Heiligabend

I'm home. It's happy and warm and loving.

Ruhe.

Lonely

Ugh. My friends have flown home (I'm in Berlin).
They're eating Christmas cookies (I'm finishing up leftovers).
They're spending time with friends (I'm spending time watching Friends).
Their bags are unpacked (I'm packing mine).

This sucks.

Lessons and Carols

My church in Berlin had a beautiful lessons and carols service. There is something so magical about Germany at Christmas and hearing the story of Christ's birth in both German and English was a memory I'll treasure. Enjoy the words to Away in a Manger in Deutsch. I love that Jesus laid his "kopfchen- sweet head" in the manger. Isn't kopfchen a beautiful term?

Im Stall in der Krippe eine Wiege auf Streu,
legt der kleine Herr Jesus sein Kopfchen aufs Heu.
Die Sterne am Himmel, sie schauen ihm zu,
die kleine Herr Jesus schlaft in himmlischer Ruh.

Watch out, they spit!

I was on my way home last night from the train station and was just thinking, "I caught this train just in time" as the U6 barrelled into the Friedrichstr. station when the doors opened and HOCH! and big reddish brown loogie exited the ubahn door. It landed centimeters from my New Balances. Some dude then casually followed his nasty deposit through the doors looking totally pleased with himself.

I looked around at my fellow travelers for their looks of disgust and outrage, yet no one seemed to notice... or care that he defiled the ground with his (scarily) off-colored flem. I've seen Germans get into yelling matches over whether a bike should be locked on this side of the bike rack or that side of it, so I braced myself for the yelling to follow.

Nothing happened.

As I rode home I realized that I see piles of spit everywhere in Berlin. Berliners must be spitters. It's on the sidewalks, in the Metro stations, even in my elevator in my building on occasion. When I first moved to Berlin, I missed all of the people smiling as we walked places. Berliners seemed to keep their heads down (shame from ancestors, oder?) but yesterday night I got it. Their heads are down to avoid the ground loogie. Or maybe the dog poo.

Thanks Janna!

Stolen from Janna's blog...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. It's way more fun getting to rip through the paper. Plus, I love making those sharp creases on the edges of boxes. It's when my CDO comes out.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I prefer real, but I have an artificial because I try to live green.
3. When do you put up the tree? After Dad's birthday
4. When do you take the tree down? Before school starts back up.
5. Do you like eggnog? Nope, gluehwein owns my heart.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? American Girl dolls
7. Hardest person to buy for? Dad (but I've got a good idea this year!)
8. Easiest person to buy for? Amanda
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, when I lived in KY I loved it so much I left it up all year.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail (P.S. I'm starting to send my own Christmas cards this year. I think that means I'm officially a grown-up
11. Worst gift you've ever received? Crystal urn and a stapler from a student. Actually, the stapler was lovely, but the urn sent mixed messages.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Love Actually or The Family Man
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? September
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yup.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cheesy potatoes and clove cookies
16. Lights on the tree? Lots of white ones, but my artificial tree is pre-lit
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night, Baby, It's Cold Outside, and The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? home- you come to me!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Obvi, I teach children.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? the tv ads
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? wooden ornaments
24. Favorite place for Christmas dinner? With family
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? To be home

And since I missed all of November...

1.) I'm 26 now.

2.) Spent Thanksgiving at Uncle Sam's, the American diner.

3.) Went to Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Saarbrucken and Zweibrucken for Fall Break.

4.) Lots of fun outings with friends.

5.) Going home for Christmas. Can't wait.

'Tis the Season

Living in Germany at Christmastime is magical. And, because of my job, the magic is multiplied by the 28 eyes of the kids in my class. This year, Morning Meetings in my room have been thrown to pieces by one simple statement, "The Christmas man isn't real." (In Germany, Der Weinachtsmann is Santa Claus because St. Nicholas is the man who comes to your house on December 6th and leaves candy and treats in good children's shoes. My shoes were empty this morning...) Well, as soon as the statement was made, immediately battle lines were crossed.

"It's true." "My nanny told me so." "Then who leaves the presents?" "I saw him last year in my house." Lips started to tremble, eyes started to water and that was just me. Eventually, the kids noticed that I wasn't participating in the discussion and pointedly asked what I thought. Now, I struggle to always tell the kids the truth. I want them to trust me without question, so I responded the only way I knew how.

"Just like religion, I don't try to tell people they must believe what I believe. I'm open-minded (haha! PYP word!) so I try to understand other peoples rights to believe what they want."

Then, I went on a search for The Polar Express and Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.