Christmas Time!

So! To put it not so simply; some goings on have been going on.

Three (well maybe four) things I want to talk about: The Concert, Weinachtsmarks, Pictures, and the Holidays (and my birthday).

So, a while back Petra had invited me to come with her to a "Gospel" concert in Speyer. I was polite and accepted her offer without realizing what I was about to experience. I believe it was sometime last week that she picked me up from my German class and we drove to Speyer and the Weinachtsmarkt there. If you haven't picked it up yet, Weinachten is Christmas. We got some brats and gluehwine (boiling hot red wine with cinnamon, sugar, cloves, and berry juice) and waited in line in front of the Lutheran church in which the concert was going to take place. Up until we got in the door, I thought we were going to some really stiff backed angel-ey concert. Ohhhh no. Apparently, we had come to see the "All Black Gospel Choir hailing from HARLEM NYC"!!!
It was quite a show. The reverend had to work really hard (he didn't speak German) to get the crowd into it. Normally Germans don't move or dance or anything, so it was like a big deal when it did happen. It wasn't a total Blues Brothers experience, but it was a great taste of home with all the Christmas songs and PRAISE THE LORD-ing that was happening. It really helps me relive my childhood as a poor black child in New York City... But yeah haha, it was a great show, and I talked to the choir afterwards (just a side note, this WAS the stereotypical all black choir, they were complete with the blind piano player, the 2 grossly overweight women, and the younger Jamacian woman who passed out half way through a song with the power of the LORD). The band was thumpin, and the singers were excellent. It was a really odd contrast between the decidedly American music and the old 17th Century Lutheran church we were in. It also made me feel good to know that I could speak more German that the freaking out reverend who probably learned his ten words on the flight over here. Yet another fun night with Petra.

Thing #2 to talk about! Weinachsmarkts. Literal translation; Christmas Markets. They are everywhere, and every single town has their own. This does not mean that they are different from one another tho, oh contraire they are exactly the same. Each markt is complete with a Gluehwine stall, a bratwurst booth, a Dampfnudeln booth (par boiled dough, then baked with salt on top, its kinda gooey and soft. it is salty alone. you are supposed to dip the hot baseball-sized dough into cold vanilla sauce), candles, and Christmas crap clogging the street. There is usually a band and impromptu singing on account of the large quantities of Gluehwine being consumed. They are excellent to attend when it is freezing cold at nighttime. A very German experience.

New pictures HERE from the K'lautern game and some other random stuff. I went to Heidelburg with a girl from Oregon and took some night shots of the castle and city there.

Ahh the Holiday Time. I want to kick this off by saying that I am missing home quite a bit. Not really Vashon necessarily, but the people, my family, and the traditions. Normally this time is accentuated with a strong feeling of family and of together-ness, and I guess that just isn't happening this year. That is ok though, I'm doing something that I really want to be doing, and my life is going to be so much different because of it. Christmas on Vashon, the Family Party (Grandma and Grandpa's Year too!), the trees, the SNOW (we still don't have any here, it is just cold), and just tons of other stuff that I remember from time to time, spurred by a memory sense (usually smell, it is the strongest memory) of a certain kind of food or plant.

This will also be my first Christmas away from my family!! Again, I miss you all so much! But I will be having it with my new and very warm family, the Meissners. Same thing with my Birthday too! If need be, remember to hand my mom a tissue in the aisle at Thriftway, she could be needing some soon. A bit of news about my Birthday; another Rotary family, by the name of Kunkel has invited me to travel with them (on the 30th) to Paris for New Years in the city. That will definitely be something that will stick with me for a long time. We are going to stay there for 5 days.

What I'd like from you all, really, is letters or emails. I just feel a bit detached over here (I physically am) and I want to re-connect a bit. Also, feel free to send over what ever else you want to my new address.

Well, I must go to sleep for school tomorrow.
I'm missing all of you!

Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year if I don't here from ya!