I do not know how I came to the end of this trip. The rate at which time has passed by never fails to astonish me. I remember laying down to nap in early September, exhausted and thinking "Enjoy even the exhaustion; before I know it, I shall be home napping in my other bed." So correct was I in that moment; before I could say "whoa" the end just sped up to meet me. This blog though has helped me to slow down a few moments enough to keep a solid connection with what this adventure really means to me. It is a challenge designed to force me into an area so unfamiliar and uncomfortable that I have no choice but to build up the courage and try to overcome every set-back with grace and intelligence. I like to think that I did all of that. I am sure there were a few less than excellent moment, and I have made a lot of mistakes, but I am damn proud of everything I have done. Life at home, in Guelph and in University, are going to be much more "doable" now, I think. No more wasted time, not after learning of its extreme value over here.
I still need to catch up on the very busy events of November, but I think that that will have to wait in light of a more recent holiday, Christmas! My Oma sent me a letter in November commenting on how Christmas time in Germany was such a wonderful thing to experience, and that she was happy I would get the chance to experience it and that she wished she could be here also for it. How very right she was! Germany knows how to celebrate the holiday. It is not all about presents; there are solid, old traditions to adhere to. At the end of November opens all of the Weihnachtsmaerkte (Christmas Markets) throughout Germany. Each features similar stalls full of food, jewelry, ornaments, clothing, or wood carvings, but each town also has a different way of presenting these stalls. I have been to several: Wetzlar, Giessen, Oldenburg, Bremen, Mannheim, and Freiburg. I could not say which is my favourite, although I found the Gluhwein in Freiburg to be the best, and the worst in Bremen (complete opposite ends of Germany also, mind you). On the 6th of Dezember visits a very important man, St. Nikolaus, to fill our shoes with candy, nuts, and fruit. Before bed on the 5th, Mia excitedly and carefully laid out our shoes, two-by-two, so as to make his job easier, and when I came upstairs the next moring, Mia ran to show me gifts left from the revered old Saint. I received a hand warmer for my pockets and a ticket to the Handball game the next day.
Speaking of Handball, Caillin and I went to a home game featuring HSG Wetzlar gegen TuS N-Luebbecke. We were both told over and over again that we absolutely must experience a handball game, as it seems that the sport is very popular here aside from perhaps Fussball. One of the team member on the Wetzlar team used to also rent a room from Oma Marietta, the Oma of the children that lives just around the corner from us here on Hohe Str. The game was really interesting, although Wetzlar lost, and I definitely experienced a different side to sports by watching it. Throughout game play there is a lot of grabbing and pulling and shoving, but the moment someone gets too forceful or a player is pushed/pulled down, the whistle blows (sometimes a time out is given), and irrespective of team, the players will help the fallen up. Some apologize for getting to pushy, pating each other on the back and shaking hands. It is a very "gentlemanly" game, I guess you could say; except the uniforms are horridly unflatering.
Back to Christmas time, from a previous post I of course went to Visbek to see family from the 16th to the 20th, was home in time to celebrate Tom's 38th birthday on the 22nd, and then set up the Christmas tree on the 23rd. The tree is real this year; lush and classically decorated. One thing that is very different though is that Germans use candles (real or fake) to light there tree, whereas we tend to use twinkle-lights. It is a traditional thing aimed back to the first instance of the Christmas tree when there were of course no such thing as twinkle-lights (although I am still not sure if I would have REAL candles on my tree). The 24th is traditional Christmas in Germany. At around 18.00 the 4 of us (Tom, Astrid, Mia, and I) went to the church for a children's Christmas mass. We actually had quite a lot of snow, and owing to his young age, Tim stayed home with Oma Marietta, were it was cozy and prehaps not so boring. Church was really nice. It was Evangelical, so certainly a different experience from my traditional Roman Catholic, but nice and interactive. We sang a lot, and there was a childrens guitar group there to provide the music behind our voices. We also opened the last Chritsmas window. Throughout Dezember, to celebrate the advent and also resembling those chocolate advent calendars (another very popular thing in Germany), different families each night would host a window. These windows were decorated and numbered all throughout Muenchholzhausen, and we would gather at each to drink Kinderpunch, eat some Lebkuchen, and to sing. Of course St. Nikolaus would meet us there with a little something for the kids. He was not there at the church, since I think then we would be mixing too many traditions.
After church we walked back to the house, the other three throwing snowballs at each other, since snow is, again, such an anomally this early in the season. I continued to walk on, keeping in mind that while beautiful, there is still a lot waiting for me back in Kanada. And it has been beautiful; snow for Christmas was a wonderful gift. Oma Ingrid and Opa Hubert (Tom's parents) came a little later and it became all of our jobs to keep Mia occupied in the basement playroom so that the Christkind (baby jesus) could bring presents to our loving house. Yes, baby Jesus brings us present over here. Apparently Santa is too busy over in North America. He did come, none-the-less, and an unbelievably excited Mia was very careful to come up the stairs without scaring the baby Jesus away, lest he take present back with him in his fear. He rings a bell when he comes.
We opened presents right then. Mia jumped around looking for everything with her name on it. I remember that excitement well; tearing everything open, and then looking frantically around for what else might be left for you untouched. For me, I received Asbach filled chocolates from Oma Ingrid and Opa Hubert (finished one box, delicious!), a hand knit scarf from Oma Marietta (a beautiful purple colour), and from Tom and Astrid, "Die echte Deutsche Kueche" (an amazing cookbook!) and a calendar featuring pictures of the family. I do not know which present was the best. Every single piece has a meaning behind it; a strong memory. It was one of the most wonderful Christmases that I have ever experienced, although I know that it is not over yet. There is still Christmas in Kanada. The excitement for the day as a child is unequatable, but the meaning that forms behind the holiday as an adult is my favourite part.
Dinner followed (it was amusing to watch an antsy Mia, told to eat while her new toys awaited her), for which we had Raclette. I had tried the cheese before on bread down in Freiburg, and while it is a very smelly variation, it tastes fantastic heated up. In the middle of the table was set up a raclette grill. On the top part was the grill, more for meat, and underneath the grill was six individual pans. In these pans you would fill up with mushrooms, fruits, shrimp... you name it... and a slice of cheese (maily raclette, but we had others), let it melt together, and eat it while warm with a side of potatoes and salad. The concept is similar to fondu, actually, just perhaps heartier since you can make so much more food quickly. I really liked the concept, and Tom gave me a small, individual raclette cheese heater, so I can make the cheese and bread piece whenever I would like to now. Following dinner I did quite a few shots of potatoe schnapps (unbelievably good) with Tom, Astrid, and especially so with the two Omas. In fact, when Tom and Astrid stopped, the Omas continued, feeding me schnapps all along the way. I can not say that I minded; it was fun and I heard a lot of stories.
The 25th was my day off to celebrate Canadian christmas a little. I called family and friends back home.
And now here I am, waiting on Leslie to arrive and finishing up a bit of packing here and there. Yesterday was my last official work day, and today I get co-op paper work completed before celebrating with the family. We are going to have a small party here for my leaving, making Schnitzel, Pilzsauce, Kraut, Kloese, and Strudel; a very hearty German meal. Leslie will be here for it, the family, Oma Marietta, and my dear Au-Pair friend Caillin. Afterwards Caillin, Leslie, and I will go to a grill party hosted by Caillin's host family, and then maybe further after that we will go to the local bar at the Tennishalle for one last drink together. How bitter-sweet it all is.
-Candles
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