Vegas has got nothing on AMSTERDAM! Except for the casinos.

So a few days turned into a little more then a week, which shouldn't surprise me because I'm horrible about procrastinating when it comes to my writing, but I am finally updating my blog with my trip to Amsterdam!

If any of you were waiting on the edge of your seats for this blog post (hello Madre!), I apologize for the delay.
P.S. Mom, thanks for always being my biggest fan and reading everything I put in front of you<3

Our trip to Amsterdam began in the Dublin airport where, for the first time in my life, I ate a bagel with cream cheese and salmon on it. And it was delicious. I also briefly considered spending an obscene amount of money on four different books, mostly because I've been having withdrawals not having my own personal library of at my fingertips, but then I remembered that I am an Au Pair with quite a limited income, and that somewhere in Munich there is supposed to be a second-hand, English book store. In the end all but one of the books remained on the shelves, which took an almost embarrassing amount of willpower and quite a bit of internal debate.

   

Plus I'm 99.9% sure the flight attendants wouldn't have allowed this to fly as my carry-on, so it's a good thing my common sense won out in the end.

When we arrived in Amsterdam a taxi took us to the apartment we were staying in, which was on one of the many canals coursing through the city, and very picturesque. The Anne Frank house was right across the street, as well as the Westerkerk Cathedral, which Anne frequently mentions in her diary. It was surreal to hear the same bells chiming that she found so much comfort in, but I must say that, although I love me some church bells, even I apparently have a limit of endurance when it comes to how often they chime. These bells went off every fifteen minutes, NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT, and once an hour they would play a lengthy song. The first few times I loved it. Really up until about two o'clock in the morning I loved it. But then, after it woke me up roughly five different times, I started to feel a little bit differently about the Westerkerk bells. Theresa swears that the Jetsons theme song was played every so often, but I can't personally vouch for this. Although I've heard rumors that Stairway to Heaven has been played.

Beautiful, but should only be enjoyed during the light of day. Although watching him play the bells is pretty spectacular.
 

The view from the front steps of our apartment.

That first night we had Italian food for dinner; five Euros for pretty much anything on the entire menu. You would think at those prices the food would be a little sketchy, but it was actually really good. Plus there were musicians strolling up and down the street where the restaurant was located, which made the food taste even better. We also, much to our disgust, saw a public, open toilet in use for the first time. Men would literally just stroll into this little cubicle, pull their pants down, and go to town. Their lower body is covered, but their head isn't, and at one point I accidentally make eye contact with someone. Most awkward experience of my trip, hands down.

Friday we walked around the canals of the city, and even took a boat tour. I attempted to listen to the information in German, but only got about three minutes in before I switched back over to English. But it's the thought that counts, which is what I'm going to tell the people at the Visa office if they give me any trouble. I am trying I promise! I've even had quite a few legitimate conversations in German, because English was simply not an option. I'm starting to be able to read advertisements and understand announcements made on the trains, so there's hope for me yet!

Friday afternoon we went to see the Anne Frank house, which was very haunting and left a strong impression on me. Otto Frank, Anne's father, wanted the rooms to be devoid of any furniture when they opened the museum to symbolize the void left behind by the millions of people who were deported and never returned. There is a small model set up in one of the rooms: it looks like a little doll house, and it shows exactly where all of the furniture was. The most poignant thing is the original markings on the walls tracking the growth in pencil of Anne and her sister over their two year stay in the annex, and seeing all the pictures pasted on the wall in Anne's room: the original photos she clipped from magazines and newspapers. There were a few comic strips and pictures of movie stars and entertainers. There was a small photo of the young Princess Elizabeth, and postcards of famous pieces of art and moments in history. It was difficult to imagine how they could have borne living in such cramped quarters for two years. They couldn't make a sound during the day, because the men working down in the warehouse below the annex were not aware of their existence. Almost every step I took was accompanied by a sharp creak of the floorboards; they would have barely been able to move around at all. The walls were dark and were lit up only by the dimmest of lights; all of the windows were covered with heavy curtains so that no light could escape through them.

You walk all throughout the rooms of the house, and up through the secret staircase with the bookcase hiding the entrance to the annex. The attic is one of the few places visitors aren't allowed access to, but there is a mirror set up so that you can see the window Anne mentions quite frequently in her diary.

