Long Time Gone

Between Christmas preparations, Christmas, Italy, New Year's, and visitors- I have been a long time gone. Christmas was marvelous and Italy was warm. In Rome I went about without a scarf or hat and when I first arrived in Venice- I wore a cardigan! Skies were blue and it was hard to believe it was winter.


I spent a few days with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Sam, their boys Noah and Abe, and my Grandparents- celebrating Christmas and playing with my active cousins. So much energy! But not surprising, they are 10 and 8 year old boys. Day after Christmas, we headed to Rome- it was gorgeous. Warm, sunny, and full of exciting buildings, etc. I'll need to go back some day, but there is so much to see!


Upon immediate return to Berlin, the blue skies kept for a few days- it was bitter cold, but beautiful and sunny. By New Year's Eve, the damp cold of before returned- this time much more cold than before I had left for Italy. And New Year's day, Melissa, the Grandparents and I awoke to snow. SNOW! Not much, but snow nonetheless. New Year's Eve in Berlin was an experience- to say the least. I was at Potsdamer Platz, it was a veritable war zone. Everyone had rocket launched fireworks and firecrackers that they threw every which way. The debris are still present to some extent on the streets of Berlin.


Around 1am, I got onto a train with some friends to head into Kreuzberg, another area of Berlin. The trains where completely packed with people singing, drinking bear, and celebrating the New Year. It was insane, when Melissa and I got on a train to go home around 4.30am- they were still quite full. That day, around noon, when Melissa and I went to meet the Grandparents, I spotted some people just tredging home.

Now my world has quieted down, visitors are gone and I am regaining energy to finish off my semester.


I am surrounded by light snowfall and the cold- New Year's resolve don't fail me now!

Sugar Coma and Christmas Markets

This is me, in my lazy day glory, eating a Zebra Küssen at the Weihnachtsmarkt in Alexanderplatz. A delicious chocolate covered sweet that allowed me to feel sweet sugar coursing through my veins for another 30 minutes at least. Oh Christmas candy, you are a joy in my life. I was goaded into eating said sweet by friend Marie- she is unfortunately sweet-less and enjoys living vicariously through my consumption of sweets. As you would expect, this is a pleasant arrangement for me. I ventured into the crazy holiday cheer that is a Weihnachtsmarkt with Marie yesterday to finish up some Christmas shopping- it was quite exciting; carolers, warm drinks, sugary temptations, and holiday crafts delivered a multi-sensory holiday experience. Coupled with the cold air and sun setting at five to four, it was quite a winter cliche.

At home, my windows are covered with snowflakes, my knitting needles are regularly clicking and clanging, and a variety of holiday music stations are being enjoyed. A newly discovered Christmas carol- from the 80's Rapper Dana Dane of Cinderfella fame, Dana Dane is Comin to Town, has become a favorite- I highly recommend listening to it- or playing it for any "sucka MCs" that need to watch out.

A Thanksgiving Feast

Many of the reasons which make Easter my favorite holiday- namely an importance of gathering with friends and family and sharing a sumptuous meal and the lack of presents- also make Thanksgiving one of my favorite holidays. This year, in Berlin and far away from my family, I decided to have a Thanksgiving gathering at my house. And gather we did! About 12 people came over to share in my very traditional Thanksgiving fare, conversation, fun, and games- it was a hit.

The planning for the festivities began last week when I realized that although I would be attending Thanksgiving dinners on Wednesday and Saturday, I actually had no plans for the Thursday. This made me profoundly sad- what would I do? Make an extra pumpkin pie and eat it alone, most likely. I decided this type of gluttony and isolation was not to be borne and that I should instead throw a Thanksgiving dinner of my own. So, heady with plans and nightly dreams of Thanksgiving treats dancing in my head, I set out to celebrate a very American holiday in Berlin. After the week of planning, days of cooking, and multiple trips to the grocery store- my friends and I enjoyed the most traditional of Thanksgiving dishes:

• Turkey (the first I have ever made and it was very moist and tender, all were impressed and doubted my novice claims)
• Mashed Potatoes (delish and very silky smooth, the lack of potato masher obliged me to use my sieve once more!)
• Green Bean Casserole (with no french onions to be had, I made my own croutons and topped it with them- a very nice twist)
• Candied Yams (lacking marshmallows- I couldn't find them and my attempt to make them didn't entirely pan out- I need to further develop my confectionery skills!)
• Stuffing
• Gravy
• My Grandma Sharon's Dinner Rolls (oh so good!)
• Cranberry Sauce (making your own is surprisingly easy and quite delicious)
• Lentil Nut Roast (my friend Lydia made it and it was quite a hit- very yummy)
• Salads (Marie brought salads which were a perfect accent to all the warm food!)
• Pumpkin pie (you've heard the story already)
• Snickerdoodles (quite a surprise hit, everyone wants the recipe)
  

And it seems everyone who came brought the standard bottle of wine- it was quite a nice evening, more then enough wine, the perfect amount of food and marvelous conversation throughout the evening- it sure beat eating a pie by myself!

And now that Thanksgiving is gone, I am at liberty to begin the Christmas season- it is 24/7 Christmas tunes for me and the snowflakes have gone into full production.

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.