Krank.

Ayo, I'm now officially sick!

Wednesday night, I talked to the grandparents and mom on Skype...after it took them about 20 minutes to figure out how to see me, haha. I also got to see my kittens and virtually pet them/say hi. Then I owned Josh at Hangman and Sea Battle. Just saying. After that, for some reason, Julie thought it would be a good idea to play checkers. Let's just say we couldn't even finish one game because checkers sucks. So then I proceeded to additionally own her in Hangman and Sea Battle.

Class was okay. I was partnered with the little Polish boy to make a conversation about a date at the movies, and it was kind of weird seeing as he's about 12 years old.

I fell asleep when I got home and didn't wake up until Benji was banging on my door. Sib made me some hot tea, which is the first time I've had tea like this, with ginger and lemon.

People weren't available on Skype after the tea break, so, since I was bedridden, I played Super Mario games online and failed miserably.

Laufen

I walked a lot more than I intended or expected to, but it was nice. I really like being outside.

We didn't go to gymnastics-not-in-a-gymnasium on Tuesday because Benji's been sick. I think he's starting to get over it now, but he's also giving it to everyone else! I woke up with a stuffy and runny those and mildly sore throat. No good!

Oma (Sib's mom) picked him up around 11 and took him for the day because I had German class. Speaking of, on Tuesday, I'm pretty sure she said we have next week off. If I heard her correctly, that'd be awesome! On Tuesday, we were working with different cases and making sentences. I had to write one on the board, and it was about rowing a boat. People then found out I'm a rower and think it's really cool for some reason. Maybe it's because it's really rare around here. I don't know.

Benji and I went to Obermarkt (Weingut Theis Heissler) to have lunch with Sib, Lutz, and Angie (a girl who also works there). Klaus has been out of town, so we would have been all alone at Isegrim-Hof (the one where I live), which is why we joined them. He got back at night, though, just in time for dinner.

I also attempted to make my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the morning, and boy are they so different here! The brown sugar is really weird, and the oven is a gas oven, so it's really hard to judge time and temperatures. But, everyone seems to enjoy them because they don't know what they're really supposed to be like, haha. I told them I was going to keep trying, and Lutz said that's a really good idea--so he can taste all the attempts, he means!

After lunch, Benji and I walked the 30 minute trek back to the house, during which he fell asleep because it was already nap time. When we got home, I was taking off his warm clothes and putting him in his pajamas, and he still slept through all that! After nap, we ate some mandarin and got bundled back up and headed to the supermarket. This was a lot farther away than I thought, as it collectively took an hour and a half! But it was fun, nonetheless.

Strange

How I can sit in a class three days a week with people from Iraq and be their friends.
But my friends go kill their friends.
What a mad world.

A continuation.

Moritz picked me up around noon on Saturday, and we rode out to Neustadt. Robert was walking down the street, and we saw him and decided to go with him and Alex to the place where Lucas works and visit him. Lucas works in a coffee shop in a bookstore in Neustadt, so he made us some beverages, and I read about München with Robert in preparation for our trip there. Then I went to band practice with Moritz for a couple of hours. Three older guys popped down in the room and hung out for a bit listening to the music. Towards the end, I finally beat my high score on Brickbreaker, but I'm not telling Valaree what that score is since her's is about 18K or something ridiculous. Definitely not that good yet since I've only been playing for about a week or so. After band practice, we dropped everyone off and had dinner at Moritz's house. Then we headed over to Roberts, and Lucas came over, too. Robert and Lucas played soccer video games and Moritz and I played Brickbreaker again! We went to one of Robert's friend's place for a little bit and visited with them before headed to this place Aquarius, where I met Thomas Tight!

The next day, Sunday, I took the train back home to BD, but I'm not used to trains and was also playing Brickbreaker, so I missed my stop 3 times and had to get off and turn around and go back. It took me twice as long to get where I was trying to go than it should have! I finally made it and walked the rest of the way home, just about 30 minutes or so--a nice stroll. Yesterday was full of cleaning, napping, doing laundry, doing dishes, and what-not. Lutz, Sib's brother, and their friend Christian came over for dinner, so that was kind of fun. Christian is going on a motorcycle riding adventure in Africa for like a month or something extensive like that, so I guess we were getting together because he's leaving. Nonetheless, it was a good time.