"The two of us looked out at the blue sky, the bare chestnut
tree glistening with dew, the seagulls and other birds
glinting with silver as they swooped through the air."
Anne Frank, 23 February 1944

 

Entrance into the secret annex. 

They also have many artifacts left over from Anne and her family, including Anne's actual diary, the typewritten index card which categorized her into the records of Bergen-Belsen, and quite a few family photos and video recordings. The Red-Cross letters are on display which confirmed to Otto Frank the deaths of his entire family, as well as interviews with various people who either helped the family whilst they were in hiding, or remembered seeing Anne in the concentration camps. Anne's handwritten short stories and poems are up on the walls: her father publishing her diary was the kindest memorial he could have given to the girl who wanted nothing more to be free, and to be a writer. The fact that she is now such a celebrated authoress, despite her short life, was one of the most inspirational things I took away from the museum.

I tried Indonesian food (or at least I think it was Indonesian food, I can't quite remember) for the first time Friday night, and like the salmon bagel, it too was absolutely delicious. I think my taste buds most slowly be dying off, because I am much less of a picky eater then I was five years ago. I actually think its fun to try new foods now, whereas before you couldn't pay me to eat anything that smelled or looked remotely different or foreign. I guess I'm growing up :)

I also have to stress how in love I am with the street performers I've seen thus far in Europe. And the fact that they have giant chessboards set up that anybody can walk up to and play with. 

Awesome street performers:

Giant Chess board:

 (I've seen several of these in Munich as well. One of these days I'm going to challenge someone to a game.)

Saturday Theresa and I took a little trip to the Red-Light District. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, aside from the obvious, but I can say that it was interesting to see, and that it was quite an experience. We went twice, once during the day, and once at night. In the daylight hours it was more humorous then anything. We went to a condom museum that Theresa had read about on the Internet...

(Window display at condom museum.)

And poked around in a few of the shops. There were a few women sitting in front of the windows but most of them just looked ridiculously bored. Some of them had their phones out and weren't even paying attention to what was going on in the street. There were a few bachelor and bachelorette parties strolling around (the bachelor parties made more sense then the bachelorette parties), and mostly people who you could tell were just curious to see what it looked like. It's true what they say about cameras though: we saw a few people whip them out to try and take pictures, and the women get really angry. They'll open the doors and yell at the offender to delete the picture or they'll call the police. So good luck if you want to try and take any illicit photos.

During the night time it was much different, kind of seedy and gross. Of course this is coming from my perspective, me being a woman (obviously), but it wasn't the prostitutes that creeped me out as much as the guys who literally just stood there and stared at them from the other side of the glass. Some of them would make really lewd comments and others would just sit there with drool pooling at the corners of their mouths. Not very attractive.

And this is the only picture I have of the Red-Light District, because I was not in the mood to get my camera confiscated. But I saw all the red lights. They exist!!

So that, basically, is my trip to Amsterdam in a nutshell. It was a beautiful city, at least the outer, more touristy part of it. And the last thing I'm going to say about it, is that if you're a pedestrian, check both ways about FIVE HUNDRED times before you cross the streets. There are thousands of people cruising by on bicycles and motorbikes, and they will literally plow through you if you get in their way. Half the time there isn't even an actual sidewalk for pedestrians, you just have to dive into a tree or a bush if you see one coming. At the very least they ring their little bells at you from about ONE MILE away so you have ample time to find a decent bush. So considerate. The cars are pretty crappy too. Theresa and I were half standing in the middle of a road because there were so many bikers flying past that we couldn't make it up onto the sidewalk, when this car comes flying around the corner and then speeds up when he sees us in the street. It was like he was trying to prove a point: pedestrians don't belong on the roadways! As if my mother hadn't already taught me that invaluable lesson when I was five years old. And this is an exaggeration by only the slightest, it really is that bad.

"My experience in Amsterdam is that cyclists ride where the hell they like and aim in a state of rage at all pedestrians while ringing their bell loudly, the concept of avoiding people being foreign to them." -Terry Prachett (See it's not just me.)

