Christina & Jake

JFK 50 mile 2011

2011-11-27T20:59:00.001+01:00

Race Lead-up

I can't remember when I first heard of the JFK 50 mile foot race that is held every November in Maryland. None the less, I'm certain that when I first did 50 miles seemed like an impossibility. I started running last year, and again, I can't remember exactly what made me start. It probably seemed like a good idea to do some form of exercise and running is as easy as it gets. Put on pair of shoes (or not) and head out the door.

I signed up for two half marathons, one in the spring in Frederick and one in the fall in Baltimore. Together they make up the Maryland Double. I'm fairly sure I underestimated the time required to train for a half marathon and didn't start nearly in time. As a way to force me to run more I signed up for a local 5K in our neighborhood two weeks before the spring half marathon. The next weekend I signed up for a 10K and thought that it would make a great progression, 5K, 10K and then a half marathon (~21K, 13.1 miles). I ran those races and they went fairly well, except for the half marathon where the last 5 miles where torture. It was a long way. My training clearly had not been enough, but I finished. I gave myself somewhat of a break over the summer. I played with the idea of upgrading my fall half marathon to a full marathon. For weeks I agonized over it, wondering if I could ever complete a full marathon. I was wasted after half the distance, doubling it didn't make sense. But sometimes you just need to let things happen. I upgraded my entry and started to train. I have learned a lot since then, but in retrospect I realize that 8 weeks of mediocre training is on the low side. Even though I had some personal time goals, finishing would feel good enough. My race plan and untested pacing goals quickly fell apart. I ran too fast in the middle of the race and hit the wall at mile 20. I walked most of the next mile and then painfully slowly started running again. I had nothing left and 3 miles before the finish line I started cramping up and had to control every movement in order not to make it worse. I finished just under 4 hours. Running for four hours and not taking in enough calories and liquid leads to the body just running out of gas. A lesson learned.

Again, after the fall marathon I took a break from running. I was wondering what I could do next year. I was contemplating a trail marathon or 50K (30 miles) which was held in March, but it never happened. However, in February I signed up for one of the big marathons in the DC area, the Marine Corps Marathon, which was going to be held at the end of October. It sold out in less than two days, so it was fortunate that I didn't hesitate. Goals are extremely important to have and races make excellent goals. Without a goal, I knew I wouldn't run much. I ran a local 5K in the spring again, but didn't train much for it. Again, training runs were few and far apart, but I had plenty of time until the fall.

During this time I was contemplating the JFK 50 miler as it is one of the few ultra marathons held in this area. The JFK is a well known race in the US, being the oldest ultra in the country. There was also a family tie as Christina's uncle ran the race a couple of times in the early 70s. The registration opened on the first of July so I had some time to think about it. I started training more seriously end of April, beginning of May, putting in 9 decent weeks of running before the registration opened. Things were going well, I was feeling good, so I made the jump and signed up. The underlying reasoning was that I was anyway training for a fall marathon, and if I anyway was getting into shape, why not try and attempt the longer distance? At least then I could say that I did it, I ran an ultra. You never know what happens later in life. If you want to do or try something, do it now, not later. As Christina and I were expecting our first child at the time, I also liked the idea of being able to say to our daughter when she got older that I ran an ultra marathon just a few weeks after she was born. Even if I wouldn't do another one in my life, I would have done that one. Before heading to Sweden for our summer vacation I got a letter in the mail notifying me that my registration had been accepted and I was officially in.

The Race

My training the rest of the summer went reasonably well. I could have done more, but at the time I felt like I did a fair amount. My biggest running week was actually just a week before the race when I topped 50 miles for a week for the first time. Three weeks before the JFK I also ran the Marine Corps Marathon in DC. That run went quite well, but I was tired after finishing, my quads feeling trashed. However, I think it was a good training run for the JFK, and that's how I tried to treat it as well. The week before the JFK I didn't run at all, instead opting to let the body rest.

We drove up to Christina's parents the day before the race and picked up my race number on the way (my number was #225). The next morning I got up at 4am to get ready and left the house around 5am together with Christina, Elsa and Cheryl who were kind enough to drive me to the starting line. There was a general information meeting at 6:20am and the race stared at 7am from downtown Boonsboro, MD. I believe there were somewhere around 1000 people running the race.

The weather was cool, but completely clear. It would be a perfect day for running. The first 2 miles were on the road. First a flat stretch and then a big climb, which I walked most of. Walking uphill doesn't make you lose much time but saves quite a bit of energy. Then we turned onto the Appalachian Trail (AT) that we would be on for the most part of the next 14 miles or so. The AT was mostly single track with lots of rocks and roots sticking up that you had to watch for. All the leaves on the ground also made it difficult to see all the hidden obstacles, and many did trip and fall. If you took your eyes off the trail for a second, it could be you next. I had one or two close encounters, but luckily avoided falling.

After around 16 miles we got off the AT and came down to the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) canal path which we would be on for the next 26+ miles. I decided to switch from my trail shoes into my running sandals at this point, which took a bit of time, but was worth it in the long run I believe. I put my shoes into my running backpack. They barely fit, but it worked. The sun was out at this point warming the air so I also took off my long running tights and continued in shorts. Another good choice. The canal path was flat and dry but covered in leaves. As I set off I was initially a little worried about my left big toe which seemed a little moist and sensitive after the trail, but it turned out to not be a problem.

The canal wound past Harpers Ferry, a small picturesque town where we've been a couple of times hiking. From there on, the canal path just kept on going. I started chatting with a guy who had run the race several times before and numerous marathons. It was nice to have someone to talk to. I would make use of this strategy a couple of times later when the going got harder.

There were aid stations every couple of miles. Sometimes 2 miles in between, sometimes 3 or 4. I kept on running quite well and tried to eat as much as I could at every aid station. There was water, Gatorade, M&M's, chips, peanut and jelly sandwiches, coke, pretzels, and sometimes hot chicken broth, noodles, hot chocolate, and other treats. I had read that you should "eat early, eat often" so that's what I tried to do. My stomach didn't complain, so I kept eating when I got the chance.

The longest I had run before this day was 26.2 miles, a marathon. So, everything beyond that was new territory for me. I got to the half way mark in little over 5 hours I believe. Not only would I run the longest distance I had ever tried before, but I had already run longer time-wise than I had ever done before. Part of the overall experience of doing something like this is to learn how your body handles it. You learn, and can improve next time.

As I was getting closer to the 30 mile mark I was getting tired and feeling a bit down. I had no doubt that I could finish, but that knowledge doesn't remove the heaviness of the moment, of having to go another 20 miles. The cut-off time was 12 hours so I had to finish within that time. I was running, and walking when running seemed too tough. Running was tough, but walking took me forward too slowly. I was feeling tired in my quads and an outer ligament of my left knee was getting irritated and I could feel two ligaments rubbing against each other. My only worry was that something like this would get worse and just prevent me from going forward. It kept annoying me until the end, but never stopped me entirely.

I started talking to another experienced runner who apparently was using a 9 minute run and 1 minute walk strategy. He had done this race several times and had even done some 100 mile runs. I decided to try and stick with him for a while and tried to use our discussion as a way of blocking out the soreness of running. It worked remarkably well. I kept blocking the pain and just tried to move forward. As long as you are not focusing on actually running, you can run. We entered the 34 mile aid station together, but he left it before me so I was again within my own mind. I usually stopped to drink something at each aid station and would then grab a couple of snacks and start to walk as I was eating, before trying to get to running again. It was maybe not the most efficient thing to do, as it used up some time, but it worked for me on this day.

The going between miles 30 and 40 were the toughest mentally. I had already run far, but still had far to go. I couldn't yet start counting down the miles, there were too many of them. My main focus was getting off the canal path which I knew would happen at around mile 42. I had heard people talking about it being a nice change of pace, something about swapping out the softer canal path for a hard black top almost refreshing the legs. I desperately needed something to refresh my legs. After a full marathon (> 26 miles) on the canal path, I finally reached the road and had to put on a reflective vest as it was getting darker and it would certainly be completely dark before I would reach the finish line. The road section started with a steep climb, which I of course walked. It always felt better walking the climbs than walking the flats. You were supposed to walk the climbs, but not necessarily the flats. When you walk anything runnable you feel like you are wasting time. But whenever I did walk the flats, that was just what I needed to do at the time.

The first few running steps on the asphalt actually did feel different, and kind of refreshing. It felt faster. But I was still tired and still did a lot of walking mixed in with the running. For the first time there were mile markers every mile counting down the distance to the finish line. I just passed the 8 mile marker. I had sent a text message to Christina at mile 38 asking if someone could come to the last officially sanctioned aid station where supporters could be, which was at mile 44, just to give me a mental boost for the last miles. I didn't know if someone would be there, but just the possibility kept me going towards this milestone. It allowed me to break down the road section into smaller parts. I would just try to make it to mile 44. As it turned out, no one was there because it was difficult logistically. The race organizers had blocked half the road and also warned against having supporters there since it was crowded and difficult to get to by car. It didn't matter, now I only had 6 miles to go. 6 miles was essentially the shortest of my training runs that I had done for the past few months. I knew it wasn't far, but the mile markers just didn't come fast enough. Nonetheless, I felt decent in this section. I knew I would finish and I knew it was soon over. It was getting dark. There was an aid station with 4 miles to go, and then another one with 1.5 miles to go. The 2.5 miles between those aid stations seemed far, but went reasonably well. At the final aid station I knew I was close and if I ran it at a decent pace it would only be a little over 10 minutes until the end. I ran that section and the prospects of finishing blocked out any pain or soreness and it felt great running. I had been passed by plenty of people on the road section it felt like, but now I was finally passing other people, a great feeling. I still couldn't see the finish line. I turned yet another corner, but still no finish line. I remember feeling frustrated about this on the canal path, I would turn a corner but still couldn't see the promised aid station. Now it didn't matter, I felt great. I knew the end was close. In sections without street lights it was so dark that I couldn't see the road below my feet. A big pot hole could have ended the day in a bad way. Some police officers were out stopping traffic to allow runners to pass. I was starting to hear the announcer at the finish line and picked up the pace a little still. I was passing people, again, a great feeling. Finally I saw the end. Out of the corner of my eye I could see another runner picking up the pace and trying to pass me. Needless to say, I was already several hours too late to win the race, but I wouldn't have this guy run past me on the final stretch. The quick finishing pace turned into a sprint and I crossed the finish line first (victory!). A volunteer helped me get the reflective vest off and another snatched my timing chip from my sandals. A third one put the finisher medal over my neck and I was done. My time was 10:51:25.

Post Race

Christina and Elsa were there at the finish line to see me come in and to congratulate me. With them were Cheryl, Jon and Kristen, Tuesday and her two kids Jacob and Abigail. It felt great to have a team of supporters there at the end of a long day. We slowly made our way to the cars and drove home. A nice hot bath and some food and I was feeling better. My legs felt sore the next three days, but with each passing day I improved. On Wednesday the soreness was completely gone, even though I might need more time to fully recover.

People have asked me if I would do it again, and my answer is definitely. When and where I don't know, but I would like to try again. I don't know how much I could improve my time, but I can definitely improve my overall race. Weaknesses have a way of amplifying themselves over a long distance. I did well over the first trail section. I didn't go too fast or too slow, but kept moving forward and walked the climbs. I lost time changing into my sandals, but was glad I did in the end. In hindsight I wish I wasn't carrying my backpack since I didn't use it all that much. Also, there were plenty of aid stations so I didn't need to carry extra fuel in the backpack as I had. But the decision to carry it was tied together with my desire to switch shoes after the trail section. Ideally I would have gone with the sandals from the start, trying to be careful not to injure a toe by hitting it on a rock sticking through the leaves. Or, I would have had someone at the end of the trail section to give the shoes to.

The main problem however was that I just wasn't used to going that far. I lost more time on the canal path and road section than I should have, by being forced to walk and not being able to keep a steady pace throughout. I didn't go too fast at any point, I just didn't have the endurance needed to maintain a steady comfortable pace for so long.

After these months of running I have encountered two problems that I need to address before continuing. First I believe I have a mild version of plantar fasciitis, which affects the underside of the foot, a problem I had prior to the race. Stretching and massaging the calf muscles should improve that situation. Second, during the race my IT band got slightly inflamed. This manifested itself by an inflammation of the band on the outside of my left knee. Two tendons are rubbing against each other causing some pain and a 'clicking' sound. This did disturb me some during the race, but should be corrected with rest and strengthening of the hip flexors. I also noticed on my last marathon and on the 50 miler that my quads got extremely tired. This can also be due to weak hip flexors so I will try to strengthen them over the next couple of weeks.

I don't have any concrete goals right now, but I want to keep running because it's fun to try to improve and it's a good way to stay healthy. It's also challenging, interesting and difficult. Running seems easy enough, just get out and run. But if you want to improve, even for a middle-of-the-packer like me, there are a lot of details to think about that makes it interesting. Running gear, various running conditions (running in 100F in the humid summer vs. a cool autumn's day), blisters, muscle imbalances, training, nutrition etc. The list goes on and on.

Right now I just want to recover completely and get healthy so I can start training again.

Ultimately, this whole experience has been a firsthand lesson that you can do more than you think you can.

Just after crossing the finish line.

With my biggest supporters!

Holding the Finisher Medal.

Picture with the next generation of runners, Jakey and Abby.

Running on the Appalachian Trail.

Coming down the Appalachian Trail towards the Potomac River and the C/O Canal Path.

Life After Baby

2011-10-23T22:11:00.000+02:00

Admittedly, it is harder to get much done with a newborn whose schedule is unpredictable. I had never appreciated the difficulty that comes with juggling a little one together with everyday life demands. Getting a shower, finding time to eat properly (meaning not shoveling whatever food was easiest to make in my mouth over Elsa's nursing head), or washing the dishes can't be done unless she is asleep or attached to me with the wrap. At this point, Elsa is getting into a sort of routine, but there's no timetable. She will fall asleep when she does and she will wake when she does, which makes it very hard to plan. Don't worry - this is just the newly born baby stage. They do eventually develop a more predictable pattern; well, that's what I've read and been told anyway. Still even though things are more unpredictable, we decide to continue venturing out.

Elsa is a good baby; she is easy to console. Just pop her on the boob and that pretty much does the trick. The problem is that when we're in the car, feeding her can prove, well,...impossible. Unlike some other babies, she doesn't necessarily fall asleep when we're driving. If her tummy isn't full enough, she isn't going to fall asleep. So there was a bit of anxiety surrounding our nearly 2-hour drive out to Three Fox Vineyards on Saturday where we planned to meet up with an old Lock Haven buddy of mine, Grams, and her two little kids, Mac & Corrie. Everything had to be planned perfectly if we wanted to avoid her sad cries in the car on the way there. So, when Elsa hit that deep sleep, we snuck her into the carseat and crossed our fingers that she's stay that way for the entire ride. Perfect baby that she is - she did stay asleep and only opened her little eyes after we had parked the car at the winery.

Once there we took a mini hayride of the vineyard with Grams and her two little ones. Then shortly afterwards we found a table on top of a hill overlooking the vineyard and surrounding mountains and enjoyed a glass of wine. The weather was gorgeous. Not cold enough for jackets, but cool enough for long sleeves.

Corrie, Christina with Elsa, Amanda & Mac

Look at the top of the hill. See that table? That's where we sat.

When it was time to go, little Elsa was wide awake. Our nerves began to quiver wondering how long she'd tolerate being strapped into the carseat awake. We belted her in and off we drove. Amazingly she started watching the sunlight dancing on the blanket that I was shading her face with and before I knew it, she had drifted off to sleep only to awake as we rolled into our driveway. Little angel!

Today was another beautiful fall day - 64 F/18 C. So, we got Chloe and Samson leashed and ready to go and snuggled Elsa in the Ergo carrier and we were off for a loop in a nearby neighborhood.

Passed out in the Ergo with Papa.

Jakob walking ahead with Samson & Elsa.

So, fellow friends, fear not for the Hade Henriksson adventures have not ceased. We will forge forward, though perhaps to a different rhythm.

Elsa Louise's Arrival

2011-10-07T22:47:00.001+02:00

Elsa's estimated due date was September 16th, but she didn't know that. She seemed unaware of the schedules pressing down on her arrival in the world as baby after baby was born before her. The doctors wanted to induce me 10 days after the due date, but I wanted a natural birth and was damned if they were going to start my labor synthetically especially when there seemed no medical reason for it. Besides, regular antenatal tests showed Elsa was doing well in my womb. Still the doctors had actually already set the date - Sept 26th - when they would induce me, but I went in on the 26th demanding to have a conversation and to be allowed to make decisions about my own body and baby. After hearing the doctors out & much consideration of our own, Jakob & I agreed to set the induction date for Sept 28th. We had two more days for Elsa to come on her own. A wave of relief washed over me after our decision; thankfully this date was not forced on me but was something we were a part of.

