Family Christmas, sans Tim and I who didn't make the pan.
Killer bathrooms in France. Keep reading to learn more.
Christmas!!!
What else can I say: pajamas, presents, food, and games!
My bro got me Mad Gab so we had fun sounding like idiots for awhile.
I forgot to mention that I don’t have any money during this time. I have a wallet full of Japanese yen but no euros for Germany and no Swiss francs for Switzerland. Banks are all closed for the weekend/holidays so I can’t buy anything. That whole time at the Christmas market I just looked around. Sad, but it was also nice knowing I couldn’t buy anything…it let me just browse and take in the local culture.
Another difference that was very apparent as soon as I stepped off of the plane was the brazen PDA with every couple. In Japan I first was surprised at the lack of PDA and wondered how anyone ever got married. Now, after being in the conservative country for 19 months I was appalled at the lack of propriety in these Europeans, making out in front of me every spare second of the day. Cultural differences….how many can I count?!
Yes, Christmas….can’t remember a whole lot of details aside from yummy food and staying in our pajamas for most of it, but I do remember the next day…
Christmas!!!
What else can I say: pajamas, presents, food, and games!
My bro got me Mad Gab so we had fun sounding like idiots for awhile.
I forgot to mention that I don’t have any money during this time. I have a wallet full of Japanese yen but no euros for Germany and no Swiss francs for Switzerland. Banks are all closed for the weekend/holidays so I can’t buy anything. That whole time at the Christmas market I just looked around. Sad, but it was also nice knowing I couldn’t buy anything…it let me just browse and take in the local culture.
Another difference that was very apparent as soon as I stepped off of the plane was the brazen PDA with every couple. In Japan I first was surprised at the lack of PDA and wondered how anyone ever got married. Now, after being in the conservative country for 19 months I was appalled at the lack of propriety in these Europeans, making out in front of me every spare second of the day. Cultural differences….how many can I count?!
Yes, Christmas….can’t remember a whole lot of details aside from yummy food and staying in our pajamas for most of it, but I do remember the next day…
France! The boys took a snow day and headed up to board in the mountains while the ladies took a friend’s car to Colmar, France. What an enchanting town! This was one of a few Christmas markets that remained open after the 25th. We only had about an hour of daylight until the night lights came on in the streets and stalls. This market sold many of the same things as in Switzerland, but everyone spoke French! There seemed to be more stalls sprawled down several streets. It was easy to get turned around. Cheeses, meats, and spirits were frequently sold from local vendors. I sampled a nice rum vanilla liquor and bought a cute bottle of it to take home. Crepes and croissants replaced the brats and beer, though those could still be found in front of the smiling faces of men manning the booths. Smells of street food wafted through the corridors of brightly painted buildings. The moon poked eerily through dark blue clouds, wanting to be a part of the merry light from lampposts.
I took French in the 7th grade for one semester. Don't ask me to say anything except count to ten and say my name. I was pretty much worthless in transactions with the locals, despite my best efforts in smiling and pointing to things. When I lost my leather glove I went around to the stalls I had recently visited, found the owner and showed them my two hands, one gloved and the other naked, and made a sad face.
Eventually one of them pulled out my forgotten glove and we were reunited. Who needs words when you have body language.
At the end of our adventure we went to use the public restrooms. It cost about 50 cents to open the door. Aunt Sue plunked in the coins and went doubles with Hannah. When they came out I grabbed the door before it closed and slipped in. Just about to sit down when the lights went out. Pitch black.
“Hey! It’s dark in here!”
I went for the door.
Behind me the toilet flushed and the seat rose on its own.
“What the???!!!!”
I heard a spraying sound and a machine turned on.
The toilet is alive!!!
Groping in the dark I found the handle and pulled my full weight to open the heavy metal door.
"I almost died!" I exclaimed in a panic to my cousins.
Strange faces stared back at me by the parking lot lamplight. Another family of three looked at me with amused expressions. With the door opened we discussed how to further proceed and avoid paying another 50 cents when the lights came back on and the toilet returned to standard position. I gingerly closed the door again, willing the lights to stay on as I did my business and got out of there as soon as I could.
Though there was another empty bathroom, the other family must have decided it wasn’t worth it after watching me and left.
But hey, we got three people on one coin. American win.
Oh, you want to know another win? Remember how I didn’t have any money? Well, that was because I couldn’t change my yen to Euros…Christmas in Germany is much like America: they take a vacation! Japan doesn't do that….I think I’m used to everyone working all the time.
Anyways, my bank card expired while I’ve been in Japan and since I don’t use it I never had it sent. So, my mom sent it to my brother in Hawaii, who brought it to Germany. Well, it’s been almost 2 years since the last time I punched my pin number into that little dial pad and I forgot it. I tried several possible combinations but none of them were right. I emailed my bank (during the holidays) and tried to get them to email my pin to me but they wanted to mail it to me (yeah right) or have me walk into local branch. I’m in Germany, idiots.
So, imagine my joy and delight when I woke up this morning, literally the second I opened my eyes and my brain said: here’s your pin: ####.
Thanks brain. You’re a little late, but pretty awesome.
Eventually one of them pulled out my forgotten glove and we were reunited. Who needs words when you have body language.
At the end of our adventure we went to use the public restrooms. It cost about 50 cents to open the door. Aunt Sue plunked in the coins and went doubles with Hannah. When they came out I grabbed the door before it closed and slipped in. Just about to sit down when the lights went out. Pitch black.
“Hey! It’s dark in here!”
I went for the door.
Behind me the toilet flushed and the seat rose on its own.
“What the???!!!!”
I heard a spraying sound and a machine turned on.
The toilet is alive!!!
Groping in the dark I found the handle and pulled my full weight to open the heavy metal door.
"I almost died!" I exclaimed in a panic to my cousins.
Strange faces stared back at me by the parking lot lamplight. Another family of three looked at me with amused expressions. With the door opened we discussed how to further proceed and avoid paying another 50 cents when the lights came back on and the toilet returned to standard position. I gingerly closed the door again, willing the lights to stay on as I did my business and got out of there as soon as I could.
Though there was another empty bathroom, the other family must have decided it wasn’t worth it after watching me and left.
But hey, we got three people on one coin. American win.
Oh, you want to know another win? Remember how I didn’t have any money? Well, that was because I couldn’t change my yen to Euros…Christmas in Germany is much like America: they take a vacation! Japan doesn't do that….I think I’m used to everyone working all the time.
Anyways, my bank card expired while I’ve been in Japan and since I don’t use it I never had it sent. So, my mom sent it to my brother in Hawaii, who brought it to Germany. Well, it’s been almost 2 years since the last time I punched my pin number into that little dial pad and I forgot it. I tried several possible combinations but none of them were right. I emailed my bank (during the holidays) and tried to get them to email my pin to me but they wanted to mail it to me (yeah right) or have me walk into local branch. I’m in Germany, idiots.
So, imagine my joy and delight when I woke up this morning, literally the second I opened my eyes and my brain said: here’s your pin: ####.
Thanks brain. You’re a little late, but pretty awesome.
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