I'm paraphrasing my last two weeks in Munich because I waited too long to blog about them, and because I don't want to sit here writing a novel. Let's just say it was filled with a lot of fun people: really great clubs and karaoke bars. A little bit of shopping, a little bit of sight-seeing. I went swimming two different times at a lake with a gorgeous view of the Alps, and to an Aquatics center with the boys and my host parents because it's been so incredibly hot here. I've had movie nights and sleepovers with the other Au Pairs, and I went to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe so that I could get my ranch and macaroni and cheese fix. They're also one of the only restaurants that will give you re-fills and ice in your beverage. And the only place where I can get a glass of still water for free. So there's that. I went to an English-speaking cinema and to a really good concert at the Olympic park, and spent the whole week with one of the cutest four-year old boys I've ever met. Every day I feel closer and closer to each of the boys: they're all so special and pretty spectacular.

I feel like, as of yet, I haven't given Munich nearly enough attention, especially because I think it's such an incredible city, but I promise to rectify this problem within the next few weeks. I'll have more time now that the boys are back to a more normal schedule, and now that I've finished writing about my trip to Ireland and Amsterdam it will be much easier to focus on my life here. Next week: it's time to buy a dirndl and get ready for Oktoberfest! (which actually takes place in September), and post my list of the things I want to see and try in Munich before I leave. Which I first have to finish writing, and which I'm sure will get longer and longer as the year goes on  :)

Theresa:

This is why I love you and why it was so hard to say good-bye to you in Amsterdam. Because you eat cheerios like a pigeon. Miss you already.

And to my padre: Happy Birthday!! I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you but I know we'll have many more to come. You're the best dad a girl could ever ask for. And I'm not biased. :)

XO

Sarah

50 Shades of Green (Not Grey) or Hello! Ireland

For the past two weeks I've been a free bird, quite literally. I've flown around Europe, becoming very comfortable with international airports in the process (and yes I am patting myself on the back as we speak), and this last week I was fortunate enough to spend with a group of pretty awesome people who have already made my time in Munich so memorable. Things are looking good!

So, Ireland and Amsterdam.

Let me just begin this chronologically, with Ireland, and tell you that Johnny Cash was not exaggerating: there really are forty shades of green, and every last one of them is absolutely beautiful. When you're in a country that just throws this sort of morning at you:

...you know you're somewhere really special. 

And it has to be said, it wasn't just the scenery that made this country so beautiful. The people of Ireland were a huge part of what made our time there so enjoyable. I could tell you so many different stories, and all of them are really great, but I'm going to particularly mention one person whose name I never even learned, but who remains one of the most memorable parts of my trip. 

When I arrived at the airport in Dublin I quickly made my way to the bus stop outside of the terminal. I had to take the AirCoach bus into the city to the central train station, and then take a three-hour train ride to the the little town of Collooney, Ireland to meet up with my best friend and her family. I was nervous: public transportation can be a little intimidating, and I wasn't quite sure how to get from the bus stop to the train station. I only had about an hour to make my connection, and I was crossing my fingers that I wasn't going to end up on the wrong train, bound for some far corner of the country. Lucky for me, someone was watching over me, and while I was waiting in line for the bus the man standing behind me struck up a conversation. Now before you get too excited, he was a very old man, in his early eighties I believe, and one of the nicest people I've ever met. He just happened to be traveling the same direction as me, on the same train, and not only did he show me how to get to the train station, he also helped me buy my ticket and find the right train. Throughout the whole bus and train ride we didn't stop talking once: he told me all about his family and his children and his life in Ireland. We talked about musicals and the opera and traveling and when the trolley came through the cabin he bought me a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate, refusing to let me pay for it. When we arrived at his stop I was truly sorry to see him leave. He wished me the best of luck on my trip , in Gaelic and in English, told me how glad he was to have met me, and then was on his way.

It may not seem like much, but his kindness meant the world to me, and best portrays the type of people I was lucky enough to meet. So to the old man at the bus stop: thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Quite honestly, as I was sitting on that train with the countryside of Ireland rolling past me, it felt as if the sun was shining especially bright, just for me. I'd checked the weather report before I left Munich and it had called for rain, but I didn't see one glimpse of it during that train ride. I saw rolling hills enclosed within stone walls and little flowers sprouting up all along the train tracks. I saw the way the light reflected off the lakes we passed by and how it lit up the trees and the fields. It was incredible and much more enjoyable then        flying ever has been. 

