Define: Wolpertinger

According to Wikipedia, a Wolpertinger is an "(A)nimal supposedly living in the alpine forests of Bavaria in Germany. It has body parts of various animals — generally wings, antlers and fangs, all attached to the body of a small mammal."

So what does that make me? An American girl with a minor in Italian language, Irish, German and Welsh ancestors living with a Polish boyfriend in the "most Northern city in Italy," or "the world-city with a heart"--Munich, Germany. Sounds pretty Wolpertingery to me.

And that's what it's all about, living abroad. Giving up pieces of myself, switching them for others, so I sort of fit in everywhere and then again nowhere. A freak of nature, the stuff of fantasy. Ok, it sounds a bit self important. But then again, blogs aren't there for self importance, than what is?

To follow are the tales of my adventures as a culturally-mish-mashed expat. Enjoy!

When the threads match the beer

I love how the color of the beer sort of matches her jacket and her ring.

If you are a new visitor, check back once a week for a new picture featuring beer, Munich, Oktoberfest, and pretty girls.

Pschorr Bräu

I'm calling this post "Pschorr Bräu" because that looks like the brew she's drinking. When I was in Munich most people didn't bother to say "Hacker-Pschorr" because it was just too much to say. It was always just "Pschorr Bräu" as if it was one word. Is that still true today?

I've dediced that the best thing is for me to post one new picture a week until next Oktoberfest. Since Oktoberfest starts on a Saturday, check back each Saturday. And, of course, you are always welcome to submit your own to me by email. Prost!

Welcome!

This is my tribute to some of my favorite things: Munich, Oktoberfest, beer and pretty girls. To inaugurate this tribute here is one of my favorite pictures of all four. Cheers!

the most beautiful bike path in the world

Well, the sun is finally out, Floyd is finally free, and I am out on my bike exploring. My poor floyd, my pink bike, hes been stolen twice, both times to be rescued by the police. I am convinced he has a girlfriend, although what female wants a man who always wears bright pink. Maybe he has a boyfriend...

So I have been out and about, riding through Munich, rediscovering the city in many new ways. My plan has been all along to ride to work when it gets warm, so I set out yesterday on a trial run. Even equipped with a bicycle map, i got completely lost and rode aimlessly around the north of munich for more than an hour and a half until i found the kindergarten, at which point i was too tired to ride back, so i left my bike sitting at the subway station. At least it would save me my bus ride the next day, and I could attempt the route home.

So I found myself this morning on my bike, running 20 minutes late, freezing without gloves or a hat in the morning fog, and trying to resolve a small fight with artur about waking him up every morning (torture..) on the cell phone, ,while attempting not to get run over. The day had started out well.

But as I managed to find the perfect route home on another sunny day, I discovered that my route would take me past munich's most beautiful sites: The English Garden, the Isar river, the bavarian government building, the state art museum, the freedom angel monument, the deutsches museum, rows and rows of turn of the century houses, forest, water, sunbathers, cafes...i was so happy. Every day I will see these things on my ride to and from work... not bad.

now I am baking a cake for my half birthday, which is tomorrow. Germans celebrate half birthdays even less than americans, but i am trying to right an embarassing moment at work, where i brought only cookies but everybody after me brought a feast. So tomorrow i am bringing a feast!! to make up for it.

Now, back to Anna and the King dubbed in german...

bardzo dobrze

well, it was good to be back to work. Postage stamp lotto worked well, the kids were happy to see me, and i felt productive again. The sun was shining and sitting on the park bench watching the kids screaming and running around and feeling the color returning to my face was a joy.

After work i went to MY apartment (apartment #2) and got my mail, and jumped for joy because i had finally received my work recommendation that ive been waiting for to send off my application for the masters program at the munich university of applied sciences in international communication and cooperation.

And so i took the ubahn to apartment #1, got my papers together, and rushed to my polish class. Today we learned "how are you" (jak sie masz), various greetings, and other grammar. I love it. I cant wait to test out my new knowledge on my next visit to arturs family.

Now i am sitting at home, drinking a weißbier and waiting for artur to come home even though its 9pm. Have i already become so spinstressly?

Oh well. Tomorrow I meet Mauro for italian refresher # 3..it might be possible to do the lesson in a beer garden, which would be great. Really great. Barzdo Dobrze!!

15 euros for 2 beers and a country song

well, i survived my boredom well enough, and resolved my guilt about artur, and calmed my stomach, all on friday afternoon, mostly with a heavy dose of aerobics and bike riding, sweet floyd is back! The evening included a nice peaceful dinner at my french friends house and an attempt to attend a party on friday evening, which was somewhat successful but which proved that i wasnt quite ready to consume a large amount of alcohol.

saturday was lazy at first and then artur and i went to breakfast, delicious breakfast, at a cafe that serves all kinds of interesting food combinations. Mine included spicy salami, vanilla yogurt, special cheese, a blueberry muffin, banana marmelade, and tomato scrambled eggs. Mmmm.

Then artur and I ventured into the city center, a virtual zoo on saturday, to stroll through shopping malls and stores. Purchases included: an outerspace calendar (on sale cause 2007 is well underway...), a half a kilo of used stamps for collectors that i want to use in my post office theme in the kindergarten, which we sorted over diet cokes in mcdonalds, the worlds most crowded mcdonalds, two glasses of juice cocktails from a promotion action at a department store, we got the juice and got to keep the glasses, they even packed the sticky empty ones up for you in a pretty bag, and we shopped for an alarm clock and finally decided on one, but everywhere was sold out.

And then the evening took us to a country music bar called oklahoma, where we sat peacefully and enjoyed one song and marveled at the fact that such a bar in munich exists until we realized that the owners hat sneakily written the cover charge on our coasters (cover charge?? we didnt know) and 8 euros was a bit too much for such a kitchy experience, and we fought with them over paying the charge for having seen one song, ended up paying for the beers we didnt even finish and for one cover charge, 15 euros for 2 beers and a country song, almost new york prices!

but we didnt let that stop our evening, and met a group of friends for some cheaper beers and then watched the kitch horror movie slither until 4am. Which turned our sunday into a lazy day, complete with adam sandlers click and postage stamp sorting. I made a memory game with postage stamps.

Now I have to go back to work tomorrow...hopefully i will get back into the swing of things after my hiatus.. at any rate, only three weeks to go till vienna and then sardinia vacation...mmmmm