Today, we're just hanging out and taking it easy because Benji's sick. I'm actually able to do my laundry, which is a good thing!

Also, I just found out my mom and Aunt Debbie are coming here on February 13. We're going to go to Paris!

P.S. Granddaddy, if you're reading this, I got your call on Skype but didn't answer because I was at dinner and forgot I left my computer on. But now you're on my buddy list, so the next time I see you on, I'll call you!

<3 <3 <3

Hoffnung

I woke up yesterday on time to work because I usually work Saturday mornings, and then nobody was ready doing their normal things at the normal times, so I was soon told I didn't have to work today and that they usually take a big longer to get up on Saturdays. I took advantage of this opportunity by waking up first and then hopping on the bike to explore the surrounding town and area.

I took a way I've never been before and had absolutely no idea where I was for a good 30 minutes or so. I found a skatepark and thought of Buddy, and then I found some graffiti about Nazis and thought of Jared. I mean, that's not a bad thing, so don't get me wrong. I was going to take pictures, but I didn't go the same way back again. Somehow, I ended up downtown about an hour later near where I go to school and Sib has her winery, so I turned around and headed yet another new way. I ended up shortly at the supermarket, much to my appeal. I spent a good while here exploring and reading and listening to people talk. What I left with was some 85% chocolate, school supplies, a cucumber, some hummus, gum, and a lemon drink called Georgia.

Then I found myself across the street in yet another market type place, but it wasn't so good, so I only bought toothpaste. On the way back home, I passed under some bridge and by an old couple going for a stroll. I stopped in the bakery just near our house and got a long pretzel. I took all my goodies home in time for lunch, when I proceeded to eat my delicious pretzel with the hummus and some pickles. Let's just say that's one of the many reasons why I love Germany.

Zeit

I don't do well with this time difference nor am I exceptionally fond of it.

It's weird being from the future.

I don't speak Arabic.

It's a rainy and muddy day. I don't want to walk/ride to class in this. Yesterday, it took me 30 minutes to walk to class, and I'm a pretty brisk walker.

I made stir-fry for dinner last night with some rice and a pretty decent salad. I don't think Klaus has ever had that before, but he seemed to really enjoy it. He asked me if soy sauce was hot, haha. He hates hot things and obviously has never had soy sauce in his life.

Benji thinks it's cool to bang blocks on the glass doors. Not so much. I just made him bring me the aforementioned blocks. Problem solved. Only he keeps trying to regain possession. Not happening. He keeps telling me other things he'll bang them on instead of the window, but I'm not falling for that again! Only now he's trying to take my phone. And now my computer. "This? This? This?" Nope! None of the above. "Bitte?" Still no.

Time to go build towers only to knock them down.

BTW

In my German class, I'm forced to speak the language because my class consists of people from: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Brasil, Thailand, China, and Poland. So our only universal language is German, which is pretty neat.

Today, I picked you a grape leaf.

I'm readjusting to Germany/German time once again. I miss everyone back home, and the trip for a few short days there has definitely made it even harder to come back here and be away. But I do what I must do, and I'll be back home before anyone knows it...

I got back here yesterday around noon. Klaus and Mira picked me up, and we went to a town called Frankenthal to get her new glasses. Klaus was joking saying he has a new daughter because they make her look different and she sees things differently now. Then we went home and ate some lunch. Klaus took me to class, which is at 14:30, and dropped me off with the bike. Class gets out at 17:45, so I then went to Weingut Heissler to say hello to Sib since I hadn't seen her yet. I road the bike back home, and it's so nice to be back on one. It's also surprisingly not cold here. Today was probably around 35-40F. I don't even have to wear a coat anymore! I wish I'd known this because then I could have taken them home with me when I went the other day.

I woke up late today from the jet lag. Ugh. I hate that so much. It was so easy to go back to Florida but so not easy to come back to Germany.

Today, we had some bananas with Nutella and played inside because it was overcast. We had lunch with Klaus, and Mira came home from school shortly after. When Benji was napping, I baked some brownies with supplies that Josh's mom sent back here with me. They turned out well, actually! Benji and I went outside after his nap and played in what is now mud. Good thing we were wearing our boots! He thought it was really cool and pretended to get stuck in it so I would come pull him out. I also had to make dinner tonight, and it, also, turned out well. I think Sib just got home from her meeting with, yes, the Burgermeister.