I wouldn't mind traveling all over Europe that way.

But the best part about my train ride is who was waiting for me at the train station in Collooney. 

It was so surreal, seeing my best friend standing there, knowing that we were in Ireland together and that I was going to be able to spend the whole week with her. We got to experience so much together: her family reunion was ridiculously fun. There was a lot of beer and food, and people from all over the world had gathered to celebrate their common heritage. There were ethnic dancers with massive straw hats on their heads and girls who could dance the Irish Jig.

 

The party went on until four in the morning and only ended because the DJ eventually decided to pack up his equipment. (Dear California, putting a time limit on people's fun is lame. You should become more European and let us party all night long if we so wish.)

After our stay in Collooney we drove to Belfast and stayed for three nights. We took a black-taxi tour of the city, learning about the history of Ireland and seeing all of the effects of "The Troubles," which technically ended in 1998 with the Good Friday agreement, but remnants of the conflict can still be seen today. There is a massive wall that separates the Protestant living section from the Catholic quarters, and every night at 6PM the gates are locked in an attempt to contain the sporadic acts of violence that still occur. When we were on our taxi tour a group of boys threw rocks at the taxi, asking our driver in Irish slang if he was a Catholic or a Protestant. The oldest one looked about ten years old. 

We were also able to visit the Titanic museum and visit the shipyard where the unsinkable ship was built in Belfast. I've always been interested in the Titanic so I was particularly excited about visiting Belfast and I wasn't disappointed by the museum. I think the most poignant part of the tour for me was seeing the transcripts up on a wall of the messages being sent out by the ships communications master in those last few hours before the ship went down, or hearing the stories of the survivors play out over the speakers. There was a quote that particularly struck me: "As the smart ship grew in stature, grace, and hue, in shadowy silence grew the iceberg too." 

Paved over slipway where the Titanic was built.

We ended our tour of Ireland in Dublin, which I must say did not quite live up to my expectations, or compare in any way to the countryside. We were able to take a tour of the Guinness Factory though (free beer!!), and Theresa and I were lucky enough to be shown Dublin nightlife by the amazing Martie, the Irish cousin of our friend Megan. 

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...I finally found a Claddagh ring, which I've been looking to buy for a long time. It's shiny and silver and awesome, and I'm very excited about it, if you can't already tell. 

So I can't say that Dublin wasn't enjoyable, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the other places we had visited. Did I mention we stayed at a castle in Collooney? Honestly, how is Dublin supposed to beat that? It was doomed from the start.  

So this is where I end this blog post: part one of my vacation. Part two will be out in a day or two and will be all about Amsterdam and my last week in Munich. I thought I would be able to put it all in one post, but I just can't sit at my computer any longer. The sun is out and shining, which I'm told I need to revel in and enjoy before the winter rolls in, so I'm going out to explore this beautiful city. I may even get some Gelato, which I can't believe I lived without for the first twenty-two years of my life. 

Sorry Dreyer's but you're not looking so cool right about now. 

But before I officially go I need to thank Theresa's parents for their generosity, and for allowing me to join them on their vacation. I've always been made to feel like a part of your family, and having you all in my life is like an added bonus on top of an already amazing best friend. Thanks for making me feel like your honorary daughter, and for helping cure my little bought of homesickness.

Theresa Rose, you're awesome. And I promise to not take it back :)

XO 

The American Au-Pair in Germany (who officially resumes her duties on Monday).

 

 

Hier ist auf das Wochenende!

Translation: Here's to the weekend.

I'll drink to that! And trust me when I tell you that in Munich they most definitely do.

I've made it through my first real weekend in Germany! (Last Saturday my plane didn't get in until late afternoon and my jet lag assured that I was about as alert as a hibernating bear, so I don't think it counts.) And what a weekend it was.

