U.S.A. would be a high school graduation. Confirmation takes place around the age of 13 and it is the students' commitment to continue their life following God and comes only after a year of classes and a bit of preparation :) The church was packed!

Once the ceremony itself was over, our group of...well..many...headed back to the house where the celebration began. Oh. My. Goodness. Never have I seen so much food! As soon as we got to the house, the adults toasted to the occasion and everyone nibbled on the small assortment of finger food set out on the patio. The delicious snacks certainly would've held over my appetite for another hour or two but what felt like only minutes after the treys were pulled, the lunch bell rang and we all filed in to an enormous buffet of chicken, venison, pork, potatoes, veggies, salad, and certainly a handful of things I forgot.


Without going into useless details, I'll fill you in on the rest of the day: after lunch free time for an hour or so until "Coffee" (which is code for a tiny cup of coffee and giant slice of cake), family games, dinner. The response to "dinner time" has to be one of the most humorous responses I've ever heard to such a delicious buffet of breads, meats, and cheeses, but I too was stuffed to the gills and the thought of finding room for an entire meal was somewhat laughable but somehow we all managed.

But don't worry, there was at least a little more to the giant celebration than food, food, food :) Several family games had us all laughing--including one that had me admitting to the three grey hairs I'd found that morning and the grades I'd received for my latest Chemistry test. I played photographer as the 14 kids took their best swing at the pinata which wasn't always the safest job..."stand close to the blindfolded kid with the baseball bat to get a picture of him swinging madly.." hmmm. Oh, and I played memory. I remember the days when I was so good at that game...

And in a nutshell, that sums up a fun, beautiful, and exciting day of celebrating with my cousin her Confirmation :)

Burgers!

American culture doesn't get more stereotypical than a big juicy cheeseburger, a generous helping of salty french fries, and a giant coke to wash it all down. And although, to the surprise of some, I don't eat burgers on a daily--or even weekly--basis, there really isn't a more American food and so I caved...I made burgers! 

I had to laugh at the German culture that snuck its way into the meal though :-) Thankfully, my host parents share my disgust in the airy white buns that normally go with hamburgers and so when dinner time came, we had good ol' German rolls (not exactly rolls but also not bread) that certainly tasted better than the buns the kids went goo goo over! 

The burgers took a while on the stove and by the time they were all on the table, I smelled like grease and had a flashback to my days waitressing at Colleen's when I would come home from work to "Wow, you smell like a french fry!" But the burgers were quite the hit with certain members of the family eating up to 3 giant ones! The  best part was that the electricity didn't go out, I didn't burn anything, I didn't break anything, and I didn't ruin the recipe....could that mean I actually cooked an American meal without a catastrophe? I never thought I'd live to see the day! :-)

But That's Boring

I remember so clearly both saying and hearing those words during conversations with my family on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons as we brainstormed how to spend the day...well, some things don't vary much between cultures and sitting around the dining room table after church those were just the words I heard. What were my host siblings referring to? That's where the story gets good. No, not a bike ride, hiking trail, or game, what my host parents wanted to do was visit a special landmark about a 30 minute drive from us. After a fair amount of whining, a deal was finally made and, reluctantly, the kids agreed to spend the afternoon at a castle. 

A CASTLE! I laughed out loud just thinking about how many Americans would give anything to spend Sunday afternoon touring a castle--kids and adults alike. It did, however, make me realize how easy it is to take for granted the beauty found so close to home. More than one of those "but that's boring" conversations at home had something to do with the beautiful pacific ocean--something everyone of my host siblings agreed was certainly more exciting than a castle :)

I fit in the doghouse!

Well, we pulled up to the castle and I was all giddy like some little kid...but most have gotten used to my child like excitement by now. Unlike Neuschwanstein Castle, Lichtenstein Castle doesn't attract millions each year and therefore isn't quite as "roped off". Of course, it is still an amazing and breathtaking tourist attraction, but the smaller number of visitors allows the grounds to remain a bit more natural looking and I was blown away.