Elsa must have sensed my stress subside because around 2am on Tuesday morning she decided to start her journey into this world. It started with what felt like heavy menstrual cramps every 15-20 mins. I was skeptical that labor was in progress because I had experienced similar cramps the Friday before which never developed into anything, so I coaxed myself back to sleep. I awoke to the same repetitive cramping sensation in the morning and went about my day happily, hoping that it would continue. By noon, the cramps were stronger and I would have to stop what I was doing until they passed. I also noticed around that time that I was peeing my pants. After soaking 2 pairs of underwear I was convinced that perhaps I wasn't peeing myself but that I was actually leaking amniotic fluid. I had hoped to labor longer at home, but when the amniotic fluid starts to come out, you're told to go to the hospital. After a bit of stalling, we ended up grabbing the hospital bag and set off for the hospital.

Once at the hospital, they told me I was only 2 cm dilated. However, shortly after getting settled in and hooked up to a fetal monitor, contraction monitor, and an IV my contractions started strengthening and coming closer together. I labored for four hours to find out that I had dilated only 2 more centimeters. Jakob stood with me the entire time as I bore through each contraction and did anything he could to comfort me.

I labored through Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning. The contractions were still close together and I was feeling worn out already, so I decided to take Nubain, a narcotic that took the edge off the pain & let me rest in between contractions. By 7 centimeters the contractions seemed to be hitting a double-peak hell and were so frequent I felt I was going to lose it and start panicking if I didn't get something to dull the pain. So, my plan for an "all natural" birth became more distant when I agreed to get a walking epidural. Perhaps it was best, because little did I know in the wee hours of the morning that I would dilate to 9cm by 9am and then labor another 8 hrs after that trying unsuccessfully to reach 10cm. Around 4pm on Wednesday the doctors decided to give me a bit of Pitocin to help regulate and strengthen my contractions in hopes that I would dilate that last centimeter and the baby would drop low enough so I could start to push. Another hour passed and still I had not dilated and the baby wasn't dropping.

This is when the doctors came in and reluctantly told the mother who had fought for an all-natural birth (or by this time mostly natural) that it would end in a c-section. I couldn't hold it together anymore and began to sob uncontrollably. Everything I had read about getting one intervention and then needing another until it spiraled out of control to a c-section had come true in my experience. Although I'll never know, and I certainly didn't at the time, whether other natural measures could have been taken to encourage full dilation or the baby to drop, I still wonder how my birth experience would have been different had I gone to a birth clinic instead.

After I was told that my first pregnancy would end in a c-section, I was prepped for the operation and then wheeled into a brightly lit operating room full of nurses and surgeons chatting casually as if they were catching up over coffee.

I was outright scared to death in the operating room. I had watched dozens of natural birth videos without feeling a tad bit squeamish or disgusted, but failed to watch a cesearean without covering my eyes. Now I was lying on the operating table with a sheet up in front of me. I was given a strong epidural which numbed everything from my chest down; however, I could still feel them touching and tugging at my skin.

Jakob was allowed in the room and he sat and held my hand as I shook from the anesthesia they had given me and repeated over & over "I'm scared" ... "I'm scared". I didn't know that the shaking was caused from the anesthesia until later in the operation and it frightened me more because I thought I was shaking and shivering out of fear.

Soon there was a hoarse cry from the opposite room and a doctor expressed surprise to see such a big baby come out of my womb. They handed Jakob Elsa and he leaned over to show her to me. It was hard to take her in sideways, but I saw the thick, dark hair and was relieved that she was finally here. Jakob left to go with Elsa to the nursery and my doctor took his place and held my hand through the rest of the procedure.

Elsa Louise Henriksson was born 8lbs 5oz/3.77 kg and was 21.5 inches/54.6 cm long. Her puffy eyes, bruised forehead, and cone-shaped head attested to the fact that she was doing her best to come out the natural way.

It's been 8 days since Elsa was born and I'm already impatient with the healing process. Fall is here and the cool, sunny days tease me from the window and I wish we could go for a hike with little Elsa. I know soon we will be able to, but 'taking it easy' is not really my lifestyle. ;)

Jakob and I are smitten with Elsa. We have waited long to meet her and to know her - the little, unique person that she is. People say life will never be the same again after kids - and I am happy to agree with them. As of the moment she arrived, I could not and can not imagine life without her.

Becoming parents softens a person's heart in a way that cannot be avoided. Becoming a parent means falling hopelessly in love and being hopelessly in love with someone leaves one feeling vulnerable. Out of this vulnerability we will grow and from this love we will thrive.

Compare the pictures below. Can you tell which one is of me when we first arrived at the hospital and which one is of me after laboring countless hours and having a c-section?

Girls' Weekend

2011-06-21T00:17:00.000+02:00

We made it! Starting a new ESOL department as new teachers in a failing middle school nonetheless was challenging to say the least. To celebrate our survival and success, Elizabeth & I decided to spend a weekend on Chincoteague Island, VA.

We stayed at the lovely Island Manor House and enjoyed scrumptious breakfasts both mornings. We spent much of Saturday morning and early afternoon cycling through Chincoteague and Assateague National Parks. We took a quick dip in the ocean before our journey back to the B&B. In the afternoon, we went to neighboring Miss Molly's Inn for proper English afternoon tea. This was a treat everyone should enjoy at least once! There was such an array of delicious, well-presented food!

The next day we had plans to go kayaking in the backwaters, hoping to catch a closer glimpse of the wild ponies that live on the islands, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans - a storm! So, we headed back towards home, stopping just a bit a farm stand and the outlets.

It was a refreshing, much-needed girls' weekend covered in doilies and smothered in mouthwatering food! What more could we have asked for?!?

N'Awlins Ya'll

2011-01-17T05:41:00.000+01:00

With about ten days free for winter break, Jakob and I racked our brains as to where to go for another adventure. We wanted to stay in the States since we hadn't traveled much here and after obsessively checking for a good package deal online we found our destination - New Orleans!

We stayed in the Big Easy for about seven days right on Canal Street, a stone's throw from the famous French District. The area was as expected with the famous iron lace balconies, hidden courtyards, and tight alleyways.

The city reflects the colorful influence of the Spanish, French, West African and Caribbean cultures in its architecture and food. Our favorite traditional Creole dishes were jambalaya, shrimp gumbo, oysters on a half shell, and an even better version of our already favorite - the bloody Mary - complete with pickled green beans, okra and green olives! Delicious! Additionally, we enjoyed beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, a popular cafe that serves pipin' hot doughnuts and chicory coffee. Chicory is a bushy plant with blue or white flowers and is native to Europe, North America, and Australia. The roots of this plant are baked and ground as a coffee substitute.

Apart from the food and the architecture, a favorite was learning about and exploring the bayou. Our guide explained that the many canals we could see were dug through the wetlands to float pipes and equipment for oil companies. These man-made canals have disrupted the ebb and flow of the tides that wetlands depend on for survival. Due to this alteration, the wetlands have receded and are disappearing more and more each year. These wetlands used to stretch much further into the gulf acting as a "speed bump" for hurricanes. According to America's Wetland, every 2.7 miles of wetlands can reduce deadly storm surges by a foot. Imagine how this could have changed the results of Hurricane Katrina.

Since we stayed mostly in and around the French Quarter, we did not see much damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. However, the scarring from that horrible disaster was well known. The enthusiasm that the locals held because their football team - The Saints (previously known as the Ain'ts) - won the SuperBowl last year was almost contagious. The win certainly lifted spirits in the city. Unfortunately, they won't be re-experiencing this high again this year.

However, one thing that we have gotten right is the regulation of alligator hunting!. By 1967, alligators were considered endangered...but thankfully no more! They grow about 1 foot per year under ideal conditions (enough food and warm temperatures). However, that's not very fast considering our expectations of huge, fat alligators! The alligator that we got to hold was already 2 years old.

This was the largest alligator we saw on our tour. Imagine how old he must be!

Of course, another one of our favorites were the street performers! Most of them were quite talented and so we were happy to drop tips in their boxes. They were working after all!

This guy actually slid across that laminate mat on his head. He's not just doing a headstand!

The music was superb!

Speaking of music - that had to have been the absolute best part of our experience. The jazz scene was always hopping in the evenings. We found a cozy, atmospheric bar called Fritzel's and enjoyed the music. Take a look at the video! We also, upon a good friend's recommendation, went to see Charmaine Neville, who put on a fabulous show with her band. Interestingly enough, the same bassist and drummer from Charmaine's group played in Fritzel's house band. What are the chances of that? After all there are a lot of bands and bars in New Orleans!

We ended our time in New Orleans on the bank of the Mississippi river. As we awaited the climax of the new year, we gazed out on the wide, muddy river, watching the fog rolling in and out against the surface. It was beautiful. The mystical moment passed as the fireworks exploded off of a boat into the sky and the live street performers with their brass instruments made a procession down the walkway. What a brilliant way to start the new year.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T19:39:00.005+01:00

Christmas of 2010 was spent with the Hade family. Per tradition, we celebrated on Christmas Eve with a total of 14 people, 7 dogs, and 2 cats. (We wanted to make it as close to the real manager experience as possible!) Below are some pictures of our celebration.

Jakob and I contributed julskinka (ham), Janssons Frestelse (scalloped potatoes w/ anchovies), and lussekatter (saffron rolls) this year. There was a lot of other food: mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, gravy, corn, etc.

My parents' are hosting a man named Vannisin from Laos this year through the MCC International Volunteer program. He is working at a local nursing home. He worked previously as a medic for workers in coal mines in his home country.

Jairo and Milton, my mom's two "adopted" sons, (really our cousin's husband's brothers!) were able to visit with us after they got off work. Paola and Milton are a couple and have baby Sasha together. It's great fun having them all over for Christmas. We represented 4 different countries together on Christmas Eve!

Of course, the much-awaited moment is when everyone gathers around the lit Christmas tree and opens presents. The kids went wild exploring the hidden delights (and not so delightful - socks!?!? Camon!) under the tree. Afterwards, they tinkered with their toys, hopping back and forth between the new toys.

Baby Sasha stole the show. But, soon she will have a competitor when Tuesday gives birth to baby Isaiah next April.

Surprisingly our family Christmas photo turned out well the first take! That is surely never to happen again! :)

Merry Christmas to all! Have a great New Year's!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T00:52:00.008+01:00

The autumn leaves should be bursting with color now and so we decided to head for the hills of West Virginia for a bit of hiking before the night of ghouls and gremlins arrived. We wove our way through the highways and byways to Harper's Ferry, a small town that straddles the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers.

We had to go through the town to get to the trailhead. It's quite a quaint village with stone buildings and old stores (some of which are not actually open for business but are simply there to show what it looked like in the olden days). We learned that the decline of the town was due to several severe floods, and the American civil war, of course. So, the town nowadays serves mainly as a tourist attraction I believe.

Of course there are several small eateries available. We decided to try one that had a nice outdoor seating area, which is nowadays somewhat of a requirement for us whenever our dogs are with us, but today the weather was perfect for it as well. The food unfortunately was not great, and the coffee was, well, terrible, especially for a place called 'Coffee Mill.' Oh well, what to do?

Since our goal was to hike, we of course had to find the trailhead. We got there by crossing the old rail bridge (there is a new one right next to it where trains cross nowadays) over the Potomac. Once on the other side we walked along the C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) Canal towpath.

The C&O Canal is really a great place for hikers and bikers alike. We were only on it for a while before we hit our trail in the Maryland Heights park. There were several trails available, but we decided to do one of the shorter ones that would lead us to an overlook over the confluence of the two rivers. So, off we went. The way there took us about 40 minutes and was never really flat but went up and down. There was a group of Japanese tourists who were hiking up the mountain and belting out a cappella along the entire journey to and from the outlook. Thankfully they really did know how to sing, so it simply added to the moment.

Once at the lookout, we gazed out upon the Potomac river coursing through the mountains. We were reminded of the outcrops in Saxonian Switzerland outside of Dresden, a bit of nostalgia crept into the moment.

When we had enjoyed the view for a while we realized that it was already 4pm and we had to get back to the trick-or-treaters that were sure to be ringing our doorbell at 6pm sharp! The time for trick-or-treating in our area is between 6-9pm on Halloween. So, we went back to the car and headed home.

As soon as we turned into our cul-de-sac we saw a swarm of kids in costumes. We hurried to get inside and we barely had time to put down our gear before we heard the cling of the doorbell and the dogs went crazy. Christina scrambled for the candy to avoid having our house egged and toiletpapered! The recommendation is to avoid the tricks at all cost, meaning: have plenty of candy around and be quick about giving it out! Our neighbors had us beat when it came to decorations for sure. Christina had made a great jack-o-latern which we put on the front steps, but we didn't have any of the audio effects we could hear from the house across the street. Oh well, maybe next year.

Actually, I'm already planning for next year. It would be great to hide under a pile of leaves on the lawn next to the pathway up to the house. At the opportune moment, I would start crawling towards the unsuspecting, candy-focused, sugar-high, difficult-to-see-because-of-their-costumes kids, grab one of them by the ankle, and listen to the (to me) joyous high-pitched, piercing scream of fear and panic. I can also clearly imagine any accompanying parents pushing the poor kids out of their way as they themselves scramble for safety and the security of their homes. Well, I have a year to hatch other good ideas. Let me know if you have any.

Another great Sunday gone by.

Jake

2010-10-25T00:07:00.006+02:00

The weeks and then the months somehow rush past us and before we know it, it's autumn. Summer hasn't abandoned us completely though, as it was nearly 73 degrees F/23 degrees C today.

Jakob ran the Baltimore marathon in 3 hours and 53 minutes last weekend. It was a beautiful weekend near the harbor. I wandered to a coffee shop and grabbed myself some hot coffee and a quick breakfast after the race began and afterwards ambled to mile 9 to cheer Jakob on. Distracted by the man carrying a sizable American flag as he ran the marathon, I nearly missed Jakob who was close behind him. Nearly dropping my breakfast as I tried clumsily to unravel my rolled up sign, Jakob swooped in and kissed me without missing a stride. I was a bit startled since I wasn't expecting such acknowledgement. After I recomposed myself, I thought the only thing I could do was run after him and try to capture a shot of him since I failed to do so with my hands full of food and a partially unrolled sign. After about 30 seconds, I decided not to try catching up to him. Besides, I was planning on meeting him at mile 13, which was conveniently on the opposite side of the road anyway. The second time round, I was ready. My sign was opened wide and my friend helped me videotape him as he passed. Only at the end of the race did I realize that I mistakenly wrote on my sign "Gå Jakob!", which actually means "Walk Jakob!" ... not "Go Jakob!" Whoops. Oh well. Needless to say, Jakob did a fantastic job and has impressed me by his stamina and intrinsic motivation to endure endless hours of running, including the hours spent in preparation for such a challenge!

There were 5,000 people running the marathon & 10,000 people running the half-marathon that day.

Sign: "Walk Jakob! I am so proud! I love you!"

This weekend we drove up to Pottstown, a town outside of Philadelphia, and spent the weekend with my brother Jon and his girlfriend Kristen. We enjoyed a day walking in Valley Forge National Park, which I explained in detail as the place where George Washington spent the winter with his troops and many died due to the harsh winter, blah, blah blah. The main attraction to someone like me is that it is 3,500 acres of rolling meadows and clusters of woods to be enjoyed year round.

Running marathons isn't enough for Jakob. On our stroll through the park, he was running hurdles with the dogs...for fun! ;)

Then we walked 5K for Juvenile Diabetes today in Philadelphia. Kristen, Jon's girlfriend, has type 1 diabetes, otherwise known as juvenile diabetes, which means that her body can't produce insulin. Supposedly 8,000 people partook in the walk and a few dogs including ours.

Lancaster County

2010-06-08T17:24:00.005+02:00

A former colleague of mine, Shinjita, from MCC Bangladesh was attending a conference in DC recently. She was invited to visit with some other former MCC Bangladesh colleagues, Jerry & Ethel, in Lancaster and so I decided to drive her there and spend the weekend too. It was a non-stop weekend and a lot of fun!

I also got to visit my friend Laura who studied Bangla with me in Mymensingh for six weeks in 2004. She and her husband live on a farm with an Amish couple. It was a great experience and, as always, I enjoyed being around the bustle of farm life.