I got to Skype with Julie and Josh today! Two of my favorite people. I also got a package from my mom containing chocolate chips and softlips chap stick. She knows what's up.

Back again

So I'm back in Germany, and all of the snow is completely gone, which is really weird seeing as the whole place was COVERED when I left a week ago.

Charlotte

I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting for my flight back to Tallahassee. That was the literally the longest flight of my entire life. 10 hours. No, thanks. And I have to turn around and do it all over again on Monday. Since when did I become such a country hopper?

This whole situation is pretty surreal. I feel the same as when I was going to Germany in the first place...I didn't believe it until I stepped off the plane and saw the family. That's how this will be. I know what to expect, but I don't know how to act. Nonetheless, I know whatever happens will be fine. Everything will be fine in time.

.

So tomorrow I come home to Florida for a few days.

Lernen

I feel like kids bring people to life because they always want to do something and never just sit around. It's a wonderful thing to constantly think of entertainment and excitement. Yesterday evening, I stayed up late on Skype again and had to get up early to take Benji to gymnastics. The confusing thing is that a high school here is called a Gymnasium, so what do you call the place where you do gymnastics? Turnhalle. CLEARLY. Gymnastics mostly consisted of children's songs in German that I could neither sing along to nor keep the beat. Then we set up an obstacle course that was actually pretty intense. It was this huge scene on a piece of paper that all the moms worked together to build. There were probably 8 kids around Benji's age, and they all seemed to be having a pretty super time. One of the kids found the light switch and continued to turn off all the lights in the room time after time! When gymnastics was over, we went to Sib's weingut and got a map of the city for me. I had some postcards to send, so Benji and I went on a search for the post office. It should have taken 5 minutes, but it took me 15 instead. I'm sure I was standing in front of it for half the time, as well, so I definitely felt like the silly tourist. We then made our way home in time for Opa to come again. Normally, he wouldn't come two days in a row, but I started German school yesterday afternoon at the last minute, so he saved the day. Mira came home for lunch and ate with me and Klaus, and I asked her if she was heading back to school after lunch, and she said she was done. What?! I wish we were done at lunch time when we were 15 years old. That would have been awesome. So then we were trying to figure out some kind of sport for her to do since she doesn't have a regular activity. That got us on the topic of whether I'm going to row or do soccer here, which then led to the idea of horseback riding. I never even thought that one! But there are horses just across the street from my house, although they're not the ones I'd be riding. So then I got my things together, and Klaus drove me into town to show me the bus stops, train station, and then finally to Volkshochschule, where I'll be taking my German lessons. I went inside and decided to take a placement test instead of just going to the level 5 class I was signed up for because I thought this was too advanced. I ended up placing in that level anyway, so I'll be going back to the class tomorrow and for the next 9/10 weeks. After this, I'll take level 6, and when I'm done with that, I can get a certification for "b1" German skills that I can present with me if I ever need a real job in this country, so that's pretty cool. After my exam, I found my way to the train station after stopping by Sib's weingut again to ask her how to get there. Robert was coming over to help me read the cook books, so I picked him up there, and we walked back to my house. We searched the kitchen for things to make since it was my night to cook dinner and I was completely clueless. He suggested gnocchis, and so we ran with that. While we were beginning to prepare the food, I got on Skype with Valaree, and Robert and Klaus talked to her! Klaus seemed pretty amazed by this. I mean, it is really cool, so I can see why. Then I made a salad and prepared the house dressing from Hopkin's...don't tell Jen! Everyone seemed to like it, so that was comforting since I had no idea what to expect. Robert made the gnocchis and a parmesan cream sauce, and I threw broccoli in there because broccoli makes everything better. We attempting to bake a cake called Schoko Schock (Schokolade is the German word for chocolate), but it was kind of like an epic failure. BUT it was the first time I've ever cooked with these ingredients, a gas oven, this altitude, etc. So that's my excuse. With dinner, Klaus brought in some wine straight from the barrel. I mean, really? Who gets to do that? I thought it was pretty neat. Then Benji went to bed, and Robert and I cleaned up the kitchen. We eat late here, so it was time for bed by then. More Skype-ing ensued. Right now, Benji is upstairs with Opa, but I'm headed to get him for snack and to go outside and play in the snow.

