Temperature Varience

We are getting cold. Not snowing cold yet- but nearly. That is not, however, what worries me. I can do cold, I do Idaho winters on a regular basis. What does worry me, is the lack of variance in high and low temperatures. Berlin has a startlingly small variance in these key numbers. Tomorrow has a high of 40° forecast, the low? 33°. Today was very similar, and while next week promises a slight increase in the temperature- the 7° to 10° difference promises to hold true. What does this mean for the cold, hard winter before me? If the low and high temperatures are so close- I am fearful of the future. And I don't scare easy.


I have a very nice pair of radiators- but I live by a simple winter motto- Suck it up, put on another sweater! I am saving the environment, one pullover at a time!

Beyond the apartment- German buildings and public transportation are like most public spaces- amazingly overheated. I don't quite understand how Germans manage to stay bundled up inside and while riding the subway (they rarely loosen even a scarf), but they do and I can only imagine it has to do with the dreaded European fear of a sudden change of body temperature. This is the reasoning for avoiding drafts like the plague and always wearing a scarf wrapped around the throat. Tomorrow is a snow/rain mixture, ugh!

Christmastime? Already?

I know, it's October, right? Well, I mean the end of October-ish, but it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. This feeling began about two weeks ago- I was meeting a friend at Alexanderplatz, when I walked out the U-Bahn station and into the square- I was struck with the beginning preparations for a Christmas market! This morning, I ran out to buy some eggs and orange juice, at the checkout counter- Advent Calendars. Now while I was pleased to see the variety of Advent Calendars, I was a bit amazed at their appearance so early.


The weather is beginning to even feel California Christmasy- the nights are looking to get around freezing next week, and the days are chill with weak sunlight streaming through the half barren trees. With my surroundings beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, I have had Christmas tunes running through my head. I spent yesterday listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas and this morning sang The Holly and the Ivy, among other tunes while I prepared my delicious spinach garlic scrambled eggs. I've already begun my knitting for Christmas gifts and my thought process for others. Christmas cards are beginning to be thought of, and I won't lie, this morning I was tempted to make a Christmas chain. Yesterday I caught myself looking for suitable paper in my room to make a snowflake out of. Once the snowflakes come out- I'm done for.

To top it off, last night I went to an art show my friend was having at this, well I guess you could call it a club (in the most laid back sense of that word) called O Tannenbaum. Their decor is, as you may have guessed, of a Christmas Tree theme. In my red coat and with thoughts of sugar plums already dancing through my head, it was quite fitting.

My only wish, at this early holiday stage, is to be able to maintain the Holiday feeling for another two months. There are only so many times I can listen to A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Frozen Spinach

I have crossed over to the dark side- I am using frozen spinach on a regular basis- and loving it. I've never used frozen spinach before- fresh spinach is incredibly hard to come by here- and I've decided I am not eating enough vegetables- so frozen spinach- here I am! I would love recipes. I have fortunately found frozen spinach of the non-single-block variety, so I do have some control on how much I use.

Classes are going well, it is very clear that my favorite class will be Jewish Theology, but I am beginning to make friends in my other classes as well- which is quite exciting.


Time is beginning to fly and fall is very, very much upon us. I don't think we should be above 50 the next couple of days- which isn't too cold- but not very pleasant either. My theology professor was very intrigued by my learning Yiddish and recommended I go to Trier or Dusseldorf to chat with the Yiddishists there- we'll see if it is in the cards or not. Speaking of cards- I have lately received a few notes from friends and family at home- they made my day. I couldn't stop smiling for some time after opening the mail box. So, should you like to make me smile through the fall chill, here's my address in Berlin:

Jenna Ingalls
Schreinerstr. 24
10247 Berlin
Germany

I am a very good correspondent. I am also in love with The Frames right now- should you need inspiration for letter writing, check out this tune. At least the beginning, anyway.

Resolutions

I have never been one for News Year's Resolutions, I usually have one- to start flossing everyday. This year it lasted a bit longer than most. Lately, I've been reconsidering the whole resolution thing. Why wait for New Years? I am advocating seasonal resolutions. If each season, I resolve to floss everyday, there is a much higher chance for me to begin flossing my teeth on a seemingly regular basis. So this autumn, I resolve to floss my teeth, we'll see how long it lasts.

Jetzt Geht Los!

For you unfortunate souls that do not speak German, that means "Here we go!" Classes have finally started. Here's a brief rundown of what I'm taking (with their corresponding English titles):

Jüdische Theologie im Spiegel des jüdischen Gottesdienstes - Jewish Theology as Seen Through the Mirror of the Jewish Worship Service

Mütterlichkeit- Motherliness (about constructions of motherhood in literature)

Mordsfrauen- Death's Women (about women as murderers in literature/film)

Frühhöfische Epik und Spielmannsepik- Early Courtly and Minstrel Epic

Bilder der Apokalypse in Mittelalter- Images of the Apocalypse in the Middle Ages

I have visited all the courses so far, with the exclusion of the exciting Middle High German class which does not start for two more weeks. I think my favorites will be the theology course and the middle high class, which has not yet started- but I guess we'll see. The theology building is in a beautiful location- behind Hackisher Markt, next to the Spree and close to the Berliner Dom. There is a little green spot next to the Spree and it is very picturesque.