We toured the inside of the castle and it was just like the movies! Trap door escapes, a ballroom, and an impressive display of suits of armor that made my host brothers grin from ear to ear. We came to one room and instantly noticed the giant bullet hole in a mirror. Our guide quickly explained that during WWII, the French had invaded the castle searching for German troops but instead, found only a full wine cellar. One of the soldiers walked into the room a bit later and believed his reflection in the mirror to be a German soldier and so he shot "him". Whether or not that is simply legend or actually fact I suppose we'll never know but it makes for a good story. 

 Of all the many Sunday afternoon outings with my family, our afternoon at the castle stands head and shoulders above the rest. It was a beautiful day and a very beautiful castle with an amazing family <3

Easter Afternoon

After a morning of celebration with just us, we prepared to host the entire Weihing clan. An extra table was brought upstairs, cute and festive table decorations were found and put to good use, and then around 3:30, the crew began to arrive. the Weihing clan consists of my host dad's three siblings and their families--two of which also have four kids :) It's no small party!

A number of delicious looking cakes decked the table and the coffee pot was ready for action--and after seven weeks without the weekly tradition of German coffee and cake, so was I! As much as I would have thouroughly enjoyed samplying the entire variety of goodies laid out, after my first slice of "nuss zopf" (A sweeter version of zopf with nuts) that was only a few hours old, the other cakes just couldn't compare. :) I will have to find a way to get my hands on my aunt's amazing recipe!

He wanted to hide something with our bunny but in the end he said, "Charlie bit me"  I'm assuming it really hurt ;-)

GO!

As the kids began to figit it became obvious that it was time for the easter bunny to go to work. Naturally, all the dads had to help with his enormous load and I tagged along as photographer. Finally, everything was ready.   One basket from each aunt and uncle multiplied by 13 kids doesn't leave many unused hiding places but with a little creativity and a big yard, we managed. the kids stood in the doorway--yes all of them--and waited for the command that sent them caotically flying in all directions--go!

Taking the time to play photographer meant that my dear little brothers, who zoomed around the yard at the speed of light, had located all of my easter baskets before I'd even set the camera down and therefore "hunt" is certainly a bit of a stretch for what I had to do to get my baskets.

The playing field-aka my backyard :)

As expected, the day flew by and I was suddenly celebrating not Easter Sunday, but Easter Monday. This time around, it was Mama's side of the family who filled up the dining room and once again, we had a wonderful time. By the time everyone left and the dust settled, my jaw dropped. Never in my life had I seen such an enormous amoung of Easter candy!! And I must say, I'll take Germany Easter candy over peeps and creme eggs any day!

And that would be the very sumorrized conclusion to my Easter in Germany--it was a great one!

The Morning Celebration

My Easter basket--found!

What does a church service in the cemetery, a German flag hidden behind some flowers, and over 20 pairs of shoes outside the front door have in common? I'll make it a little easier on you--what does an over abundance of colored eggs, an invasion of bunnies, and the phrase "He is Risen" have in common? Ok, so if you're still clueless, it's no longer my fault :-) But everything mentioned above--and much more--is what made April 8th such a memorable and exciting Easter Sunday.

Church service in the cemetery wasn't a joke...I realized that clearly as I pulled myself out of bed at 6:00am! Although getting up at the crack of dawn wouldn't have been my first choice, I thought of my own family's 5am Christmas morning tradition and the five exchange students who learned to love (or at least tolerate) it. We got to the cemetery at quarter before seven and as we piled out of the car, April decided to sprinkle a few snow flakes. I must have gotten Easter and Christmas confused in my "dear Santa letter" but will certainly pay better attention next time ;-) Nothing turned to white but the tiny flakes justified our shivering.

But the service truly was something I won't forget and such a creative way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The brass band played several songs--most of which were older than my country. And although I probably could have predicted the sermon word for word in English, as I stood there listening, I realized I understood the whole thing! It was a very triumphant moment :) Around 7:30 the last song was sung and kids and adults alike scurried back to the cars to run home to an Easter breakfast.