Tschuss!

Obermarkt

Last night was the best night here yet! I got to video/voice chat with Ben and Valaree and say hi to Ethan and Jared! Everyone needs to download Skype and come virtually hang out with me! Valaree and I decided to both wait until Desperate Housewives comes on abc.com and watch it on Skype together, ahah. We're amazing, I must say. This morning was an easy morning because Opa (grandfather) came to get Benji around noon and kept him until 7:30 or so this evening. I rode with them into the town and walked around, froze a bit, struggled with German, slipped on ice, took lots of pictures, and found my way back home walking without a map. Pretty good day, I suppose. The sun wasn't shining until I started to head back home, so it was supersuper cold before. I somehow managed to collaboratively put a salad together in a cafe and then buy a pretzel and some hot chocolate with the workers. I sat out on a bench in the middle of the town and almost froze my hands off! I bought a new book called Backen Macht Freude, and I'm trying to read it/understand it (it's a baking book). Since Valaree is taking German now, her and I can bake from it when we both return home in June! I also found some postcards that I'll be sending to a select few back home. I felt like such a tourist buying then in the tiny bookshop--all for you guys, though. You're the best. Once I got home, I cleaned up a bit and organized the cabinets in the kitchen. It got less sunny and less sunny until it was dark around 5pm, which was weird. Ben and I talked on Skype again today! I feel like this is going to be and everyday occurrence, and I'm pleased with that. Afterward, I read and wrote on my postcards and then took a nap (naturally since it was so dark). I woke up just before Benji got home and then played with him some once he got here. So far, he's learned a couple of words and understands some commands from me. I started looking through several of their cookbooks in German. I'm trying to learn! Then Mira made a pretty good dinner, and here I'm am...full of pasta, salad, and veggies. Time to eat some German chocolate and drink homemade traubensaft.

Addresse

Diana Bixler
Am Spielberg 2
67098 Bad Dürkheim – Ungstein

Diskothek

So yesterday was quite the eventful day, if I do say so myself. Breakfast was served as usual, and Sib was gone putting on a wedding event in Ludwigshafen, which is a town about 15 minutes from my house or so. She was there all day, and I was hanging out with Benji while Klaus was here dealing with customers. Around 16:30, Moritz came to pick me up, and we went to Neustadt, the town where him and the others live, about 20 minutes away to his house. I walked down the street to Robert's flat, which took like half a minute, and he greeted from out the window on the third floor, "Diana! What are you dooingg" I went in for a few, and then Robert took me to the mountain top, which has a GREAT view of Neustadt. We took some pictures and explored a bit, but it was getting dark. We'll have to go back so I can get better pictures i the day time, and I think we're actually going next weeked. Then it was time to go back to Moritz's (?) house to go to the supermarket. When we were in the supermarket, Globus, I was reading every single sign I saw to them, which they thought was hilarious. We then went back to the house where Moritz lives (ha) and had dinner with his family, Leoni (sister), Heide (mom), and Peter (dad). Peter works at the winery where I live, Isegrim-Hof, but he's a carpenter and just has his shop up here. This is the one connected to my house. Sib's is called Weingut Theis Heissler, and it's in the town about 5 minutes away. After, we went back to Robert's flat where Mathias, Lucas (Robert's brother), Urs, and Alex came over. Alex is the boyfriend of the girl who was Benji's au pair before me. Also, I heard she's coming back in a month or so if she finds a job in a restaurant, and I'm pretty excited about that. So we hung out there for a bit, and Robert and I exchanged music. The boys wrote things in a notebook and made me say them, and I had no idea what I was saying. They all thought this was super hilarious, and Lucas even recorded some of the things I said! Then we went to the Diskothek, but it was too packed, so we went to the bar/hang out place called Aquarius instead for a bit. After this, we headed back to the Diskothek, and we got in immediately for only one euro. Moritz and I started dancing immediately and didn't stop until we left, around an hour and a half later! I've never danced that much in my life. It was weird, though, because 90% of the music was from America. So then we headed back to Robert's after a long, long night! Today was a restful morning. Moritz came over around 3, and him and I exchanged music. And by exchanged, I mean he took all of mine, and we ran out of time for me to get his! I then went with Sib to her wedding event, which was also on today, and headed straight to the bakery stands. The wedding cakes were pretty good, if I do say so myself. They had a lot of detail, and most of them were spotless. After, we went to her winery (Heissler), which is also a family house of hers, so I explored there. It's incredible. We picked up a fondue pot and some cheese they got on their family trip to Switzerland right before I arrived in Germany, and we went home to make it. I didn't know we were having guests until she told me she invited her two rowing friends! As we were eating dinner, the woman, Andrea, was telling me how she rowed for Germany and raced in America at the world races, which I thought was a pretty big deal. She was also about twice my height and pretty intimidating. The man, Stefan, was a coach. They're setting me up with the club in Ludwigshafen to maybe go out to some practices and erg, row, or cox. We'll see how it goes. Nonetheless, it was a good first weekend in Germany.