It was a very charmed first class to go to. Now, because I need a grade for any classes I take, or Berkeley thinks I just played in Berlin, I have to go up to every professor after class and introduce myself and say hey- want to give me a grade? It is a bit nerve racking, but I seem to be doing fine. The classes meet about half as often as classes at Berkeley (2 hours once a week), so that will take some adjusting, but so far I am just excited to be in classes again.

Outside of school, it is very much fall. Leaves are falling everywhere and it smells like autumn- that slightly molting scent that fills your lungs as you walk down the street. A few days have been sunny, but for the most part we are looking at clouds and more clouds. I am not too cold yet, but I have taken to using my heater! It works pretty well, and when I have laundry drying in my room it dries much faster. That and my warmth seem to outweigh the dryness my mouth experiences each morning from the lack of moisture.

Watching the Collapse- From Afar

It is an odd experience- watching the global financial crisis (but oh so more acutely the US financial crisis) from afar. I think the acuity of oddness is magnified by my lack of television and hence lack of television news. The news I read online, etc. is rather easy to filter and read that which one wishes. The one place I do not filter news is through my Polish kitchen radio. On this foreign contraption I listen to 104.1 FM Berlin, NPR Worldwide. The station is as close as I come to catching American news like I would get at home. These days, NPR is almost entirely dominated by talk of the economic meltdown, political discussions revolve around the economy, real and pop economists are their most common guests, and the few listener call-in centered programs are purely focused on the listener's personal economic questions. The media barrage when tuned into my snazzy Polish radio is overwhelming.

Perhaps, were I in Berkeley, I would feel this overwhelming economic focus as well. I think the main difference is my isolation here. The contrast between my normal hours, riding the subway, walking the leaf strewn streets, and more recently lying in bed and doing nothing, and those moments when I tune into my American programming to catch a bit of news not in print is astonishing. I feel so far removed, yet I am not- the majority of family, friends, and acquaintances are in America, not to mention the fact that I live in a Global economy. I am, thank God, not living in Iceland.

At least it isn't natural disasters anymore.

My Bed is Very, Very, Comfy

I am sick. I haven't left my bed for much for the last three days. That said, beyond being sick, it is nice to take a break. My mystery German meds work rather well, and I am living pain free, just also energy and motivation free as well. My classes start Monday- so I feel little motivation to do anything until then, I'd like to be better when classes begin.

Outside is cool and rainy, so I don't feel like I am missing much, but it would be nice to venture a bit further than the mailbox everyday. Okay, that sounds like I am feeling very sorry for myself- but it is totally not the case. I am working on my scarf with the Alpaca wool Lindsey brought me back from Peru, and listening to lots of N.W.A. Is there a better album that Straight Outta Compton when you are sick? Well, when you are me and love Gangsta Rap, no.



It is funny, I've been more and more drawn to the early 90's California hip-hop scene than ever before. I told my mom I'd love Dr. Dre's classic The Chronic for Christmas, but I think she was unwilling to purchase such an album for me.


Bummer! I'll just have to get it for myself. How can I resist? Dr. Dre and early Snoop- working together and laying down the tightest beats in G-Funk. I mean, it is the creation of G-Funk. Maybe she'd be down with People Under the Stairs. I don't have "O.S.T.", and I'd like that album.

Hmmm...they are less violent and more underground. Which means harder to find, scratch that. I guess I'll just be surprised.

I went to Italy, and all I got was this stupid cold

That is not even remotely true. Well, except for the part where I went to Italy and I caught a cold. I spent the past extended weekend in Italy with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Sam, and cousins Noah and Abe. It was beautiful- beautiful weather, beautiful cities, and beautiful time had by all. For the crowd not in the know- the fam' lives in Vicenza, Italy, a city very close to Venice and with charms all its own. In one amazing weekend, I was able to see Venice, Vicenza and my family. On Saturday we went into Venice and had fun getting lost. Well- Mike, Sam, and I had fun getting lost- the boys not so much. We wandered the old and windy Venetian streets- basking in the sun and the 70's.



Oh my, so warm after so much cold! We walked in the old Jewish Ghetto and I had some fun reading the local Chabad chapter's banner in Yiddish. It being Saturday, however, I didn't find anyone to practice my Yiddish with. It would have been interesting speaking Yiddish with them, I wonder what they would have thought?

On Sunday I was able to go to Noah's school- Catholic- for a special mass to welcome the first grade class. It wasn't quite- I learned that Italians don't do quiet. Germans do. The Italians I met were amazingly warm and all wanted to cook for me- very nice and cute. I guess I'll just have to go back, oh wait, I am going back, at Christmas.


I did, however, get a cold. I am lying in bed and trusting whatever German medications the pharmacist recommended (even for over-the-counter medication you have to talk to a pharmacist here), but she gave me tea because I was so pitiful looking.


And a note to the wise- Germans don't have smoke detectors in their houses, I guess personal safety just hasn't caught on that much here. But smoke detectors do have their uses- like when you are sick and disoriented and accidentally turn on a stove burner that has an empty pot on top of it, and then an hour and a half later you go into the hall and smell smoke. Hey, nice knowing you plastic handle on the lid! Yeah, smoke detectors are handy.