We decided to take a four mile walk around the area and passed through two covered bridges. Covered bridges are now a tourist attraction in PA where there are more covered bridges than anywhere else in the United States. Before when bridges in the area were constructed solely of wood, they would only have a lifespan of 8-9 years due to exposure from the elements. Apparently, adding the roof on top lengthened their lifespan to 80 years! However, nowadays, many of the bridges have been repaired and are reinforced by concrete and steel, although the main structure is still wood.

The other exciting part of farm life were the Bernese Mountain puppies! There were six chubby 6-week old puppies hidden under the shed. Of course, I delighted in playing with the puppy pile-up! They scrambled out from underneath the shed, their hair covered in dust. It always amazes me how distinct their personalities are even though they are so young. Some jostled for attention and others lazily lounged around awaiting their turn for attention. As I hunched down to rub their bellies, they circled me and wove around my legs. One got a hold of my shirt and was pulling at it. Another was trying to get at my toes and still another lunged at my fingers. Their mother is weaning them off her milk, and rightfully so! They are not aware of how sharp their little teeth are. Anyway, they're adorable and for sale!

I had a chance to visit some other friends from Bangladesh, Rebecca & Philip, but unfortunately didn't have a chance to take pictures of them or their two adorable kids.

Anyway, it certainly was a fun-filled weekend!

Speed Racer

2010-05-02T21:10:00.010+02:00

Jakob has been training for a 1/2 marathon for months. However, within the last three weekends he has managed to run 3 races, slowly building in duration. His first race was a 5K in a neighborhood across the street. He completed it in 21 minutes and 33 seconds, which ended up being a little under a 7-minute mile.

The second was a 10K in Rockville, MD. Out of 2861 runners, Jakob came in 228th place. He ran a 7-minute mile and it only took him about 45 minutes.

The third race is the one he has been preparing for...the HALF MARATHON! So, today we woke up at 4:45am and drove 50 minutes to Frederick to make this big day. The race started at 6:30am and shortly after arriving, Jakob was off! After 1 hour and 51 minutes Jakob rounded the corner and crossed the finish line.

Jakob rocked every single run, so as a little reward he can now sport this cool magnet on our car to announce to the world that he completed what many have not - the half marathon! Be sure to congratulate him for it takes a great deal of self-motivation and dedication to complete such a task! Also, on October 16th, Jakob will run another 1/2 marathon in Baltimore. For those nearby, come out and support him!!

Spring Forward to Hyattsville

2010-03-13T23:59:00.008+01:00

Spring has arrived not long after the blizzards. What a relief the longer days and moisture in the air bring. Summer awaits us.

What a perfect time to move into a house. We are living in Hyattsville, Maryland, which is much closer to the school where I am currently teaching at, not to mention we will be residing in the county where I will work for the next two years. However, unfortunately, Jakob will have to suffer the 45-minute (one-way) commute to work in Rockville every week. We looked around for a while for a perfect central location so that both of us had equal distances to work, but we just couldn't find what we were looking for in that region, within our price range, and within the time we had to move out.

Our new place is gorgeous and it will be a delight to host friends and family there. So, consider this a formal invitation to come and stay with us. We are three blocks from the metro into Washington DC, conveniently close for visitors. We also look forward to venturing into the city more often now that we are within walking distance to the metro.

Anyway, feast your eyes on these pictures of our new abode.

The living room. The door to the left leads to the veranda.

Quaint little window with my thriving thyme plant and a painting from Jakob's grandmother.

The veranda.

The veranda from the outside. My little garden bed below just waiting to be sowed.

Backyard view.

Notice the humongous grill! We'll be cooking up a storm!

Happy dogs = happy owners.

Once we get the rest of the place in order, we'll post some more pictures. Come and visit! We assure you good company, comfort, and relaxation.

The Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-11T01:07:00.008+01:00

We reveled in the first snowfall of December 2009. Little did we realize that we would be met again by a bombardment of delicate snowflakes that would engulf our cars and maim our streets. The snow delay the Monday before last was greeted with a smile and *sigh* of relief. The snow day last Wednesday was welcomed with a mischievous grin and the early dismissal from school on Friday was received with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders.

But, an entire week off school because of another blizzard! Enough is enough! Doesn't mother nature know that there are children to teach, that there are graduate students frantic about implementing their action research?

I sit here, my face scornful, feeling ungrateful for the extra time. Dismissive of the work I had the chance to get done which my research could not be implemented without, I instead wonder aloud, "I wish I had known last Saturday that I would have been off for ten days! I could have scheduled a trip to the Caribbean!". My venom sprayed; appreciation for the season returns and I think to myself, "What a good time to write a post."

A few pictures to share with you of the beauty of snö.

Trees heavy with snow.

Bridge that leads into the woods.

A walk in the snow-clouds.

Chloe & Sam romping in the snow.

Sam posing by the fallen tree outside our apartment.

Pathway home.

Waiting to be cleaned before they enter the apartment.

Winter Holidays in Gaithersburg

2009-12-11T04:41:00.013+01:00

Time is a precious thing, my friends. So, this one will be short but sweet. Winter has greeted us, alas. Snow has fallen this December in Maryland, a bit ahead of its time. With its arrival, we have been thrust into the spirit of the holidays and are happily embracing the season. Have a walk through our wintry Svensk-Amerikansk Christmas wonderland.

Vårt julpynt/Our Christmas Decorations

I have to say that this holiday season I really feel in the Christmas spirit. I have joyously sought after traditional Swedish decorations and combined them with my own to make our little apartment a warm, cozy home. Sweden has some beautiful traditions and here are just a few that we've incorporated into our lives.

The Christmas tree/house plant double and stockings from my mom & dad.

Our beautiful new leather armchair with a beautiful "lammskin" from Gotland, Sweden thrown across the back and an "adventsljusstake" or Advent candleholder on the windowsill.

Another adventsljusstake - this one on the table. This is very traditional in Sweden and a must have for Christmas decorations!

Jakob enjoying the first of Advent.

I found this St. Lucia/S:t Lucia decoration in Annapolis, Md, of all places. S:t Lucia is celebrated on December 13th of each year by Swedes. Some trace this holiday back to St. Lucia of Syracuse who was a martyr who died in 304. However, most people today celebrate S:t Lucia simply for traditions's sake and the appreciation of light during Sweden's dark, long winters.

This should give you an idea of how they celebrate S:t Lucia in Sweden.

It is impossible to savor the warmth and joy of the season in a Swedish household without enjoying "lussekatter" (sounds like "lucy cat-er"). These rolls are basically saffron bread. Jakob spent most of last weekend preparing two batches of lussekatter for his colleagues. These are actual pictures of the lussekatter that Jakob made. They were tasty! Along with lussekatter, Swedes enjoy glögg, a sort of spiced wine, however, it need not be alcoholic.

So, there you have it. A brief insight into our festive svensk-amerikansk home during this holiday season.

C&O Canal

2009-10-25T22:12:00.003+01:00

We went to the C&O Canal, which is about 15-20 minutes away from our apartment. We've gone to the canal many times, but this time, instead of just letting the dogs run and swim in the stream nearby, we also decided to walk on the path along the canal that runs from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, MD. Walking the entire stretch would add up to about 184.5 miles/297 kilometers.

We didn't walk that far, but we plan to return in the future to cycle and walk the dogs. It's a beautiful area. A lot of people take kayaks or canoes onto the Potomac river, which has given us the idea of renting a canoe or kayak sometime in the near future.

Sunday is nearly over and Monday hovers in the distance. So, my apologies for such a short post, but hey - at least we blogged!

Jake-o-lantern

2009-10-24T00:29:00.008+02:00

Autumn has blessed us with its presence. Leaves have shed their dark green coats for a more golden appearance. The reds shine, the yellows shimmer and the oranges glow. I am amazed anew by the vibrancy of the season that invites light sweaters, hiking boots, and cool apple cider. I'm eager to capture the peak of the season; I haven't yet, but I will.

Instead I will share with you Jake's first jack-o-lantern. It turned out well. We are ready for the trick-or-treaters now. Our plastic pumpkin bucket is filled with candy for the kiddies who will come a-knockin'. Now our jack-o-lanterns are too.

As a kid, I remember enjoying carving pumpkins. But ours always had the triangular eyes, cut out with the kitchen knife that couldn't make fine incisions for the sake of detail. So, this year I was determined to carve a more elaborate jack-o-lantern.

The Gutting

The Tracing

The Carving

The Lighting

The Smiling

And, for the happiness of the hour, here is a cute picture of Jakob with Chloe, our bouncy, chocolate lab.

Jakob's 30th Birthday Weekend

2009-08-09T23:17:00.012+02:00

Jakob's 30th birthday is on Tuesday, August 11th. Since this is such an important birthday, I decided to plan a weekend away for him. So, on Friday, I let the surprise out, "We're going to West Virginia honey! Pack your bags!". We threw our stuff together and in half an hour were off towards the hills of West Virginia, a place neither of us had ever been before. We arrived at our cozy cabin called Whispering Hill in Berkley Springs, only 1.5 hours from Gaithersburg.

It was beautiful! We were nestled up a winding, gravel driveway on top of a hill overlooking the mountains beyond. There was nothing to distract us from our goal of a relaxing weekend. Except the hammock and the campfire pit.

The following day we went to a park called Cacapon Resort State Park where we hiked 6 miles along the ridge of Cacapon Mountain. We started at 900 feet/274 meters and hiked to 2100 feet/640 meters before descending back down. The dogs ran free and enjoyed themselves. They're really doing well at staying with us. However, they did enjoy darting off after a doe and its fawn.

There was a lake at the end of the trail, so we let the dogs go for a swim before heading back to the cabin on the hill.

We were exhausted on the way home but stopped at a roadside stand for some fresh sweet corn on the cob and local peaches. When we got back, we all pretty much looked like this...

As evening approached, food was on our mind. After dinner was ready, we sat back and enjoyed grilled chicken, corn on the cob and fresh cantaloupe as the sun began to set and the mountain air grew cooler.

Happy Birthday dear! I love you!

Seaside Heights, New Jersey

2009-07-19T04:01:00.007+02:00

Our dear friends, Wayne & Katrin Brown, were going to be back in the US from Germany for their vacation. Since we live in Maryland and they would be based in Rhode Island, we decided to meet halfway - Seaside Heights, NJ. It was about a 6-hour journey for both of us but it was well worth the trip.

When we arrived it started to rain. We arrived first and since the reservation was under Wayne's name I didn't know if it would help to go in and claim to be his friends. So, what would any person do with a cell phone, call their friend, of course! So, there we were, sitting in the car in the motel's parking lot, the first few drops being to spill from the sky. I dialed up Wayne and started to ask about his whereabouts and all that and suddenly there was this older man, who was clearly unpleased with us being there, pounding impatiently on my window. I rolled down my window and the man demanded, "Do you have a reservation?!?". I answered that we didn't but our friends did and that is why we were waiting there for them. He still seemed agitated but let us check in anyway.

We got back into our cars after checking in and drove two spots over to the parking spot right in front of our room. We wouldn't have bothered if it hadn't been a motel - motor hotel. I mean, that's just what people do at motels, they drive to their door, sleep and leave. Not to mention, the rain was pouring down and any added distance would help us from getting drenched.

We waited and then we saw headlights outside and bounced to the window to see if our friends had arrived...and they had! Yay! We were so glad to be reunited again. We went out and said hello and helped them with their bags.

It was about 11:00pm; I imagined that Wayne & Katrin would be particularly tired having just flown in from Dresden. So, I was about to give them a quick hug goodnight and slip under the covers for a nice deep sleep. But, nooo, how could I have forgotten - not with Wayne around! He wanted to go out to the boardwalk and see what was happening! (Argh!)

I pasted a smile to my tired face and slipped on my flipflops and out we went. The bright lights startled me back to life and prepared me for deafening roar of the cover band in the restaurant of our choice. Nevertheless, we were still thrilled to be together.

The next day was much more relaxing. We awoke later than Wayne despite his unapologetic attempts to get us out of bed. These attempts included, opening the blinds and letting direct sunlight filter into our cozy, dark room, opening the door since the light from the window wasn't bright enough and poking and prodding us several times. By the time we did get up, Wayne was nowhere to be found. But, we decided to have a classy breakfast on the sidewalk between our motel and a stomach-high concrete wall. So, we dragged out some chairs from our room and brought out the cooler which would act as our table. Jake opened poured us bloody marys and I laid out fruit and yogurt. After Wayne had wandered back, we headed for the beach.

Jake discovered the shelter of a beach umbrella and his appreciation of lounging on the beach increased dramatically. Occasionally he and Wayne ventured out to the sea for some body surfing. The waves were pretty decent and they had a few wipe-outs. Wayne had scratches to prove it.

We ended our lovely day at a nice seafood restaurant in the area. Jakob ate lobster for the first time. Katrin and Wayne were kind enough to show him what to do.

The next morning, food was on our minds again and we headed off for a proper American-sized breakfast.

Anyway, it was sad to part ways, but we had a fantastic time and are optimistic that we will see each other again!

We love you Wayne & Katrin!

Normal Everydays in May

2009-06-03T15:16:00.000+02:00

Our normal every days are pretty darn good, I might say. The weather has been quite warm, which is good for two reasons: (1) We simply enjoy the warmth & (2) Our energetic dogs aren't so energetic in the heat. Although, recently there have been quite a few thunderstorms, which help to cool it down and makes for relaxing evenings watching the lightning rip through the sky.

The lakes in May:

Sometimes, for variety, we go to a park and do a bit of hiking, like today.

Honeysuckle.

Jake goes to work and lately comes home and makes homemade bread. When he's not doing those things, he's learning how to change the oil in our cars, downloading something, showing me clips of Conan O'Brien or teaching me how to play tennis.

In the meantime, as I wait for my classes to begin, I tend to my rather diverse herb garden on our balcony, read books, train the dogs and - well, let's be honest - take a few catnaps. (And I clean and cook, but who wants to read about that!?!?)

First tomatoes.

African Violet Basil. Dill.

New sprouts of swiss chard, arugula and sweet basil.

Swingtime: Fuchsia Hybrid.

Chilis: This one was longer than my pointer finger.

These are just a few of my plants.

So there you have it. The Hade Henrikssons in May in Maryland, USA.

10 Years+

2009-06-02T23:09:00.004+02:00

It takes most of us 4 years to complete a bachelor's degree. At least, that's the standard time here in the States. However, it took over 10 years for my mom to finish her degree. Why? Well, when you throw a few monkey wrenches in the mix, namely, three kids and jobs to sustain them, it takes longer.

So, my brothers & I and their significant others decided to show our appreciation of our mothers' hard-earned, long-deserved accomplishment. Knowing that our mother doesn't like big surprise parties, we decided to have an intimate party with just the immediate family and her parents and brother Vaughn.

We planned the party for Memorial weekend, when most familes celebrate this 3-day weekend by having picnics with family. So, we decided we'd throw a surprise picnic party. Of course, she was a bit reluctant to leave the planning up to us three lousy kids...and she insisted that she contribute in some way. So, we told her to bring the drinks and to butt out of it because she & dad always pay for things. We insisted, "We're grown-ups now!".

It wasn't until the day or two before that she caught on that it wasn't just a chance for us to show her how grown-up we were. So, in her efforts to ruin her own party she decided that she'd skip church on our surprise picnic party day and help us set-up instead. Not knowing what else to say or do without completely revealing the "surprise" element of the day, I convinced my brother Jon to show interest in going to church. Surely, if Jon was going, she would go. How else could she be a good example to her son? However, his enthusiasm was a bit too fishy.

Needless to say, she backed out of her plan to help us set up but not until the very last minute. Jake and I arrived early to set up the table and get the grill going. We had lots to grill: corn on the cob & dozens of skewers. Upon arrival we realized that we would be stuck with the smallest grill in the park. After I recovered from my fit of hysterics, we proceeded to get everything in order. We had forgotten a few simple things, such as utensils for the grill, paper towels, trash bags. Trash bags!? Has anyone ever heard of a park that doesn't provide trash cans? How absurd! Anyway, we quickly dialed Jon & Kristen and they were sure to get the items for us.

It was time for dad to lead mom into our picnic party trap. As we saw them approaching, we huddled around the decorated table to yell "Congratulations!".

Mom eyed us suspiciously from afar. As she neared the picnic area, she realized her suspicions had been proven correct. She approached us, gave us her evil-eye after we shouted congrats and mumbled something about 10 years before picking up Abbey and disappearing to the stream nearby.

No matter. We fired up the grill, threw a few cobs on and sat around chatting.

Eventually mom came back and we sat around relaxing & eating with family, something mom always enjoys.

Congrats again Mom! We love you!

Give it a Whirl

2009-06-02T21:38:00.004+02:00

We offered to take my nephew, Jacob, and niece, Abbey, for a weekend. Why? It must have been a moment of delirium. Luckily, that same weekend my cousin, Alicia, was coming down to visit. So, she drove the two kids and all their necessary items down for an overnight stay.