Friday night I sat up with my host parents to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony in London, which I must say was not nearly impressive as the one in Beijing. I almost made it through the entire program, forcing myself to stay awake through the ridiculously boring presentation of all the countries, but I eventually passed out during one of the speeches at the end. It was pretty interesting watching the ceremony from the German's perspective. I couldn't understand most of what the presenters were talking about, but I picked up pieces here and there. That's pretty much the story of my life right now: I hear all of this noise going on around me, and I'm able to recognize the words being said, but I can't process them fast enough to really understand what is being talked about. Pretty frustrating, but I can already say that my German has improved just by being here one week. I'm a chicken when it comes to speaking the language myself, but my comprehension gets better and better every day.

P.S. While I'm here in Germany I'm rooting for Deutschland and for the United States of America, which is what the Olympics are all about :).

P.P.S. Ryan Lochte: I don't mind you replacing Michael Phelps as this years swimming sensation one bit.

I thought that, because I was up so late on Friday night, I would be pretty tired Saturday morning, but more then anything I was just excited for the day to begin. I got up fairly early but didn't actually leave the house until eleven or so. I'm pretty comfortable with the neighborhood I live in, which is really pretty and very picturesque (pictures soon I promise), so I didn't have any trouble walking to the bus stop and catching the right bus to the U-Bahn station. The only problem was that, once you're on the bus, you have to know the stop you want to get off on, because the buses in Germany only stop if you've pressed a button letting the driver know you want to get off at the next station. Sounds pretty simple, but for some reason they weren't announcing the impending stops, nor were they showing them on the screens up above the seats, so I was anxiously sitting there, hoping that I wasn't going to be stuck riding the bus around Munich all day long. Luckily the bus was pretty full, and somebody took care of pressing the stop button for me. 

And while we're on the topic of buses, I have to tell you that the transportation system here is about million times better then any I've seen in America. The buses are clean and don't smell AT ALL. The same goes for the trains and the train stations. The taxis are not rusty old cars, they're Mercedes, and they look like this:

 

(This is the sort of taxi you never want to throw up in.) 

I'd of course heard that Germans take their cars very seriously, but it still surprises me how nice and well-maintained all of the vehicles are here in Munich. The vast majority of them look very expensive, and none of them look beat up, or like they've somehow survived ramming into a Tonka Truck. You're technically not even allowed to drive your car if there's any sort of exterior damage, and every car has to be inspected once every two years to make sure it's in good condition. 

But enough about the cars. The important thing here is that I managed to find the Marienplatz (home to the famous Glockenspiel) all by myself. As far as navigating the U-Bahn goes it was a pretty simple trip, but I gave myself a little mental pat on the back nonetheless. I'm sure that at least once I will end up somewhere miles away from my intended destination, but it didn't happen Saturday, so I'll drink to that as well.

I was meeting Lydia, my host family's current Au Pair, and one of her friends in front of the Rathous-Glockenspiel. I was there at noon so I was able to see the puppets dance high up on the tower, which I have to say was not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be, but was interesting nonetheless. I really want to go back on a day where there aren't as many tourists, so that I can get a better view of the puppets themselves. From the Marienplatz we walked through different parts of the city; I rubbed a few (supposedly) lucky lion's noses and went inside the Frauenkirche cathedral, one of the symbols of Bavaria and the highest building in Munich. Just inside the entrance of the cathedral is a single footprint claimed to have been made by the devil after he realized he couldn't go into the church because of the stained glass windows. In a fit of rage he stamped his footprint into the stone for all eternity. It looks like this: 

 

Naturally I stepped onto it, which probably canceled out all the good luck I accrued from rubbing the lion's noses, but it was a chance I was willing to take. 

You're supposed to rub the lion's noses every time you walk by them anyway, so I'm sure I'll have lots more opportunities to even the scales. The tradition itself is pretty significant, dating back to the Nazi regime. People would rub them as a sign of resistance after being forced to salute Hitler while walking through the square in front of Feldherrnhalle. 

After stopping for lunch we went to a massive store filled with Dirndls, the traditional Bavarian dress, and I can't tell you how excited I am to pick one up for Oktoberfest. The only problem will be choosing one, because there are so many different colors and styles, but trying half of them on is going to be part of the fun! 

