Ferris wheel at a lingering Weihnachtsmarkt in Berlin (Alexanderplatz) Well, I'm right where I left off--"home" in Rodez, gearing up for classes. Though, in typical, curious French fashion, I was informed this morning by my roommate that I didn't need to go into my first class today. Apparently when she called in sick, the principal very cheerily wished her Happy New Year and told her to tell me I didn't have to come in, either. Only God knows why, but you're getting a blog post out of my free hour, so no harm done (not that getting time off is ever really harmful...).
Though I'm exactly where I left you a few weeks ago, I wasn't here the entire time--thankfully. No, despite exercises in combat with the French bureaucracy, public transportation strikes, lost baggage and a broken-down train, I've been to Berlin and back. Anne's family was gracious enough to welcome me back to their home and into all of their Christmas/birthday/New Year's celebrations this year, and I'm terribly grateful to have had a family (if not mine) and friends to spend the holidays with. Rodez is great, but I was quite ready for a break and happy to reconnect with people who have known me longer than 3 months. Not to mention that I got to experience a totally new style of holidays in Germany--and let me say, from what I saw, they do it right. Anne's mom, Kerstin, had her 50th birthday on the 24th (the main celebration day in Europe), so before the extensive Christmas celebrations could even begin, we feted Kerstin's life with a giant party on the 23rd. By the time the party was cleaned up on the 24th, we had just enough time to celebrate Kerstin's real birthday with a coffee and then transition to the family room for the Heiligabend gift exchange. Then, naturally, there were guests over for games and then another party for the young'uns into the wee hours. By the time it arrived, we were all quite ready for the 25th, ie "Couch Day" at the Kutzner's. This involved watching movies that the Weihnachtsmann (Santa) had brought the night before and otherwise gathering energy for the continued celebrations and moving to come. We spent a day with Anne's aunt, uncle, and cousins on the 26th, re-celebrating with the new group of people, exchanging more gifts, drinking, and playing video games and then spent a few days moving people around--Anne's room in Greifswald and painting/assembling Ikea items at the new apartment of some friends of Anne's (and mine, by now :-). And suddenly, it was time for New Year's. I flew back to Toulouse on the morning of the 1st and have been here since, mostly napping and doing some intensive cleaning in the apartment.
My time in Germany was amazing, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend Christmas away from home. Especially since the invention of Skype. I have been continually astonished at and grateful for the warm, complete hospitality of the people I know in Berlin because of Anne. I'll be happy to see them again when I go back to fly to the States this summer...but I'm not going to think about that right now, because I have NO idea what I'll be doing with my life by then. Again. ;-)
Now, enjoy the pictures:
Though I'm exactly where I left you a few weeks ago, I wasn't here the entire time--thankfully. No, despite exercises in combat with the French bureaucracy, public transportation strikes, lost baggage and a broken-down train, I've been to Berlin and back. Anne's family was gracious enough to welcome me back to their home and into all of their Christmas/birthday/New Year's celebrations this year, and I'm terribly grateful to have had a family (if not mine) and friends to spend the holidays with. Rodez is great, but I was quite ready for a break and happy to reconnect with people who have known me longer than 3 months. Not to mention that I got to experience a totally new style of holidays in Germany--and let me say, from what I saw, they do it right. Anne's mom, Kerstin, had her 50th birthday on the 24th (the main celebration day in Europe), so before the extensive Christmas celebrations could even begin, we feted Kerstin's life with a giant party on the 23rd. By the time the party was cleaned up on the 24th, we had just enough time to celebrate Kerstin's real birthday with a coffee and then transition to the family room for the Heiligabend gift exchange. Then, naturally, there were guests over for games and then another party for the young'uns into the wee hours. By the time it arrived, we were all quite ready for the 25th, ie "Couch Day" at the Kutzner's. This involved watching movies that the Weihnachtsmann (Santa) had brought the night before and otherwise gathering energy for the continued celebrations and moving to come. We spent a day with Anne's aunt, uncle, and cousins on the 26th, re-celebrating with the new group of people, exchanging more gifts, drinking, and playing video games and then spent a few days moving people around--Anne's room in Greifswald and painting/assembling Ikea items at the new apartment of some friends of Anne's (and mine, by now :-). And suddenly, it was time for New Year's. I flew back to Toulouse on the morning of the 1st and have been here since, mostly napping and doing some intensive cleaning in the apartment.
My time in Germany was amazing, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend Christmas away from home. Especially since the invention of Skype. I have been continually astonished at and grateful for the warm, complete hospitality of the people I know in Berlin because of Anne. I'll be happy to see them again when I go back to fly to the States this summer...but I'm not going to think about that right now, because I have NO idea what I'll be doing with my life by then. Again. ;-)
Now, enjoy the pictures:
Happily seated in a sunset-side seat on my flight from Toulouse to Amsterdam.
Kerstin lighting the Christmas tree candles on Heiligabend. 
They told me that someone is always Weihnachtsmann and hands out the gifts from a big sack. Naturally, it was my year to be him. Whether this is really tradition or they were enjoying the foreigner, I'm not quite sure...
My surrogate Christmas family--Anne, me, Kerstin, and Bernd. Anne's brother Robert took the picture.
*Trying* to sing along to 80's German pop on Sing Star with Anne's little cousin, Nick. The only one that went sort-of okay was 99 Luftballons.
Cathi, Conrad, Anne and I went to a Christmas market at Alexanderplatz one afternoon to eat 1/2 meter Bratwurst (in my hand), drink Glühwein (mulled wine), and ride carnival rides.
The Glühwein-drinking, this time out of little boot mugs. It's really amazing how much of the delicious stuff I'd had by the time I left. 
Me, only half-way bundled up for the freezing bike ride (which didn't actually end up being very fast and windy, since I couldn't really reach the pedals on Anne's old bike) to the other Anne's house for New Year's Eve. The light on my head was for the bike, as well as fashion, natürlich. Anne's mom had to button me into my coat at the end, like a little over-bundled child.
Ok, if you think mulled wine is yummy, wait till I tell you about this drink. It's called Feuerzangenbowle and it's yummy, festive, and flammable! You basically make Glühwein in a pot and then put this sugar cone over it, douse the sugar in rum, and...
...set it on FIRE! The sugar burns and caramelizes, then drips into the wine. I don't know why on earth we don't do this in America. I think I'm going to start.
We had Cheese and Chocolate fondue for dinner as we waited for the 2009. Delicious.
Finally, we all bundled up again to watch the neighborhood fireworks at midnight. We lucked out, as Anne G's neighbors went all out with their firework purchases and provided a good show. You could see fireworks all over, since it's so flat there, and I also learned about Himmelslaterne, which are basically floating blimp-like lanterns. Quite a nice way to ring in the new year--Anne G and Jana even hummed along to Auld Lang Syne with me :)