There were three adults and two kids: a 2-year old and a 6-year old. Predicting that they'd be on the go from the start, I had a few things planned for us to do.

First we went for a walk to the nearby park before lunch. Then we came home & enjoyed tofu and bok-choy with rice for lunch. Surprisingly, both kids gobbled it up. Jakey wanted to know what the white chunks were, but I encouraged him to taste it and then I taught him the funny word "tofu". "Like toe?" Jakey asked. "Yes, that's right. It sounds like toe."

Then it was time for the bike ride/walk around the lakes. We were clear with Jakey and explained that if he was going to ride his bike, then he too would have to push it if he didn't want to ride it. And, surprisingly, that is exactly what the little boy did and even without a fuss.

What has he found? Just a huge cool frog...

After a few attempts at poking the frog with a stick, we rounded up the kids and decided to head back to the apartment. Once back Uncle Jakob and Jakey rolled out the pizza dough that had been rising while Alicia and I took turns keeping an eye on Abbey and preparing the toppings. Everything was all set and it was time to make dinner!

Alicia making sure that Jakey got the cheese and sauce on the pizza and NOT on our cream-colored carpet!

Here are Uncle Jakob and Jakey in front of the finished product! It was pretty tasty too!

After dinner Alicia went home, putting more responsibility on Jakob & I. Our brows furrowed and lips quivered after the door had closed behind her. But we quickly pulled ourselves together because either Chloe was stealing Abbey's stuffed animals for herself or Jakey was whining, "Come play with me!".

Luckily, the remainder of the evening went by quite easily. The kids got their fruit pops after dinner and Jakey seemed quite impressed by the huge sofa bed that he would get to sleep in. Abbey, on the other hand, was a little less impressed with her crib and threw a tantrum. We figured out that ignoring that sort of behavior works wonders for sleepy toddlers!

The next day we went to the park again and had lunch before heading out to meet up with their parents, James & Tuesday. In the meantime, as I scurried around trying to make lunch or clean up, Uncle Jake took time to watch the kids.

It was a successful weekend and I think we all had a lot of fun! But - let's not jump to conclusions readers - it was a lot of work and we are certainly looking forward to a few more child-less years!

A Stranger's Visit

2009-04-05T04:39:00.010+02:00

It had been three years since we saw last her, our dear friend Alana, whom we both met in Bangladesh.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she arrived on our doorstep begging for some shelter while she attended a job fair in DC. We were delighted to have her company and quickly ushered her in.

We celebrated her birthday together. Jake made the cake. I iced it & put in the candles. Alana blew them out and cut it up. We sang her the birthday tune in harmony and she shed a single tear.

Later in the week, we drove ourselves down to the capitol and poked around a bit. We started at the Capitol Building and made our way down towards the White House before skipping over to the Washington Memorial where we witnessed the many kite-goers. Apparently, every year there is the Kite Festival.

We hurried back to the car after our rushed tour through D.C. because our dogs were waiting for us with the sitter.

Luckily for us, Alana was offered a job in D.C. and we will be seeing more of her in the coming months.

The Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-04-05T02:44:00.010+02:00

The Cherry Blossom Festival is all the hype this time of year in Washington, D.C. So, we thought, being new to the area, we ought to keep up tradition and explore. So, we met up with my friend Becky and began our meandering of the Mall.

It all started in 1912 when the mayor of Tokyo gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington to celebrate the lasting friendship between Japan and the USA. We reciprocated the gesture in 1915 by offering flowering dogwood trees. Also, later on, in 1965 Japan gifted another 3,800 cherry trees.

However, the Cherry Blossom Festival began in 1935 and has been going on ever since. The blossoms were in full bloom on April 1st, but we still caught quite a bit of light pink on our visit on the 4th despite the high winds.

There was a lot going on. Tons of food stands and Japanese cultural activities to mosey through. But, we opted for a more 'spacious' area since it was our dogs' first time in such a crowded area.

It was a pleasant day, bright, warm but windy. We walked around the Mall and visited the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument, which was the tallest structure in the world up until 1889 when the Eiffel Tower was completed. We also passed by the infamous Lincoln Memorial.

We circled back the way we had come through the Constitutional Gardens and then went our separate ways.

Welcome Chloe!

2009-03-31T19:23:00.004+02:00

It's official...

We have another dog!

Call us crazy, but shouldn't animals come in pairs? Come on, hasn't anyone ever heard of Noah's Ark? Well, anyway, we're not trying to keep the species flourishing (apparently dogs have nooo problems with that), we just thought it'd be nice to have a companion for Samson.

Chloe is a one-year old chocolate Labrador Retriever. She was surrendered at an animal shelter in Pennsylvania. It is told that her owner could not take care of a puppy any longer. She was pretty crazy at first. I thought she'd never be normal. But, after a few days of proper exercise and a routine, she has turned out to be a lovable, trainable dog.

So, all you pet-deprived animal lovers, come & give us a visit!! :)

Our New Home

2009-03-12T18:32:00.005+01:00

We moved to our new home in Gaithersburg, MD, about 35 minutes outside of Washington DC. We have a nice apartment, which is twice the size of our apartment in Dresden. Wooohooo! Since we have the top-floor, corner apartment, we have higher ceilings and windows line two of our walls. It's very bright in our apartment and I love that. If you look at the picture, ours is the top left apartment and stretches from the window on the left to the balcony.

The neighborhood is really nice and there are a lot of stores within walking distance. Also, we can walk to a few lakes nearby, something we often do when walking the dog.

We don't have much furniture yet but enough to live comfortably for a while. Oh and thanks to Matilda & Andreas for the red couch inspiration. Below is the living room. The door to the left exits onto the balcony.

You can see our dining room to the right and our kitchen complete with cupboards and all major appliances. Further back through the kitchen is a laundry room with a washer and dryer! Imagine that!

And, of course, let's not forget the den...otherwise known as Jake's office. As you can see, we've already prioritized furnishing this room with a desk and two bookshelves.

Right now I'm just a doggy mommy and a hausfrau. Ha! It's not too bad actually. I enjoy my morning routine of driving Jake to work and then returning to the apartment for breakfast before taking Samson for a stroll. The morning is gone before I know it and soon I'm looking over our list of things-to-do and checking them off one by one.

Jakob's first day of work at Intelligent Automation went smoothly. He is still familiarizing himself with the company policies, their several projects and his new colleagues.

So that is basically the overview of our new home and our new life. :)

Cerro Punta, Panama

2009-03-11T22:00:00.001+01:00

Cerro Punta is also in the Chiriqui region. In fact, it lies on the opposite side of the highest mountain in Panama, now a dormant volcano, named Volcán. The town of Boquete is on the other side. Volcán has an elevation of 11,398 feet or 3,474 meters. Compare that to the highest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, in California with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Jakob would've liked to hike this mountain, but we realized that it would take 12 hours to hike up and back and we weren't prepared for the increasingly cold weather towards the summit nor the darkness of early morning or late night.

We stayed at a wonderful Bed & Breakfast called Hotel Cielito B&B where we could watch lots of different birds fluttering about. Panama is very well known for bird watching. There are endless species here to look for, including 59 different types of hummingbirds! It seemed they were darting here and there and everywhere.

There are many options for hiking in and near Cerro Punta. Since we opted out of the hike to Volcán's summit, we decided to visit Amistad National Park, which is shared with Costa Rica. After taking a bus into town, we flagged down a taxi and had him drop us off at the gate of the park. I asked him to pick us up again at 3pm, which we were told was the thing to do when going to the park, and we hopped out excited to explore another forest.

Again, the forest was loaded with tons of different flower species, which we eagerly documented.

We were good and tired by the end of our hike. So, we sat down to wait the extra 45 minutes for our taxi to arrive at the only restaurant by the entrance to the park. The friendly woman who worked there greeted us with a smile and "Buenas" and asked if we were hungry. I said, "si". She then returned to the kitchen. Jakob and I looked at each other and smiled and agreed we'd wait and see what was on the menu. We were happily surprised when she came out again with 2 plates piled high with bbq chicken and rice and beans, the typical food found in Panama. After we got our fill, we looked at the clock and began wondering where our beloved taxi driver was. We figured he was on Panamanian time, so we entertained ourselves by taking pictures of the hummingbirds flying around nearby. Nearly a half hour had passed and we decided to wait no longer. We headed off on the only road back to town on foot.

Thankfully, there was a small store set up out of someone's house where I asked if we could use the telephone. After hiking all morning, we hardly wanted to wander back to our B&B. We had no idea how far it would be! The teenager running the place made a few calls to taxis for us but nobody offered to pick us up. Luckily, her uncle was headed into town where we could catch a bus to our hotel. We waited around, thanked the girl who had helped us and jumped into the truck.

A Walk in the Clouds: Boquete, Panama

2009-03-11T21:38:00.001+01:00

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be in a cloud? Well we have experienced it and can tell you it's basically...misty. The region of Chiriqui in Panama is quite mountainous. These mountains are covers in cloud forests. One might wonder what the difference is between a cloud forest and the more well-known rain forests. Well, the secret lies in the name. A cloud forest is basically a tropical or subtropical forest with low-level cloud cover. These forests get a lot of their precipitation through the moisture carried in the clouds. Rain forests, on the other hands, are forests in tropical regions which receive quite a bit of rainfall.

Our first full day in Boquete, after flying from Panama City to David the day before and a 2 1/2 hr bus ride to Boquete, we went for a hike in the cloud forests. Our guide, Hans, from Coffee Adventures took us for a 5-hour hike through the nearby cloud forest. The higher we climbed, the cloudier it seemed to get. There was an endless variety of green, which I took the liberty to capture with my camera. There were lots of different types of plants and flowers. Although these forests have plenty of wildlife too, we weren't fortunate enough to see any. Still, it was a beautiful hike.

After our hike, we stopped off on our own for some authentic Panamanian food. In this particular restaurant, we were able to choose which dish we wanted simply by pointing or muttering "si" or "no". Somehow I ended up choosing fried intestines in some sort of tomato sauce. I was horrified after we sat down, my stomach growling, and there on my plate lay a helpful scoop of squiggly, chewy intestines. I scarfed down my beans and rice and after Jake finished his meal, I scooped the intestines into my napkin and dropped them off to the stray dog nearby.

In the afternoon we met up with Hans again. He took us to the coffee estate, Kotowa, where they grow, harvest, roast and sell their own coffee. We were enthusiastic to learn how people around the world come to enjoy a dark, hot cup of joe.

There are a lot of steps to take before we can enjoy the dark liquid found in our drip coffee makers in the morning. In fact, talk about information overload! But, hopefully I can simplify the process without forgetting anything important.

First, the coffee is grown (duh!) and on this farm all the coffee berries are handpicked to ensure that the best coffee is produced. What makes the best coffee? Well, it's important that the red, ripe berries are picked and the green, unripe ones are left on the bush to ripen. If you have a mix of the unripe and ripe berries you will end up with bottom-grade coffee. Anyway, after the berries are picked, they are put through a machine that removes the outter shell. You are left with the bean.

After this, the beans must be dried. There is another sorting process that groups them by size and a hand-sorting process to rid the batch of the poor-quality beans. Then the beans are roasted. Timing is essential. If you want a dark roast, obviously it must be in longer...but it doesn't take too long for it to become a burnt roast. And - voilah - the infamous French Roast coffee is born! So, for those of you who don't want that nasty coffee breath and burnt aftertaste in your mouth, upgrade to a roast that is between light and espresso and leave the French roast behind.

We stayed with Coffee Adventures in one of their cabins right smack in the middle of the forest. It was a great way to end our long day in Boquete.

Panama: Panama City

2009-03-11T19:06:00.001+01:00

Our goal was to find a place to enjoy another spur of the moment vacation before being locked into a measely two weeks, which is unfortunately the case for us Americans but not for the remainder of the developed world! So, we quickly began our search for cheap tickets to any place warm. After a few clicks of the mouse, we came across flights to Panama. Our first reaction - what's in Panama besides the canal & what can we do? Well - here is what one can do in Panama...

Of course, there's Panama City, which is Panama's largest city with a population of approximately 709,000. We stayed there for one night because we were eager to get out to the region of Chiriqui. We did visit one of the locks of the Panama Canal called Mira Flores.

We also walked around in Casco Viejo in Panama City. The architecture in this area is reminiscent of the French who attempted to build the canal in the 1880s.

Below is the Iglesia de la Catedral built in 1688.

It rained in the middle of the day and cooled everything off.

We also saw brown pelicans sunning themselves.

What we had read about Panama City is that it is bustling with life. When we arrived we were shocked to find it calm and almost deserted. Apparently many people had left the city to travel to another city to celebrate Carnaval.

The Start of Chaper 2

2009-02-15T20:24:00.008+01:00

So, what have we been doing since we left Germany?

Visiting with family...

Dad took my brothers & Jake out to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and his favorite restaurant, Seven Stars, where they serve extra large steaks!

We also took our own trip out towards Philadelphia and visited my cousins Danny & Natalie and friends Tanya & Jeff.

I went to the Ice Fest in Chambersburg with Mom & Dad.

Played with my nephew Jacob and niece Abigail.

Spent time with grandparents - Grandma Hade is pictured here with me.

We've also spent good quality time playing with pets, which includes lots of walks in parks and fetch.

...And somehow, despite being unemployed, our days are filled and pass so quickly.

Before we know it, we'll be on our trip to Panama. And soon, upon our return we'll be living in our own apartment in Gaithersburg, MD and Jakob will have started his new job.

Auf Wiedersehen Dresden

2009-01-15T18:34:00.005+01:00

We left Dresden in a winter wonderland, cold, covered in snow, yet serene and complete. It seemed appropriate. My first visit to Dresden was in March of 2006 and it had been a winter wonderland then too. A full circle had been completed, it seemed.

We took one last hike in Saxonian Switzerland too. It was really cold -9 degrees C/16 degrees F!

Some of the last days in Dresden were even colder - our last day reaching one of the record lows -21 degrees C/-6 degrees F!

Many memories were created over our few years in Dresden. We left with a bittersweet feeling in our gut - looking forward to new opportunities ahead - but sad to leave good friends, a comfortable life and a beautiful land.

Thanks to all those who helped make Dresden home for the past few years. We will never forget you nor Dresden - Florence on the Elbe.

Sylvester!!

2009-01-12T19:04:00.006+01:00

Our very first New Year's Eve in Dresden. After living in Dresden for 2.5 - 3.5 years (Jakob stayed longer than me), it seemed the perfect thing to do to wrap up our list of experiences there.

The evening began at Peter & Karen's flat where we stuffed ourselves to the gills and chattered happily among ourselves. We took a couple snaps to capture the moment before setting off into the city to find ourselves a spot on the Marien Brücke bridge.

You can see below just how many fireworks our friend Peter had bought to celebrate the New Year.

Fireworks in Dresden are a serious thing. Everyone seems to buy them, from huge rockets that actually light up the sky to little measly sparklers or poppers. But, a lot of people had these fireworks that look like sticks of dynamite. When they would set them off, there would be this deafening blast...like a bomb. It scared the bejesus out of me. I wondered whether the Dresdeners were trying to recreate the 1945 firebombing of Dresden. It was really obnoxious. Some people lit their rockets and had them pointing down the street instead of up into the sky. In a land where there are many rules & regulations - Sylvester seems to be the only day in the year when people can go crazy - and they certainly do.

Once we got to the bridge and avoided being killed or maimed by any stray rockets, we set ourselves up on a bridge that overlooked the Altstadt (Old Town). People everywhere were setting off fireworks randomly. Just when I thought the midnight sky couldn't get any brighter, the clock struck 12.

We managed to pass 2 hours in the freezing cold. I guess aside from being distracted by the pretty lights and shocked by the disturbingly close blasts, it wasn't too difficult of a thing to do.

We cheered and sipped our chilled bubbly under the flashing sky and relished our first and probably last New Year's in Dresden.

Happy New Year 2009!

Congrats Jakob!!

2008-12-24T11:22:00.005+01:00

The day of Jakob's defense was packed. He had two presentations to deliver. The first one was his scientific talk about SPAM, which was one of three non-thesis-related topics he selected for his scientific talk. After the reviewers selected one of the three topics of Jakob's choice, he then had 2 weeks to prepare for it. He gave an excellent talk on SPAM and seemed remarkably calm despite the gravity of his task. If he didn't get a passing mark on his first talk, he wouldn't be able to defend his thesis. But, no surprise to his fan club, which consisted of myself (of course!) and his parents, Jan-Erik & Barbro, Andreas & Matilda and Aron...he passed!