No more lent, no more fasting. Mama and I both sat at the breakfast table trying to decide what our first taste of sugar should be after 7 weeks without. The lindt bunnies on our plates? The vanilla cakes shaped as lambs? Or good old zopf smeared with a thick layer of jam. I opted for the jam and never had it tasted so good. That first bite of my lamb cake was certainly a shocker though. SO SWEET! I was initially excited that after going "so long" without sugar I wouldn't be able to eat as much...hahaha. How naive!

My German flag :-)

The children finished and then began eagerly asking about the Easter basket hunt that they knew came right after breakfast. Papa and I got up a few minutes before everyone to help the Easter bunny with his enormous work load and then let the kids loose! By 9:45, all gifts and baskets were found and sifted through quickly before packing everything upstairs and heading off the the second Easter church service. 

Everyone was there and the pews were packed. Hopefully it won't sound rude for me to say I was excited to see that the normal worship of 17th century hymns with an organ was replaced by songs younger than me accompanied by a keyboard and guitar. Oh, and the best part? They were in English! Don't get me wrong, I love German, but seeing an English song pop up on the overhead now and again is a happy thing :)

And that was the first half of Easter. Considering I've already got a good number of paragraphs behind me, I think I'll end here and fill you in on the afternoon celebrations next time :)

The Humor in My Life

After several hilarious incidents and a life that is, in general, full of laughter, I've decided it is most certainly time to whip out another random post :-) So here are the five funniest stories and most laughable moments from my last few months!

1. My host family is so sweet and knows I'd rather not receive a ten year stash of chocolate for Easter so they put a creative spin on my Easter baskets. As everyone tallied up the day's "winnings" a huge grin spread across my face as I looked at my pile: In addition to the inevitable supply of chocolate, my basket contained five kiwis, three jars of peanut butter, and a box of Chamomile tea!

2. Apparently there is some unspoken law that forbids me, as an exchange student, to cook or bake anything American without a catastrophe of one level or another. What were intended to be black bean quesadillas, were served as "kidney bean warmed tortillas". Discovering that black beans are hard to come by in Germany was no biggy--after mincing wurst to create "breakfast sausage" no form of improvisation intimidates me! However, as quesadilla number one was in the frying pan, the burner suddenly turned off--along with every other form of electricity on our street. We made the best of the hot pan we had, but once again, my cooking attempt turned into quite the adventure!

3. Back in the fall, I broke a glass. No big deal. After breaking glass number two, weeks later, Mama teased that I'd have to break six glasses before I would get in trouble. Last week, while unloading the dishwasher, I broke glass number five. I, personally, find this more irritating that anything else and perhaps a bit embarrassing, but others assure me it is humorous and thankfully my host mom also views my klutzy behavior as laughable. All I know is that I've discovered a new appreciation for plastic...

4. Neuschwanstein Castle--the international tourist attraction draws Americans, Russians, Italians, and approximately half of Japan to Southern Germany on any given day--or so I've heard :) As we were taking pictures, I froze as a man walked by me wearing--AN OSU JACKET! I childishly and excitedly pointed him out to my friends...and then stalked him :-D I walked up to a random part of the castle wall to "take a picture of a plaque" but my ears were peeled and I'll admit to being thoroughly disappointed when I realized he wasn't speaking English and he wasn't speaking German. Too scared to start a conversation, I snapped a shot of the jacket while he was facing the other direction to prove to you all that beaver believers aren't just in Oregon!

5. Hopefully the humor of this will survive translation, but it is sure worth a try! Back in the heat of homesickness and culture shock season (November), I received a packet from my organization. Among stories from past students, advice on how to adapt, and encouragement, there was a poster with a  bouncing penguin baby in a kangaroo pouch and a shivering kangaroo baby between the feet of a mommy penguin. The title read "Stupid exchange" and the kangaroo baby was saying "I'm cold!" while the penguin baby whined, "I'm sick!" Somehow, I missed the memo and wasn't experiencing any culture shock--so we just laughed at the poster. Well, it became a family joke and now NO ONE can say they are cold without the instant reply--from somewhere in the house--"I'm sick!" :)

There are so many moments that could easily be added to this post, but for now I'll leave you with my top five and hope you were able to get a laugh out of them :)