Gute Nacht!

Die 2 und Diana

Heute war ich mit den 2 schoensten menschen auf diesem ganzen planeten schlitten fahren. sie sind einfach so wunderwunderschoen. es ist unglaublich. ich bin den ganzen weiten weg hier her und das erste was ich sehe sind diese 2. die 2! unglaublich. ich komme gar nicht mehr runter. es ist als haette mich die muse mit crystal meth gekuesst. endlich hat gott meine gebete erhoert, danke. over and out. im so happy


SO: this post was from Robert and Moritz. It makes absolutely no sense. You may all disregard.

I made it to the mother land.

I have arrived! After 12 hours of flights, I finally made it. My plane out of Tallahassee was delayed about an hour and a half, but I got to Charlotte just in time to run and make the plane to Frankfurt. On the huge, huge plane, I was sitting in front of the old married couple whom I sat next to on the previous flight from Tallahassee. On the way to Frankfurt, I sat next to a nice young man who's from Jacksonville, Florida and stationed in Germany in the Army. We made the best of it from figuring out what the food was we were served on the plane, to watching the Incredible Hulk and trying to figure out the blue monster (Grover) from Sesame Street, to bonding with family photos, music, and the like, to finally attempting to sleep and getting equally pissed off that we couldn't. I'd say I lucked out. Once we got to Frankfurt, we had to find the train station, Fernbahnhof (long distance train), so we trekked forever to find the ticket place and then even more forever to find the actual train we were taking. Again, so weird how we both left from train 5 but only a few minutes apart, as we were going different places. The train ride wasn't very long, maybe 30 minutes. I was standing by the door, so I could see the places we passed along the way. Everyone was speaking German, so I listened carefully to try and understand as I watched how they moved and acted in junction. I finally got to Mannheim, where I saw Sibylle (the mom) and Benjamin (the boy) waiting for me outside the door. They greeted me with open arms, and we walked to find the car. They drove the van for one of the two wineries, so that was pretty neat to ride in. We went through the town about 20 minutes until we pulled up to the house. The house is connected with the winery of Klaus (the dad), and it's enormous! It's surrounded by vineyards of theirs and of other winemakers around. There's snow on the ground all over the place. When I got here, we ate lunch, which consisted of breads and cheeses. Apparently, this is what we eat every lunch, and I'm okay with that! After, I went out with Klaus and Benji on the land. We walked through the snow, which was very difficult in cowboy boots. Up on the hill overlooking the town and vineyards are some Roman ruins they found where they lived and made wine. This evening, then informed me those ruins were from far back family--making wine ever since! Sib and Klaus dug it out and saved it, and it's now available to the public for viewing with information about it posted on the walls like you'd see in a museum. I'll have to go back and take pictures because the view from up there is stunning. Nap time is also good because I have a bit of time to myself to read or check up on the computer, although most everyone back home is sleeping because I am 6 hours from the future here! Tonight, Robert and Moritz came over. They posted the most recent post in German, and it's absolutely ridiculous. They're pretty fantastic, but they told me not to write about them, haha. I will anyway! Then we had a good dinner like every night and talked about duties and activities. Benji's half sister, Mira, is having a party upstairs in her room tonight with lots of cute 15 year old German boys and girls! Granpa Adolf lives upstairs, too, in his own area. I took pictures of this today. This house is more than nice. I'm now settling down in bed for the evening as it is 11:30pm. Tomorrow shall be another fun-filled day!

Gute Nacht alle Freunde.