So 'round 1' was out of the way and there were only three hours between Jakob and the start of his defense. While he was making last minute preparations, his family & I went to the cafeteria to have a bite to eat. Afterwards, we met up with his two college buddies, Björn & Hugo, who also came to support him from Sweden for the big whammy. His thesis was entitled: A Lightweight Framework for Universal Fragment Composition - with an application in the Semantic Web. Although I was there and listened attentively to his speech and, might I add, have on several occasions asked for an explanation of his work in layman's term - I still cannot properly explain his work.

But, for those of you with some sort of Computer Science background who would be interested in further explanation of his work, please email him. :)

Anyway, he finished his presentation rather quickly but still thoroughly and seemed confident on his findings. When it came time for the committee to ask him questions regarding his thesis, I think he was taken aback to hear that so many were less about the actual, current content of his work and more about what next - future possibilities, etc. While he seemed a bit unsure how to respond on a few questions, he did in fact answer them to the best of his knowledge. And, in the end, we are all proud to say that Jakob received the grade "very good" (magna cum laude).

His colleagues then rushed in to congratulate him, offering him flowers and dressing him in a cap and gown. (Notice the three flags for Germany, Sweden & the USA on his cap.) Here he is with his supervisor, Uwe Assmann.

Then it was time to move on to the party! We booked a room which was in the vaulted cellar of a restaurant and had finger food & drinks to start everyone off for the evening. It was a blast seeing all of Jakob's friends, family & colleagues there celebrating the hard work he has been putting into the project at TU Dresden and, of course, into his thesis. I know he appreciated it immensely. And, as if it weren't enough that they joined us at the restaurant for more celebrating, some of his colleagues prepared a few tasks for him which were meant to test his knowledge of his work.

You can see one of his colleagues, Jendrik, explaining the task. The black plastic boxes in the picture had little knobs sticking out of them. Jakob was then given several colored boxes that he had to fit onto the knobs. Each time he did this, a story appeared on the screen & if it wasn't correct about him then he would have to change the colored boxes around until he got the correct story. After about 45 minutes, Jakob finally noticed that there was a piece missing - which his colleagues referred to as the "adapter". Once he got that, there was noooo stopping him!

Task no. 2: He then was supposed to figure out a way with the help of his supervisor, Uwe Assmann, to allow beer to flow through the containers. But, while there were many outputs, all but 1 had been plugged in a previous game. So, they had only 1 output and needed to find a way to fill 2 glasses with beer at the same time through this one output. And, as you can see, they got it!

The evening continued even after the games had come to an end and we all stood around chatting and enjoying the moment. It was a fantastic day for Jakob and for me as well.

Thanks to all those who have supported him over the years!

And...Congrats to Dr. Jakob Henriksson!! Hurra! Hurra! Hurra!

Birthday Girl!

2008-12-09T23:03:00.004+01:00

(drum roll...)

Here's the birthday girl!!!

Jake isn't too thrilled about his Kodak opportunity but he will thank me later.

The rest of us managed to organize ourselves and smile when prompted. Actually, our end of the table was quite good at group shots. Here's another one:

Happy Birthday Karen! Thanks for the invite! We had a smashing time! :)

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T14:50:00.005+01:00

When you can't enjoy Christmas with family - it's the friends around that help to bring on the holiday cheer. This year Wayne and Katrin hosted Thanksgiving and made most of the side dishes too.

Wayne's a little tuckered out from slaving over the stove all day!

Here's the timed group shot. We were so hungry we didn't bother to make sure the photo turned out perfectly. So, oops, sorry Pete for cutting off a quarter of your head!

Since Wayne & I were really the only Americans present, we had to show them other folk how to celebrate properly. So, as usual, we picked the greasy wishbone out of the turkey carcass and...using only our pinky fingers...proceeded to yank and jerk away. After several attempts (the wishbone was pretty darn greasy) I managed to snap just a little tip off of the wishbone and claimed my victory! Yay! Afterwards, we decided to go out on the town in search of glühwein.

Peter had bought a nice, furry hat in Finland two weeks earlier and Jake couldn't resist trying it on. Pretty cute, eh?

After finding a wine bar, we sat around attentively listening to Wayne tell his stomach virus story. It was pretty entertaining (for us). Long story short - he ended up throwing up on himself...a lot...in the car on the way home because he couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Ewwww.

After that jolly story, we bundled up and went back the way we had come, admiring the Christmas lights along the way.

Österreich: Vienna

2008-11-30T09:10:00.007+01:00

Our train trip from Salzburg to Vienna was about 3.5 hours. It wasn't bad and we got to see more alpine mountains and half-timbered houses along the way. We arrived in Vienna in the afternoon and had enough time to check into our hostel and find a place for dinner before heading to see the Mayerling ballet at the Staat Oper. It was our first ballet and we enjoyed it a lot. There's just something special about live stage performances. Besides, it gives us common folk a reason to dress up.

The next day in beautiful Vienna we went to the Albertina museum where we viewed a large selection of van Gogh's drawings and paintings. It was a beautiful exhibition and allowed us to follow his progression as an artist. Afterwards, we went and had cake and coffee at the Sacher Torte cafe. Sacher Torte is supposed to be world-famous chocolate cake. It was quite nice but it didn't wow our taste buds, as we had expected. Still, part of traveling is trying out popular dishes from the region and chocolate cake never hurts! In the evening we huddled into a traditional Austrian restaurant and warmed ourselves before digging into another well-know Viennese favorite, wienerschnitzel. We had a lovely time relaxing in the warmth of the restaurant, chatting over glasses of red wine and watching the snow swirl around outside.

We spent our last day in Vienna wandering around backstreeets. It felt really cold and damp and by the time our hands were nearly numb we decided it was time for a light lunch. We warmed up with a bowl of soup each in a really cute restaurant decked for the holidays near St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Later on we headed to the Belvedere museum to see the Gustav Klimt exhibition. There weren't as many paintings there as we would've liked to see but, luckily, they did have The Kiss.

It snowed the remainder of our time there & lit up our 6.5 hour journey by train from Vienna through Prague and on to Dresden. It was absolutely lovely. We had a wonderful time in Vienna; a perfect last excursion in Europe.

Österreich: Salzburg

2008-11-24T18:43:00.008+01:00

This is what cheap train tickets get you. But, we were determined to see just one more country in the region before our departure in early January. So, we picked...lovely Austria.

Salzburg, like many other major European cities, is located along a river. This one is called the Salzach river. Here, the river looks a bit dull. But, despite the rainy and cold weather, Salzburg still maintained its charm.

Many people know Salzburg for one of two reasons: (1) They remember that Mozart was born there or (2) that the Sound of Music was filmed nearby. There were plenty of tours to see where the Sound of Music was filmed but we only had one full day in Salzburg and opted instead to see Mozart's birth house. Who wouldn't want to see where a child prodigy was born?

After touring Mozart's house and the Mozart museum we walked up to the fortress, Festung HohenSalzburg, that looms over the city. It was beautiful and, even more rewarding, was the view it lent of the Alps and the valley below. Absolutely breathtaking! We wanted to go hiking and wander the Alps but, unfortunately, there just isn't enough time for everything. Next time.

We returned to the Old Town after viewing the grounds at the fortress. After grabbing weißwurst for lunch we headed to the Stiegl brewery.

It was a fantastic day and we only wished we had more time to explore the wilderness surrounding the beautiful city of Salzburg. But, onto Vienna...

Katrin's Surprise Birthday Party!

2008-10-25T10:42:00.004+02:00

Katrin's birthday passed earlir this month but, unfortunately, it so happened that none of her friends were able to celebrate with her. But, we all wanted to be sure that she knew she was loved. So, we threw a surprise belated birthday bash at Karen & Peter's.

Luckily, Wayne didn't let the cat out of the bag and the surprise worked like a charm! She had noooo idea!

Katrin cutting her birthday cake that Peter & Karen made. Yuummm!

As the evening progressed, we realized nothing had changed about the behavior of mixed groups; men still flocked to their corner to hang with the boys and ladies to theirs to chat with the girls.

Happy Birthday Katrin!

Hrensko

2008-10-19T11:39:00.006+02:00

Since it is our last autumn in Germany, we wanted to be sure to see Böhmische Schweiz, the Czech Republic side of Sächsiche Schweiz, once more. We had gone on this same hike in the Böhmische Schweiz once before and really enjoyed the long (5 1/2 hr) trek through a variety of landscapes. So this weekend, we thought we'd explore it once more with our good friends, Karen & Peter.

Our journey started in Hrensko, a town just across the border which takes about an hour to get to. We began our journey with a brisk walk along a stream and through some little caverns. Then we came to a point where the trail could no longer be walked. So, we boarded a boat, which was propelled by a long pole, through the ravine.

Once the ride ended we climbed up a steep incline and found ourselves in a grassy area. Our path led us along a tree-lined road.

Further on, we wound our way through an evergreen forrest. It was quiet and peaceful and the aroma from the pines was light and sweet. Finally, after about five hours, we came to the zenith of our journey where a great big, stone arch lent a framed view of the colorful valley below.

At the end the day, as the last bit of sunlight shrunk under the horizon, we gathered ourselves inside a warm, Czech restaurant and stuffed ourselves full of heavy, hearty Czech cuisine. It was a terrific day, one to be remembered for years to come!

Madrid

2008-09-14T12:26:00.004+02:00

On the journey back to Germany we had decided to stay for two nights in Madrid. The first night we were joined by Matilda & Andreas. We roamed the streets and listened to live music in the middle of the street and had a taste of good ol' Americana ice cream.

Madrid's evenings are lively and there seems to be a bar, club or restaurant open late into the night for just about everyone. Jake and I found a nice wine bar and enjoyed a few glasses as we discussed our time in Morocco and the near future.

We didn't do too much in Madrid. We ate excellent mussels at El Rocio near la Puerta del Sol! They were absolutely delicious. We also did a bit of shopping in nearby boutiques and briefly explored the sights near la Puerta del Sol, such as the Plaza Major (above). Right off the Plaza Major there was a beautiful jewelry boutique called Tierra which had lovely, unique pieces. Upon entering they handed me a flower and Jakob a chocolate. I fell in love with a beautiful artisan-made necklace (which I just had to have) and in return I got two free ice creams for us. I know to some it may seem a bit frivolous but I felt so welcomed and pampered! These people know how to sell.

I loved the architecture of the city. Here you can see long windows with long shutters which open to a balcony.

We didn't have much time and after trapsing through Morocco we decided to take it easy and stay in one general area of the city. We would definitely go back in a heartbeat.

Marrakech & Ourika Valley

2008-09-12T22:31:00.009+02:00

Our final trip was to Marrakech and the region just outside called Ourika Valley. Since the weather was so hot we decided it would be better to book a hotel in the valley instead. We found a spectacular place called les Jardins d'Ourika. I highly recommend this place to anyone in need of some affordable & beautiful relaxation.

One morning at this hotel, we were having breakfast and a peacock - not native to Morocco - decided to rest upon our canopy. How much more exotic can a place get than that? Let me just tell you...

We spent three nights at this hotel which was surrounded by olive groves. We often took trips in the evenings to Marrakech since it was cooler. Before reaching our hotel, I noticed the frangrance of the olive trees' in the air. It was so distinct and inviting. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to recognize the scent, as if one were home away from home.

For dinner or lunch we often ate 'tajeen' - a special Moroccan dish made in earthenware that sits atop low, burning coals for three hours. Tajeen can be made with chicken, beef or lamb and vegetables or fish. It's delicious!

We drove further into the Atlas mountains and were amazed by the red, dry earthy sculptured mountains around us and the houses that were so well matched to their environment. (Can you spot the houses in the picture below?)

Another day we went to a local market, our eyes gobbling up all the fresh fruit and cute-as-button donkeys working arduously around us. Matilda and I bought scarves to protect ourselves from the sun. The seller had been humourous and kind and taught us how to wear them.

Our trips to Marrakech were exciting though it certainly is not the remote hippy hangout that people spoke of in the 60's and 70's. Still there was much to enjoy and explore.

In the huge square, Djemaa el-Fna, which has been known as a place where storytellers, sorcerers & jugglers gather to entertain amidst the smokey bbq from nearby food stands - one can't help but feel mesmerized by the place.

But it was probably the winding, narrow alleyways at night that were most fascinating. The passersby walked without acknowleding this air of mystery felt by those unfamiliar with the maze of streets.

Rabat

2008-09-07T16:50:00.006+02:00

We visited Rabat, the capitol of Morocco, several times since it was close to Skhirat. After first visiting the mausoleum of the previous king of Morocco, we decided it was time for lunch. So, we sat ourselves down and the 7 of us enjoyed a meal of couscous together.

We mostly spent our time wandering through the colorful markets and dragging our fingers along the textiles there and absorbing the experience.

At one stand they were selling soap to be used in the hammam. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and never got around to going to the hammam but on our next trip to Morocco, we will be sure to go.

Through the market we found ourselves at this wall and were led in by Amina. There seemed to be a small community residing within the winding maze of white-washed alleyways. We found a nice place to rest with a gorgeous view of the river and had a warm cup of mint tea and delicious pastries.

A friend of Amina's, Layla, also lived in Rabat. So we had the chance to visit with her. We had tea at her apartment while stories of their generation & their parents' were told in a mixture of Arabic and French & translated into English. During the storytelling, we learned that one thing families and husbands used to look to as a sign of a good wife was whether or not the potential bride could make and serve tea properly. Luckily, Maya passed the test! We were so proud.

Skhirat

2008-09-07T16:29:00.004+02:00

After leaving Kenitra we took a short journey towards the south to another coastal town, Skhirat. We were met at the train station by Amina, Maya's mother, Jonatan & Andreas. After saying our hellos in a mix of Swedish, French and English we loaded ourselves into the car to Amina's house. Once there we met the rest of the crew that we would be traveling with for the next few days: Henry, Maya's father, Matilda, Maya & Layla, Amina's childhood friend.

I was delighted to see bougainvillas crawling all along the fence, tomato plants sprouting next to the thick, large bushes of rosemary lining the drive. It was a perfect place to spend the remainder of our journey. But, little had a I known how close we were to the Atlantic; we were on the beach. Out of our bedroom window we could see the beach and ocean below us. It was wonderful!

Lunch in Skhirat was always delicious. We often ate fresh fish, bought from the fish market just a ways down the beach, and fresh vegetables in season. The fish, pictured here, was especially tasty but I can't remember what the name was.

When we were at the beach house, a normal day was to wake up around 9:30am have breakfast, which usually took an hour and consisted of something like thick roti that we drizzled honey or croissants, freshly squeezed orange juice (thanks to Henry!), yoghurt and coffee or tea. Then afterwards we'd wander down the beach to the best place to do bodysurfing. Then we would come back and enjoy a large lunch of fresh fish and after that everyone would read or tap a nap before evening.

The days we weren't in Skhirat were spent in Rabat, Morocco's capial about 45 minutes away by car or in Marrakesh. Skhirat was a lovely base for the rest of our trips. Thank you Amina & Henry for being such spectacular hosts! We had a lovely time!

Kenitra

2008-09-07T15:28:00.004+02:00

After our lovely stay in Asilah, we took the train three hours down to Kenitra. There we met with my friends from Bertolini's, Simo & Reduoin. It was wonderful seeing them after four years. We were picked up by Simo and went to a local restaurant and enjoyed excellent beef shish kebabs and tasted some of Simo's fish dish. I snuck some tidbits to the cat near our table.

Afterwards we drove on to an old kasbah (fort) that stood high above the Atlantic and the inlet of a large river. I absolutely love the architecture and design on the doorways.

We dropped our stuff off at Simo's family's beach house and walked along the beach only 2 minutes from his house. Then in the evening we went to Redouin's family's house. It was so beautiful and his nice sisters served us Moroccan peppermint tea and dozens of homemade cookies and cake. We indulged ourselves.

Around 11:30pm we had all returned to Simo's beach house - Jake and I, Reduoin, Simo and Simo's sister, Amina, and there we began our dinner. In fact, I think the entire time we were in Morocco, not matter who we were with or where we were, we ate around 10 - 11pm. It's funny how easily we adjusted to it.

The next day we had a slow, lovely breakfast and around lunch headed to Skhirat where we would join up with the rest of our crew.

Thanks to Simo for letting us stay with him while we were in Morocco. We had a fantastic time!

Tangier & Asilah

2008-08-31T19:17:00.012+02:00

After taking a bus from Torremolinos to the seaport city of Algeciras, we bought tickets for the fast ferry to Tangier, Morocco. We gladly boarded the ferry and took off for Africa.