Probably the most important thing that happened on Saturday was the Au Pair picnic in one of the biggest beer gardens in Munich: Hirschgarten. It was incredible for a handful of reasons: the weather was gorgeous (once the rain finally stopped), the beer garden was a lot of fun, and I got to meet several other Au Pairs in Munich who will be there almost the entire year of my stay. They were all really nice and a lot of fun. After we left the Hirschgarten we went to a music venue, and then we walked around the city for awhile. We eventually ended up at a McDonald's down in the U-Bahn station, and then as we were walking to catch our trains we ran into this, which if you've made it thus far is your reward for reading this incredibly long post. It's a video of my favorite part of the night, and one of the many reasons I already love Germany.

   

Roughly twenty guys were all dressed up in traditional costumes with their instruments in tow, playing rowdy drinking songs in the middle of the U-Bahn station around one o'clock in the morning, and trust me when I tell you that this video doesn't do it justice. Groups of Germans were singing along to all of the songs and dancing all throughout the crowd. Several times a Conga line was started, which I of course participated in, and people were holding their massive beer mugs up in the air and making toasts. It was awesome. 

Sunday my host family threw a really nice going away barbecue for Lydia. I was fortunate enough to meet more of her friends and spent the day visiting with them. Wednesday we're all going to an Irish pub to sing karaoke, and if you know me at all you know how much I love karaoke :)

Every day that's gone by has been easier then the one before it, and I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable with my host family, who've been incredibly helpful and kind. And to finish everything off, this time next week I will be in IRELAND with my best friend, who is flying out there for a family reunion. My host family will be on vacation at the exact same time and told me that I was free to go with them, or take some time to see different parts of Europe on my own. The timing worked out perfectly for us, so starting Saturday I will be all set to conquer Ireland AND Amsterdam with my partner in crime: the Wonder Twins are back in action in Europe. So incredibly excited. Three countries in only two weeks; not bad I'd like to think. I promise to be much better about pictures in the future. I've been slacking lately, mostly getting used to my new surroundings, but they're on their way. 

XO

Sarah (The American Au Pair in Germany)

From Munich With Love!

So.....my original plan was to post a blog entry a few days before I left for Germany: detailing how I was feeling, and what I was doing to get ready for my trip, accompanied by several pictures of me wrestling with two giant suitcases, but that obviously never happened. Partly because I spent every available second I had with my incredible, zany family (who I already miss terribly), and partly because I was so frustrated with the whole packing process that the thought of sitting down and documenting it made me want to take a hammer to my laptop, which would have been counter-productive. All you really need to know is that by some miracle I kept everything under my weight limit (taking into account the seventy dollars I already had to pay for an extra bag), and that I'm fairly certain I've over-packed, no shocker there.

(Last few moments with my feet on United States soil. Thank you my bestest friend for this picture :)

Now I've been in Germany for a little under a week and I feel like I've been on a roller ride thus far; I can only imagine what the next year might bring. The flight was pretty uneventful. I did not, for those of you that were wondering, sit next to any gorgeous European men. My sister and I have decided that we are both entirely unlucky when it comes to fortunate events such as this, and of course that streak would not be broken simply by me flying to Germany. The man in front of me had his seat reclined the entire flight, even when the food was being served; I retaliated by getting up to go to the bathroom and walk around every two hours or so, and the flight attendants addressed me several times in German instead of in English, which made me smile because they would switch languages based on what nationality they thought the passenger might be. Of course the moment I opened my mouth I ruined everything, but for a few seconds, I was unequivocally German :)

When we landed at the airport in Munich they couldn't get the walkway from the gate to attach to the plane. Twenty minutes later they rolled out these massive stairs and had everyone bused to the baggage claim, which was fine with me because I was worried about getting lost finding my way from the terminals to the front of the airport. Problemo solved. My host family was waiting for me in the greeting area, and the boys were holding homemade signs with my name written on them surrounded by Disney stickers. They've all been very welcoming and nice, and the boys are adorable. It has definitely been an adjustment getting used to my new surroundings, and I've had little moments of homesickness, but for the most part it's been really great, and I get better and better everyday. For now I'm just taking it one step at a time, next up: conquering the U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains. More about Germany and the millions of wonderful and amazing things surrounding me next time; for now, Gute Nacht and Good Night. 

XO

Sarah