We didn't want to stay in Tangier and had opted instead to go to the small white-washed town calleld Asilah about 45 minutes south on the coast. So, after exiting the ferry and harbour area we went to find bus tickets or some sort of transportation. We met a very nice and beautiful Moroccan woman who completely impressed Matilda & I by switching with ease between fluent Arabic, English and French accompanied with appropriate gestures and affirmations. Anyway, she helped point us in the right direction to the bus station where we could find our transportation of choice: a Grand Taxi. We headed in the direction she gestured and stopped several times to ask for help from passersby. The kind Moroccan woman had given us a scrap piece of paper with the name of the bus station scrawled out in Arabic to help us. It came in handy because we soon realized that few Moroccans speak English. Needless to say, we found our cream-colored Mercedes grand taxi and squeezed 4 adults into the backseat while the driver successfully searched for 2 more passengers to haul in the front seat. We paid 20 dirhams (about 2 euros) per person for the 45 minute journey.

Once in Asilah our first goal was to locate a hotel. With the aid of our handy-dandy Lonely Planet book we quickly figured out in which direction to head and were extremely surprised and impressed when we arrived at the clean and beautifully tiled: Hotel Sahara. Anyone traveling to Asilah that wants to have an affordable, beautiful and clean hotel should definitely stay here.

The next day we browsed the streets of Asilah and enjoyed the slow morning - noticing that days didn't seem to start until around 10:30am. We had our breakfast and savored Morocco's strong and rich cafe noir. Andreas & Jakob enjoyed a haircut and thorough shave in the nearby barber's shop and we ladies just explored the local area. I loved it all: the piles of fresh, tropical fruit, the escargot vendors (I wasn't brave enough to try them though), the whitewashed buildings, the geometrically & colorfully tiled or painted doorways.

In Asilah we learnt our first Moccocan tourist lesson - never stop exploring! After having walked around town, tasted the excellent cuisine and spent money in the souq (market) we almost felt content and willing to quit the town without thinking we had missed anything in particular. But we soon found a whole section of the town that we had missed, perhaps by laziness or through a false sense of explorative satisfaction. We soon found ourselves exploring the beautiful white washed part of town with its winding narrow streets and its outer wall built by the Portuguese in the 15th century, which lends a great view over the Atlantic. It was an incredible experience to wander through this small maze of small, immaculately clean alleyways. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset from here before retiring for a dinner of grilled kebabs. After this experience, we made a point to never stop exploring.

What I enjoyed more than anything though was how few people paid any attention to us. We wandered and felt a part of the bustling crowd. Even as women, wearing whatever western clothing we wanted, we never once felt uncomfortable or offended by the behavior of Moroccan men: a sharp contrast to women's experience in Bangladesh.

The other thing I particulary enjoyed observing was the diversity in Moroccan women's dress. There were many women who wore headscarfs, very few who wore burkas and yet quite a few younger women dressed in completely western attire. The greatest thing was that nobody seemed jolted by short skirts or headscarves. The other thing I found interesting, in contrasting Morocco with Bangladesh (the only other Muslim country I've been in), is that there is a stark difference in the definition of modesty for women.

In Bangladesh, to be modest, a women should cover her legs and wear a long shirt often with short-sleeves (called a kameez) that usually hangs below the knee. Also, it is extremely important to wear a light scarf (called an orna) which should be laid across the breasts so as not to attract attention there. Moroccan women who dressed modestly seemed to express this moreso by covering their hair with a headscarf - something few Bangladeshi women do - and by covering their arms and legs.

Torremolinos, España

2008-08-31T18:49:00.003+02:00

Jakob & I and Andreas & Matilda left Sweden for our first destination: Torremolinos, a city just a bit west of Malaga on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. We flew into Malaga's airport and from the sky were a bit surprised to see our tropical, warm destination dry, dusty and barren.

But after taking the subway to our final destination, checking in and walking to the sea we were relieved to find the Mediterranean's deep greenish-blue waters.

It was evening when we arrived in Torremolinos so after our quick glimpse of the beach we headed for a restaurant to start our indulgence of fresh seafood.

The following day we didn't do anything but shelter ourselves from the strong, Spanish sun under a patch of palm trees, bathe in the sea and eat.

I was pleased to see wild small parrots flying above us as we laid on our towels drying off: another sure reminder that we were on vacation.

Karolina & Daniel & lil' Holger

2008-08-06T14:12:00.005+02:00

Congratulations to Karolina & Daniel Skog! They had their family-building party last weekend. A combined celebration of their new family and their marriage. They have changed their last name to Skog, which is Daniel's mother's maiden name and means forest in English.

So, in celebration of their life together and the years and growth to come, they are going to plant a new tree in their backyard.

The entire party was top-class and incredibly unique. There was a tent, in which we all sat and enjoyed our scrumptous dinner of lamb and various Mediterranean foods consisting of chick peas, lentils and loads of fresh herbs. If only I could enjoy food so good everyday!

Then, as is tradtion in Sweden, many friends and family gave a speech or sang a song to the couple. As Elias and Samuel, Daniel's younger brothers, sang, the couple and even little Holger seemed to be throughly enjoying the show.

After these events, we all danced to a live Spanish-style music, which was not only live, but lively and we all danced away into the night. By midnight, the band had finished but the music kept on blaring from the stereo in the window - and surprisingly, Holger kept on sleeping.

We had a fantastic time! Thanks Daniel & Karolina for inviting us and once again, congratulations!

Veckoslut i Sverige

2008-08-06T13:24:00.006+02:00

It's impossible to go to Sweden in the summer and not go swimming in one of their many beautiful lakes. In fact, it is something that everyone must do when in Sweden. It's an incredibly relaxing and cooling experience. I'm convinced that the sunshine in Sverige is also brighter and more radiant. The rays seem to cast a golden filter over everything, making everything all the more incandescent and ethereal.

By night, the sky darkens from light purple to dark violet, from the deepest shades of blue and then to ebony. It's beautiful to experience.

Another weekend, Aron came up to spend the weekend with Andreas, Matilda & I. We took a stroll into town and to a 'secret' garden. The garden was blossoming with ripe berries and ripening fruit. It really was a treat.

We went around, pawing through the bushes for ripe vinbär (redcurrants) and smultron (wild strawberries). We have wild strawberries in the States too but they are tasteless. Sweden's strawberries, for whatever reason, are little bursts of sweetness.

Jakob has also arrived in Sweden. He came last weekend. But he is staying at his parents' apartment while I am staying at Andreas & Matilda's. His birthday is on August 11th...the big 29! We are going to have a kräftfest - crayfish party - this weekend coming up. It is a popular tradition here in August and I am certainly looking forward to it!

One Year and Counting

2008-07-07T23:10:00.007+02:00

It's July 7th everyone! And, you do know what that means - it's Jakob & Christina's 1 year anniversary!

We had been thinking for awhile about what to do for our first anniversary. I had the idea of going to a smaller town in the Czech beside a lake so that we could swim and sunbathe and enjoy a relaxing, romantic weekend. But, unfortunately, the weather spoiled our plans and we opted not to go. We couldn't imagine enjoying ourselves in a sketchy Czech hotel room for 48 hours straight while it was rainy and cloudy outside.

So, we decided last minute to go to Prague instead. We took the train down on Friday and stayed through Sunday. We had a lovely time. The first evening we just checked-in to our hotel room and went to a restaurant called The Two Cats nearby. It is the same Czech restaurant we went to with my Mom & Dad when they visited us last fall. It's a great, affordable place that serves authentic Czech cuisine. We highly recommend it.

The next day we wandered around enjoying each other's company and indulged in frequent coffee breaks, eating out, holding hands, smooching and people watching.

On Sunday, we took the train back to Dresden around lunch on Sunday and settled back into our cozy home looking forward to many more years together.

A Walk in the Clouds

2008-06-23T20:18:00.007+02:00

Off to the hills and vineyards of Meißen for an outing of adventure and near dehydration! We wanted to go out for a hike but not to Saxonian Switzerland, where we always seem to go. So, we opted for a change in direction and headed north instead of south.

An excursion in Meißen does not initially strike one as strenuous, and understandably so. There is the beautiful Meißen cathedral and the castle mounted on the crest of the hill and cute, picturesque cafes and penzions dotted throughout the city & on the opposite side where the vineyards grow.

So, we unsurprisingly forgot to bring a bottle of water with us and some snacks. Shortly after beginning our walk, first along the river Elbe, we realized how hot a day it truly was. We were sweating before we even began our ascent to the rolling vineyards. Also, we had no real plan. We simply thought that we'd ramble around and explore the area with a guidebook a colleague of Jakob's had lent him.

We saw some lovely sights, passed through some really dinky towns and met cute, though certainly stinking hot sheep. I wanted to get closer for a picture and when I did I sort of startled them and they used what little energy they had to scatter away from me. I felt really badly because it was so hot. We were just wearing shorts & t-shirts and these sheep were basically baking in the afternoon sun with wool winter jackets on.

A little while later, once it became clearer that we didn't know where we were nor where we were going, I forgot about the sheep's hardship and started to worry about my own. I wondered aloud, "Where are all the cute penzions and bier gartens when you need them?". I noticed a sluggishness to my step and was convinced I was dehydrated and would pass out any second.

And then, for about 15 minutes, all was forgotten: the sweat beading on our foreheads, the clothes sticking to our bodies and the dry, parched tongues in our mouths. We had happened upon the spot pictured in our crappy guidebook that overlooked the Elbe valley and the Meißen castle...

and it was absolutely beautiful...

You can see the clusters of red crawling roses along the fence. The picture really doesn't do the moment justice though. It was absolutely gorgeous. The color was vibrant - the fresh green of the newly opened vine leaves and the golden tint of the tall, long dried grass and the red sprawling roses.

Anyway, it was beautiful and we were fortunate to have experienced that place in that exact moment. It might not have been as spectacular had it been winter or early spring.

We continued down the rose-lined path and found the descent we had been looking for earlier. We were quickly reminded how thirsty we were on the way down and agreed to get some refreshments as soon as we got to the bottom. Luckily, we walked right into a restaurant at the bottom of the hill and we gladly took a seat in their garden and ordered a bottle of water and white, chilled wine from the region.

It was, all-in-all, a wonderful walk in the clouds.

Between Sky & Earth

2008-05-19T22:39:00.004+02:00

Spring is here and a good long hike through nearby Saxonian Switzerland seemed the right thing to do. So, we set off with two of our friends - Wayne & Katrin - to the small town of Schmilka. The landscape, as you can see, was absolutely beautiful: the gamut of green and streaks of bright rapeseed fields.

We hiked 10 miles and our highest ascent was to 1,824 feet (556m), which is higher than the Empire State Building by 354 feet (108m)! It took us about five hours to complete the hike.

Of course, we stopped for lunch and to gaze at the stunning views. We never seem to tire of the sandstone formations and the lush, Elbe valley.

After completing our journey back to the spa town, Bad Schandau, we quickly spotted a biergarten, eagerly slumped into its chairs and ordered some drinks and ice cream.

Schloss Klippenstein

2008-05-13T22:02:00.008+02:00

Easing back into Germany naturally means visiting another castle. So, Karen & Peter and Jakob & I went to see a small one in a town that boasts of a popular and tasty beer, Radeberger.

Summer had arrived in Dresden and we enjoyed its warmth by unfurling our packed lunches below the castle steps.

After a quick game of frisbee in the castle yard and a climb to the top of the tower, we headed for a short walk to an ice cream parlor. On the way back to the car, we passed two goats and pushed bits of apple through the fence.

We walked away as happy as the goats.

Auction of a Lifetime

2008-05-13T16:40:00.004+02:00

Part of moving off a farm consists of downsizing. This means that the lifetime of valuables hidden away on shelves, basements and barns are to be sorted and laid out to be rummaged through.

Over the many years on the farm my grandfather had collected quite a few of his favorite tractor: Massey Harris. Massey Harris isn't as popular to some as say, John Deere, but to my grandfather it is the best make of tractor - and that's all that matters to me.

Every year my grandfather would work on restoring an old rusty junker to its original spic and span self. Many years my brothers rode in the tractor shows and often Pap would ride his favorite, the Pacemaker. This is the tractor that graced our wedding photos.

While the tractors stole the show at the auction, bringing people in from all over the country, and even bidders calling in from overseas, there were many other items available to eager bidders and yummy Pennsylvania Dutch food for sale.

The auction, though heartbreaking at times, was truly heartwarming. It was another classic moment in our family's history of coming together, each in our own way, and supporting one another and just doing what is sometimes most important, just being there.

Moments to Remember

2008-04-27T21:21:00.011+02:00

There comes a time in everyone's life for closure and for new beginnings...even in your 80's. My grandparents have been farmers since they were married in December of 1947. They have lived on several different farms in their lives but the one that the grandkids remember most is the one on 316 Wayne Highway in a small, south-central town in Pennsylvania.

Over the years it has been the main place for the entire family to congregate and celebrate Easter and birthdays. It has been a symbol to me of family, the simple, good life and an honest living.

My memories are speckled with scenes of my older brother, James, working with Pap in the garage on visits and the hours my little brother, Jon, when he really was little, grew big watermelons with grandma and picked beetles off of the potato plants.

I never enjoyed spending time in the shop. It was the heavy grease and rough, rusty metal that detered me. However, I always popped in for a look and and took a deep breath of the cool garage and delighted in the initial, light scent of gas and something metallic. I wasn't entirely enthused by gardening either, although it is an interest developing in me now. I was more enchanted with hunting for farm kittens and lingering in the kitchen, learning to cook beside Grandma and dipping my fingers into the batter or helping to roll out dough.

Those are some of the finer memories of everydays on the farm for me. Then there were the significant, reoccuring events, such as tractor rides and family gatherings. Pappy would fire up the Massey Ferguson and take us on wagon rides out to the woods at the end of the property, a meaningful adventure for my brothers and I. Despite the obvious perk of quality-time spent with Pap, we were also able to visit the graves of our childhood dogs, Rascal & Kassie. But before we got to the woods, Pappy would always slow down near the mulberry tree along the way to let our little hands pick warm berries from the overweighted limbs or to take a look in the birdhouse to see if any eggs had been laid or hatched.

Unlike the farm, most places don't hold importance for me very long after I leave them. After many moves, new houses and new friends, I've grown accustomed to the frequent change in environment and have even developed a thirst for it. However, the farm provided something I longed for in my childhood of ever-changing homes: constancy. Thus allowing me to respond somewhat confidently to inquiries about where I came from and marking a spot on the map of a place I have always been most welcome and most comfortable to return.

So, here's to childhood memories and the places & people that they're made of.

Swedes on the Continent

2008-03-26T19:56:00.003+01:00

A lovely visit from the Henrikssons in Uppsala ended before we knew it. We had a lovely time together, mostly chatting and eating, but such things make for a truly relaxing and rejuvenating holiday for all involved.

Sadly, the only pictures we have of Matilda & Andreas' visit was of our trip to Bastei, and we are all quite familiar with the place by now. I can honestly say I have a picture of that bridge in every season now.

Easter holidays with the Henrikssons in Dresden wouldn't have been as exciting (or initially frustrating) without a minor incident. Well, at the beginning, let's just say that the incident didn't seem minor but as the hours passed and the venting sessions too, I calmed down.

So, what is this incident, you may ask. Let me just give you the basics in a clear, concise order:

1. The freezer needed defrosted.
2. Christina asked Jake to defrost it.
3. Jakob defrosts it using a knife that resembles something used for hunting or fishing.
4. You guessed it, Jake punctured the back wall of the refrigerator (3 times).
5. Gas leaked out.
6. The gas leaked out some more.
7. We had no more gas and the room stunk and there was a fridge full of food and gas.
8. We evacuated the food from the stinky, possibly poisonous fridge.
9. The men tried to repair the punctures with what little super glue we had and scotch tape.
10. That didn't work.
11. There we were, the beginning of Easter weekend, stores closed and no fridge or freezer and 2 guests.
12. Christina had a venting session (also known as a heart-to-heart) with everyone and felt better in the end.
13. Now we have a great Easter story for 2008.

So, there you have it, our Easter weekend with the Henrikssons from Uppsala in a nutshell.
Goodbye dear old college-sized refrigerator!
Hello big, new, sparkling, full-sized refrigerator!!

Little Brother's Visit

2008-03-15T20:25:00.006+01:00

My brother, Jon, came for a week to visit. We hopped around to a few nice places in the area, the first being Pirna. We decided to go with Wayne & Katrin on a "pub crawl" through the cute center square of Pirna. The evening started with good German food and medieval music and ended with hokey German schlager music at a bar called Batman. Needless to say, we made a move for the door and soon enough the pub crawl came to its end.

The following day we rode out to a small castle named Hohnstein in Saxonian Switzerland. There wasn't much to see, it was a small, simple castle that we can now check off our list of castles-to-see. We walked out to a trail below the highly perched castle and hiked a ways. We ended our day on top of a massive stone and got a great view of the sunset on the river Elbe and the tabletop mountain, Lilienstein.

What good would a trip to Saxony be if one didn't get to see Fortress Königstein and the Bastei bridge in one day? So, as the pictures tell...we did both.

The picture above is of us at Königstein and behind us is the other side of the tabletop mountain, Lilienstein, that we had seen before.

Of course, we made sure to fill the week with other fun and interesting excursions but before we knew it, we were chatting about departure times and baggage regulations for Jon's journey home. Bon voyage, we exclaimed and off he went.

Thanks for coming Jon, we were so happy you could come!

Little Ole Oybin

2008-02-01T13:55:00.001+01:00

A group of us here in Dresden had been dreaming of a weekend in the woods of Saxony. We dreamt of sleeping in a typical half-timbered house, waking to a big breakfast with friends, enjoying long hikes during the crisp, cold days and playing games in the evenings. The first part of our pictured dream was sadly not fulfilled. We were somehow tricked into booking a slab of concrete and rusting tin-sided house for the weekend. It was definitely something left over from the GDR. The saddest part was while we were driving around trying to find our dream cabin, we had passed this one and laughed. We were certain that it couldn't possibly be the house we had rented for the weekend, seeing as all the other neighboring houses were the epitome of our fantasies. And, then, after calling to confirm directions to the house, we realized we were, in fact, staying in that ramshackle up the beaten path.

After the shock and disappointment wore off, we cracked open a bottle of wine, laid out some yummy, gooey cheese, some fruit and crackers and happiness soon returned. The cramped little, deteriorating house seemed to come to life and in no time we were cheerful, laughing & dancing.

The next day, we awoke to a scrumptous breakfast that some of us had prepared and sat down to fill our bellies before our hike to the ruins of a monastery built some time in the 1500s. You can see from this picture of us the rock that we eventually walked to. It was a great view of the town of Zittau and the moutains.

The ruins were really cool because they were just sitting there, on top of a rock formation and huge parts of the walls were missing so it felt like we could just fall right off the rock. Pretty darn scary!

There was also a church there (makes sense considering it was a monastery!). The entire roof was missing which made a pretty spectacular impression.

We ended our last day with a drive through Poland, which lasted all about 30 seconds, and stopped at two fabulous restaurants in the Czech before heading home.

Jul och Nyår

2008-01-08T11:57:00.000+01:00

We spent Christmas 2007 and New Year's 2008 in Sweden. First we went to Jakob's grandma's house and spent the first week relaxing with Barbro and Jan-Erik & Grandma Britta, eating lots of food and drinking coffee and tea. It was a refreshingly stress-free week, peppered with a few brisk walks in the cold winter air, good conversations and steaming drinks with friends and family.

We celebrated Christmas on the 24th, which is the norm in Sweden, opening gifts, eating Christmas lunch and singing a few Christmas carols. We enjoyed quite a variety of Swedish Christmas foods, though some reminded me of our Christmas dinners at home.

The following week, our friends, Anna & Hugo, picked us up in Norrköping and we journeyed together to Nynäshamn, where we caught the huge ferry to the island Gotland. We spent four nights visiting Björn and Karin and their two dogs, Hunter & Selma and Karin's horse Bob. We took a walk down to the beach, our noses frozen by the cold, moist sea air and played with the dogs.

Later in the week we drove out to a smaller island called Fårö, where the director Ingmar Bergman lived. There are also many large rock pillars that we took the time to climb and mess around on.

We also found some of the same large rock pillars further inland on Gotland before venturing over to the smaller island.

Back on Fårö, we saw some really old-style houses and there were beautiful old windmills and clusters of minature fishing cabins everywhere on the 2 islands.

We also meandered around Visby, a beautiful medieval city on Gotland that has a historic wall about 3.4 kilometers long that encloses the old city. All the buildings are unique and are painted in beautiful, fresh pastels, which helped to brighten up the dark and gloomy day.

On December 31, we bought some groceries to make a special Swedish dinner. The boys had the fun of cleaning up and we sat around listening to music and chatting together.

Before the end of our vacation, we got the chance to stay at Matilda & Andreas' apartment in Uppsala for a night and then took a tour of Stockholm with Andreas the following day.

Take a look at where we've been:

Lake Chiemsee and the villagers

2007-12-15T10:59:00.000+01:00

I, Jake, went on a work trip to a small island on Lake Chiemsee outside Munich in November, but forgot to post a blog about it. It took approximately 15 minutes to walk around the entire island, so it was not big. There is a monastery there, and the nuns took good care of us. I'm currently playing with the idea of revisiting the place in 15 years to write a mystery novel, playing itself out in the misty island surroundings, complete with jealous nuns and angry, torch-bearing, villagers. It would be the perfect location, the book would practically write itself. Here are some pictures that I took on my short visit. And with that, my dear friends, I leave you be and bid you farewell.

Are you trying to kill us?!?

2007-11-09T14:41:00.001+01:00

My mom and dad decided to visit us in late October. After a relaxing, short weekend, Jake and I decided to take them on a hike to two of our favorite places: Festung Königstein and Bastei Bridge. Of course, Jakob was not able to join us because he had to work, but he convinced the three of us that we could manage these two relatively strenuous hikes in one day. I made sure to keep the details about our journey vague so that they wouldn't refuse to do the hikes altogether!

But, it soon became apparent to them that - we were "trying to kill them". However, our supposed aim apparently was not met. They survived the first journey to the top of Königstein. Dad immediately spotted a few charter buses and demanded to know how they got there and why we walked! But, we continued walking, ignoring his discovry, and entered the fortress. Dad was really excited about the fort and as he looked and gawked at the artillery sheds, mom quickly informed us about the history of the area as she listened to the headset. We walked down Königstein and hopped on the train to the next stop, Kurort Rathen, taking in the beautiful, brilliant colors of autumn.

Once there, we hiked to the stone bridge, Bastei. The walk to Bastei is not long, but it is steep, especially after a hike to the fortress and back. At each bend, I would turn around to see two tired, cynical faces...and would offer them some much needed hope - "only a few more steps"...or..."it's right around this corner". And after a few turns, twists and upward steps, we were there. Mom literally flew across the bridge, convinced it would crumble under her. You can see the apprehensive look in her eyes in this picture.

I tried to get her to stand closer to the wall, but she refused and threatened through clenched teeth: "Just take the beepity-beep picture". "Good heavens mother," I exclaimed and snapped the shot. I treated them to warm apple strudel and coffee at the restaurant at the top and they were content as could be, the strain of the hikes long forgotten.

Later in the week we went on a steamboat ride down the river Elbe to the castle Pillnitz. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the castle, it was already becoming dark. But, we walked around the pleasure gardens and ignored the shivers from the cold, damp air. After we returned to Altstadt, we went to a restaurant that is typically German and ate some yummy food. Dad walked around the restaurant taking pictures of the medieval-decorated rooms.

a
We also managed to fit in a night in Prague. We took the train to Prague and walked around the castle area. The next morning we were to meet at 8am for breakfast. Jake & I looked at our watch and scurried out of bed and downstairs to meet them. We arrived about 5 minutes late but they weren't there. So, after a few more minutes of waiting, we decided to walk up the steep hill to the breakfast quarters to see if they were there. It took us several minutes once in the vicinity to realize that we were actually at the right place, but it was closed.

I began to think how poorly organized our hotel was and where mom and dad could be. So, we walked down the hill to the hotel. We couldn't get back into our room because we had already dropped the key off in some designated, locked key return-box. So, we sat outside thinking that the Czech people slept late. Nearly an hour passed and suddenly Jake realized that we had forgotten to turn our watches back an hour and here we were on holiday, wide awake, pacing the streets of Prague at 7am! The rest of the trip went well and we returned to Dresden that evening. The next day mom and dad were off to the USA.

Autumn at Lilienstein

2007-10-14T18:31:00.001+02:00

It's been awhile since we have visited Sächsischen Schweiz, so after being prompted by some friends, we decided to spend our Sunday morning hiking. The air was bitey but the sun warm, and after we had begun our climb towards Lilienstein, we soon forgot about the autumn chill. We approached a fork in the road and by using our common sense and our handy dandy guide book, we somehow decided the more difficult climb to the top of Lilienstein. We, of course, only realized it was the steeper climb once we panted halfway up and spotted clusters of people casually walking along a long, flat, dirt road towards the base of Lilienstein.

Ah well, we toughed it out and are all the more healthy for it! Ha! After we spotted the "casual" hikers, we realized we had more steep climbing to do. Of course, there were convenient look-out spots towards the top that we eagerly took advantage of (any excuse for a pit stop!).

The view from the top of Lilienstein was beautiful. There really is no other feeling or experience that can replay the fresh feel of fall. The leaves changing to bright yellows, oranges and reds. The hills spotted in patches of color, while fields remained a brilliant green. The leaves that blanketed the path, adding more to the beauty (and the possible danger of climbing worn, sandstone steps!).

I remember when I, like so many other children, used to rake leaves into a pile with my brothers and jumped into them. I will also never forget how hard the ground felt. Somehow cartoons depict the outcome of jumping into leaves as fluffy and soft - so far from the reality. But still, even now (though I wasn't even fooled as a child that it was pointless to rake those leaves into a pile over and over simply to scatter them and land uncomfortably onto cold, hard ground...and ocassionally a stick or two) I look at those layers of colorful leaves and reminsicse about the good old days when leaves provided a springy cushion on which to have carefree fun. How we fool ourselves, but regardless of logic - autumn leaves still recreate that nostalgia and I like it that way.

Happy autumn everyone. Enjoy the colors & the memories.

Hann. Münden

2007-09-17T16:19:00.000+02:00

Ah, lovely, sweet Hann. Münden. To celebrate our marriage, our friends, Peter & Karen, surprised us with a weekend getaway, starting in one of the most quaint little towns in Germany. A town full of half-timbered houses dating back to the 1500s. Before settling our things into our own beautifully renovated guesthouse, called Gästhaus Tanzwerder, we treated ourselves to some amazing German cake...as usual.

After moseying around town for the afternoon, we decided to collect some necessary things to have a nice, cozy dinner in our guesthouse. We went to the local butcher & ordered some bratwurst and some mushroom salad and we scurried over to the cheese store to buy some nice, soft, moldy cheese to have with our wine. We spent the evening relaxing and slowly stuffing ourselves full of all the wonderful German delicacies.

The next morning was lovely. After breakfast we did a more thorough stroll of the town and happened upon a cute little market. Bundles of herbs and flowers were being sold; fresh eggs and cake too. We walked around, absorbing the colors and smells and feeling totally relaxed and carefree in charming little Hann. Münden.

Later on, in the afternoon, we took a drive out to the castle Sababurg, famous for being the castle in which Sleeping Beauty slept, as described in the Brothers Grimm's tale. Of course, once we arrived, we had to award ourselves with more cake. To be honest, it was the best Pflaumenkuchen (plum cake) I've had yet in Germany. After cake and tea, we went for a walk around the castle grounds. The tower where Sleeping Beauty slept is covered in vines that had turned a brilliant red. We meandered through the flower garden around the castle and spotted some deer in the neighboring fields.

And, as if we hadn't had our appetites satiated enough, Karen & Peter took us out for a truly amazing meal at this small Italian restaurant on the corner of the street where we had been staying. We thoroughly enjoyed our four course meal: there was literally over a dozen savory antipasti appetizers, pasta, veal and dessert!

Our trip continued on to Weimar on Sunday, it was an amazingly warm day and we had a nice whirlwind trip through the upbeat, bright city. And, in the same day, we also managed to squeeze in a trip to Buchenwald, a concentration camp used from the late 1930s - mid 1940s.

It was a fun-filled, yet relaxing and refreshing weekend. Thanks Karen & Peter!

Pulled from our memories

2007-08-25T16:04:00.001+02:00

Jake and I decided to take our cameras for an outing on the town yesterday.

Photos by Jakob:

Photos by Christina:

Spreewald

2007-08-21T12:05:00.000+02:00

Spreewald, the Spree (pronounced 'spray') forest, is a biosphere reserve with approximately 200 small channels, about 1300 kilometers (807 miles) in length. We decided this past Sunday to kayak about 25 kilometers (15 miles) with two friends of ours, Katrin & Wayne.

We took our first break to get some breakfast. Since we were in Spreewald, which is located in the town of Lübbenau, we just had to treat ourselves to their famous pickles! We had garlic pickles and spiced pickles. Both were very yummy! After a bit of food, rest, and potty breaks, we continued on our way.

Kayaking with another person is much more difficult than I had previously thought. It turned out to be quite a frustrating task at the beginning. Then convinced that Jake was not steering correctly, I decided to give it a try. It didn't last long though because I soon realized how difficult sitting in the back and steering was, so I quickly traded with Jake. He really is much better at it than I am.

We enjoyed ourselves despite the light bickering and managed to make it the whole way to the end - with a few more stops, of course!

We enjoyed lunch at a beer garden along the channel and stopped later on for ice cream. It was a really nice day. The sun was out but it was cool because most of the time we were shaded by the trees.

We came across some cute little wild animals: ducks and nutria (aka: coypu). What is a nutria? I hope I am not the only one who asks because I had no idea that this large rat-like animal in the water was called. But, Wayne, being the environmentalist expert that he is, quickly spit out this foreign name to me.

The first nutria we came across was brown and a lot less interested in us than we were in it. But we were lucky enough to happen upon what seemed to be an albino one. This nutria had nooo problems with us paddling closer to it and taking tons of pictures of it. It seemed calm and hungry. It tore up the roots of the grass growing along the banks of the channels. Funny fact: apparently nutria females have nipples on their backs so their young can feed even while they are in the water.

As Wayne and Katrin explained, nutrias used to be farmed for their fur and meat. Eventually when this went out of business, the nutrias were released or some of them escaped. They happen to be a pest for aquatic vegetation. Hmm, so that is what that little guy was doing, destroying the environment!

After a long day of paddling and eating good German cuisine, and lots of pickles, we went home and fell fast asleep.

Twenty-Eight

2007-08-15T14:48:00.000+02:00

Two years shy of thirty, what will come next? How about the Czech Republic? We took the train down to Prague and stayed for a night. Mostly, we ate and drank lots of hot Jasmine tea and beer because it was pouring on Friday night. Saturday we awoke, took a stroll around Wenceslas Square, further towards the Charles Bridge. It was a cool, gloomy sort of day so we huddled under one of the many tents set out on the streets to entice weary travelers to sit and refeul. It wasn't long though before we took another train to Plzen (pronounced Pilsen) about two hours south-west of Prague. We sat in our comfortable seats on the way there and concentrated hard on the books we were reading in order to ignore the guilt aroused by the man who had been standing near us for the entire journey.

Once in Plzen we found our hotel. It was a very beautiful hotel, but very old too. Our room was huge and fitted with a balcony. But, it was all so old, and it was a bit creepy considering it felt like almost nothing had changed since the time the place was originally built. Still, it was quite an experience. We happened to be in a great location, across from a beautiful garden, a few blocks from the square, and right next to the University of West Bohemia which exhibited Yann Arthus-Bertrand's work, Earth from the Air.

We took a tour of the world famous brewery and beer, Pilsner Urquell, rightfully named after the town itself, Plzen. In fact, Pilsner is the original Pils beer which can now be found all over the world in many different brands, but nothing beats the taste of the original.

We got to see how the beer was made and stored years ago. Below you can see the barrels in which they fermented and stored the beer in the cold cellars:

How beer is processed now:

The next day, the last day of Jakob's birthday weekend, the very first thing we did, even before breakfast, we explored St. Bartholomew's Church, dating from the late 13th to early 16th century. The spire is the highest in the Czech, at 331 feet, 2 inches. We got a good view of the city and spotted the world's third largest synagogue, the Great Synagogue. The building was constructed during the late 1800s. Due to the Nazi occupation and decimation of the Jewish community, the last service was held in 1973 and it wasn't until 1995 when restoration on the building begun.

Later we walked around a bit and found the extensive 13th century underground tunnels that stretch under most of the city. These tunnels were actually connected cellars that acted as refrigerators for food, families' malt houses and wine vaults. There were also tunnels used as sewers and wells. The sewage system was one of the best in the Czech during that time.

After further strolling and drinking a bit of Pilsner brew, we had to take a train back to Prague. On the way back, it seemed our guilt caught up with us and we ended up standing for the entire journey back to Prague.

But not without good company and a good book.

The Honeymoon

2007-07-26T15:19:00.000+02:00

We chose to go to Naples, Florida for four nights after the wedding. How much fun do you think we were able to pack into those three full days?

Kayaking in the Everglades we saw lots of wildlife: a Spotted Eagle Ray rocked Christina's kayak; we saw a White Pelican, an Osprey and followed a group of Rosette Spoon-Bills.

We went walking in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and saw a red-shouldered hawk and whitetail deer.

Jake's special request: deep sea fishing. It was a lot of fun and he caught a couple grouper. I also caught grouper and, with five more minutes left to fish and after wishing out loud to be able to catch a shark...I did just that! I caught a shark!

We went on a tour to see manatees. We saw a lot of them, even mommies with their babies, but they would only pop their scrunched-up noses out for a bit before submerging under water.

While we were searching for manatees, we came across several alligators! It wouldn't have felt much like Florida if we hadn't seen them.

We swam in beautiful turquoise water that felt like a heated swimming pool. We tried to go snorkeling but only found sand dollars. Jake swears he spotted one fish conveniently while I was out of the water!

And, of course, we watched Naples renowned sunsets and savored extraordinaryly expensive and yummy food, especially seafood and steak!

Mr & Mrs Henriksson

2007-07-22T20:52:00.000+02:00

There's a lot of pressure to write a blog about one's own wedding day. So, I feel half tempted to let these few pictures speak for themselves, but I won't. Jake and I decided to choose one word that wraps up our overall feeling from the wedding day. Jake's word is: jubilant. Mine is: uplifting. He felt jubilant. I felt lifted up.

The big day arrived and went...and it was tremendous fun! We were so exuberant, being surrounded by our families and closest friends on such an important day. If anything went wrong, we didn't notice. The day lent itself to joyous tears, laughter and smiles.

Thank you, again, to our dear families and friends who could attend our wedding. And a special thank you to those who weren't there that day - your emails, love and support over the years have been much appreciated.

With love,
Christina & Jakob Henriksson

The kiss.

The wedding party at Christina's grandparents' farm in Pennsylvania. From left to right: Jonatan Henriksson, Aron Henriksson, Andreas Henriksson, Jakob Henriksson, Christina Hade, Sarah Stein, James Hade and Jonathan Hade.

The couple seated on Christina's grandfather, Burnell's favorite tractor.

The bouquet toss at the reception. Jon, Christina's younger brother's girlfriend, Kristen, caught the bouquet.

Jake threw the garter. The first time it landed softly in front of the row of men. Nobody wanted to fight for it, let alone reach for it! The second time, Björn, a good friend of Jake's, caught the garter. Little did he know that soon he would be putting it on Kristen's leg!

Fit for a Mistress

2007-06-13T21:07:00.000+02:00

The best yet - Stolpen! Stolpen is another cute little town near Dresden which is most famous for the imprisonment of Countess Cosel. Countess Consel was the mistress of the Elector of Saxon, Augustus the Strong, and she lived quite well in the center of Dresden with a beautiful house connected to his castle by a bridge. When Augustus the Strong became King of Poland, he was advised to forsake his mistress and wed a Polish woman. There was a huge chase throughout Germany at the time, the Countess was trying to confront the new King about this hearsay. However, she was cut off by his men and was sent to the Stolpen Castle where she lived out the rest of her life.

As you can see, the Countess didn't really have it that bad (except for the sense of betrayal and heartbreak). She lived at Stolpen for 49 years, and though it is written that she was imprisoned there, many believe she stayed by choice. What we see today is hardly half of what the fortified castle looked like then. However, it is just as exciting to see the remains, to venture into the dungeons and climb up spiral staircases towards the tops of the towers.

We climbed to the top of the tower where the Countess had spent the last years of her life. By the time we reached the top I was able to empathize with the Countess: her sense of imprisonment, the agony of betrayal and of a lost love...

Towards the end of our tour around the premises we happened upon some more nasty details of everyday castle life. The torture chambers! There seems to have been tools for almost everything: stretching, bending, pounding, twisting etc. Wayne and Peter tried out the equipment to see how painful it would have been, but decided to stop before Peter's ribs broke or he suffered from suffocation. The horror, the horror!

All together it was a great day. We had plenty of ice-cream and enjoyed being in the company of our friends.

Across the Border

2007-06-03T14:06:00.000+02:00

Two o'clock on Saturday and we decided to take a drive with our friends, Karen & Peter, to the Czech Republic. The air felt thick and humid and as we wound around back roads south towards the Czech there was nothing I could do to prevent myself from falling asleep in the back of the car.

I awoke to Karen explaining that the place we were currently passing through used to be used as a sterilization camp for people with disabilities during the Nazi regime. Continuing through the grounds of the old sterility campus and back onto the tarmaced roads - similar to roads you may see in BMW commercials - we happened upon a pick-your-own-strawberries field. Peter asked if we wanted to stop and we all gleefully screamed a yes and waaaa-laah - there we found ourselves in strawberry heaven.

Our journey continued, with boxes of fat, sun-ripened strawberries at our feet towards the Czech. Following the Elbe river, we discovered ourselves in Bad Schandau, a town mostly known for its wellness centers and spas. Since we had never been there and we all agreed the town was absolutely CUTE! - we stopped and found our way to a nice ice cream parlor where the size of one scoop of ice cream was generous, compared to the usual tablespoon fulls you are served in Dresden. I chose one scoop of mint chocolate chip and one of chocolate and it was truly fantastic.

Bad Schandau, like many other quaint, revamped towns in eastern Germany, has endearing buildings, most bedecked with flower-filled window boxes. All of them are painted fresh colors - peach, sage green, sunflower yellow, sky blue, mauve...the range is endless. In the middle of the town lay an old church which looked surprisingly similar to the St. Thomas kirche in Leipzig, though much smaller. After we all had our fill of ice cream, winsome cafes and knickknack shops we proceeded towards the Czech border.

We ventured into Hrensko, a bordertown in the Czech and wove our way up through the Bohemian moutains and through various little villages. Karen and I dreamt aloud of spending a weekend in these remote towns, hiking by day - playing games and laughing by night. It is such a nice change from the city to the quiet of pine forests and trickling streams.

Unfortunately, it was cloudy all day so I didn't take as many pictures as I normally would of the cute cottages and half-timbered houses squeezed between the sandstone rock. Hopefully we will return to experience a weekend in the wild and afterwards we will have more charming towns & stories to share with you.

Schwedenlöcher

2007-05-20T19:28:00.001+02:00

Christina worked early Saturday morning as I lay tangled in sheets. I rolled out of bed with enough time to splash water in my face in order to claim having been up much longer than I actually had been. I covered the tracks perfectly; dressed, neatly combed hair, bed made, coffee brewing...I could have been up before sunrise, only of course, I wasn't. What do you do on a Saturday? The sun was shining and Christina came home with a lot of energy and with a question that seems her favorite: "what are we doing today?" The hamper was filled to the brim so laundry would have been a good choice. But, since the sun was shining - call it first day of summer - we decided to take the train to the, by now, well-visited Saxonian Switzerland for a hike.

Plenty of other people had also concluded that hiking was a brilliant idea. Once the train had arrived in the region, we got on a packed ferry to cross the roaring river. Sure, it wasn't roaring, but just play along. Having safely arrived on the other side we started the climb towards Bastei. Before the steep climb to the top we passed a small lake with beautiful and active trout and a larger lake with row boats. The upward path took us along Schwedenlöcher, which directly translates to "Sweden holes". Being a Swede myself I was left confused and disoriented as to the choice of name. Holes or not, the track led up winding stairs through the forest. We passed through both cold stone passageways and thick woody areas, all with their individual charm and character. Once at the top we received the blessing we had coming, a mouthful of water from the water bottle. Another blessing we received was the great view, green landscape stretching out below us for miles and miles and disappearing beyond the horizon.

The way down to the ferry was faster, but not as enjoyable since the muscles in the legs work more on the way down than they do up. Another conundrum left unanswered for generations to come. Before we set back for Dresden we enjoyed a drink and a well-deserved ice-cream in a shaded part of a green garden. The day was well spent and thoroughly enjoyable! Once back in Dresden, the hamper welcomed us home, reminding us of more worldly troubles. So, off to the laundromat we went. With a good book, time is never wasted.

Until next time friends, see you when we meet you.

Inget säger vår som dill

2007-04-30T19:33:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I wonder if cheaper is better. After taking a train to Lubeck, a smaller city outside of Hamburg, then taking a bus to the airport, flying to Skavsta airport near Stockholm and hopping to yet another bus that carried me to Linköping, I began to realize the sacrifices love demands. I arrived to give my husband-to-be (as Jakob refers to himself) a kiss and enjoyed our two short days together in Sweden before returning the same route.

I spent the first day trapsing around Linköping with Hugo, a good friend of Jakob's. First, we went for a walk for about an hour and a half with Björn's dog Hunter around the grounds where he and Jakob went to university.

Hugo did a splendid job of teaching me some Swedish phrases, though he laughed at my accent and inability to read even the phonetics written in my handy dandy Swedish phrase book correctly. But I forgave him especially since he accompanied me to almost every home decoration store in the city without complaint.

That same evening, after Jakob had finished work and returned to the flat, we, together with Jakob's old university buddies, Hugo, Björn and Hans along with Hans' girlfriend Linnéa prepared a scrumptous meal of barbequed salmon, 2 cream sauces to pour onto the fish (one with black caviar and another with mango chutney), fresh salad and boiled potatoes with fresh dill and butter. Swedes sure do love dill.

On Saturday, my second full day in Sweden, we traveled to Norköping where his grandma lives. We stayed with her for a night. She told us stories about when she and her husband lived in China but had to leave due to the threat of the communists in the mid 1940s. I told her that she should write a book but she said that she is afraid she's forgotten most of the stories by now. We were happy to listen to those she could remember.

After dinner we went to see the movie 300. We walked to the movie theater, past Jakob's old high school and on the way there spotted this lovely view below.

Burg Scharfenstein

2007-03-26T12:34:00.000+02:00

Another day, another adventure in the company of our Aussie friends. Last Sunday we decided to set out, on foot, to see a castle high in the Ore Mountains of eastern Germany! (Ok, by car, but we walked up a big hill...does that count?) We went to see the special Easter tradition of the area, painting and etching hollow eggs for Easter. Now, the tradition of painting and decorating eggs isn't all that new to me..but we marveled at the intricate decoration etched onto the delicate surfaces. It must be a very difficult task!

With each new holiday comes a chance to learn more about Germany in class. I recently asked my students what they do to celebrate this holiday. One student told me that they light fires as a sign to shut out winter and welcome spring. Of course, here in Germany you must get a permit before you can have a fire...even if it is just for a good ole bbq. Another student told me that they build nests in which they hide candy for their children, a tradition not very different to our hiding Easter baskets filled with candy.

Personally, when I reminisce about my childhood experiences of Easter, I think of the Easter Bunny, boiled painted eggs, the Easter egg hunt, pink and yellow plastic baskets hidden in the house for children to find, and lots of candy and time spent with family. With all this in mind, as my students and I were chatting about Easter and moving onto other avenues about Germany, it came as a shock when one student told me that it's normal for people to eat bunnies! Ahh! I gasped! Really?!?! I mean, I was the child who used to try to save wild bunnies and here someone tells me that they are raised in cages from their youth to become a hot skinless Easter Bunny dish on the table. I couldn't help but think how that picture contradicted from my memories of playing with fuzzy sweet bunnies.

Now, to be clear, nobody has told me that they specifically eat 'bunny' for Easter, but I think because we were talking about Mr. Happy Easter Bunny in the same class as raising baby bunnies to kill for dinner - I was a bit horrified.

Back to Sharfenstein...

We enjoyed our climb up the castle tower and the view of the mountains and river below. We treated ourselves to some sausages, rauch (smoked) sausages to be exact, and munched on some cake and coffee before touring the outer areas of the castle.

It was a beautiful day, little flowers had already sprung in the grass surrounding the little fortress, triumphant to greet Spring.

Train that I got onto up and left that town

2007-03-12T12:30:00.000+01:00

I had to go to a meeting in Karlsruhe on Tuesday this week on the other side of the country and I decided to take the train there on Monday afternoon. 6 hrs didn't seem too bad - at first. The ICE trains of Die Bahn (the national railway company) are not bad at all, really comfortable and there are even power outlets in case you want to recharge your music player or play around on a laptop. However, unfortunately, Germany has not yet banned smoking on trains. There are designated smoking areas in each car and thin glass walls the height of the seats to separate the two areas. Great thinking. Great thinking by great minds. After a while the long train trip seemed just that, really long. However, after a warm coke in Frankfurt I started the final leg of the trip and things didn't seem so bad after all.

Once in Karlsruhe it took me about 15 minutes to figure out how to work the public transportation system. I finally got on the right tram and was then supposed to change to a bus that would take me to my hotel. Unfortunately, I found out that the last bus had left at around 8pm, some two hours before, so I decided to get a taxi. Since I didn't feel like exercising my less-than fine German accent when communicating with the taxi driver, I put my fine Indian accent to good use instead. I managed a somewhat harsh and unfriendly "you go?". Who says that, seriously? The remainder of the ride was somewhat uncomfortable, but the taxi driver didn't hold any grudges, at least not after I coughed up the 10,50 Euros for the ride. Once I had entered the hotel lobby, I was severely confused as to whether I was really in the right place. However, the bartender/receptionist assured me I was a mighty-welcomed guest at their fine establishment, as he uncapped a couple of beers for the not-so-attractive men in the bar/reception. Luckily, my room wasn't as bad as the lobby was smoky or the men in the bar were ugly. Even the breakfast turned out to be first class, or at least edible.

I was in a meeting the whole day on Tuesday and was then supposed to take a train back to Dresden in the afternoon. With 5 minutes to catch my connection in Frankfurt, things didn't look very bright. When the train from Karlsruhe was 40 minutes late, things looked bad indeed. I got a new itinerary with promise to arrive in Leipzig the same day, an hour from Dresden. I still had to change in Frankfurt, this time with a 10 minute window. When that train was 20 minutes late to Frankfurt, I was beginning to loose my temper. Luckily, I made the connection and through some sort of miracle, I caught the last train to Dresden from Leipzig and made it home by 1:30am. Nothing like a bowl of muesli at 1:45am with Christina on 81 Bautzner Straße.

the train that I got onto up and left that town
threw it up as it went down
strange enough it left me rude and turned around
watched as they all took their vows
- Dave Grohl

J.S. Bach and Leipzig

2007-03-05T20:34:00.000+01:00

After a week of quiet and two weekends lounging in bed in hopes to escape the dreariness outside - we decided to make something of our weekend and whisked away to Leipzig with our friends, Karen & Peter. The rain seemed to come down ceaselessly the first day there, but we were prepared with our multicolored umbrellas and anoraks.

Karen and Christina had arranged for us all to stay in a guest house, with our own apartments! When we got there, the apartments were being cleaned and setup so they didn't look like much. However, when we got back after a wet evening on the town, they were perfect! There was even sekt (the champagne of the region) accompanied by glasses and chocolate set out on the bed like a little gift set. It was much appreciated.

One of the attractions with Leipzig and one of the reasons why it's famous is due to the fact that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was active in the city during the latter part of his life. Among other things, he was working at the Thomaskirche (right), a beautiful church with a particularly good acoustic. His remains were transferred here in 1950 from the Johanniskirche, which was damaged in WW2 and later during the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik - German Democratic Republic), completely destroyed as were many ruined churches during that time.

We also visited two museums relating to former DDR. One museum was about the feared secret police organization, Stasi, and showed how the east German citizens were spied on on a daily basis. The other museum was about Germany from WW2 until the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. Both museums were well worth a visit and showed the disturbing reality of life here in the east in the last decades.

We happened upon this Jewish memorial where once The Great Community Synagogue stood; empty chairs now stand as an example of the lack of Leipzig's Jewish community after the Nationalist Social Rule. A plaque nearby sadly read, "In 1933 there were about 11,000 people confessing to the Jewish faith living in Leipzig. As a result of the National Socialist racial laws, these and many other people were persecuted, expelled or murdered. In April 1945, there was no longer any Jewish community life in Leipzig."

Another church that Bach was also active in is the St Nicholaikirche, an equally beautiful church with grand pillars contained inside, shaped in the form of palm trees, their branches and leaves cover the ceiling. This church is particularly interesting because it became a focus of hope for those wanting to leave the DDR, as churches often become during highly volatile times in life. People came in increasing numbers to discuss ‘Living and staying in the DDR’ - people gathered here in hopes of change. The Stasi police realized that people were going to these church discussions, so one day over a thousand police gathered into the church before anyone else could. They were welcomed by the pastor and asked to wait for the sermon that other people and Christians would be allowed to attend at 5pm. Once five o'clock rolled around the pastor began his sermon and reviewed the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. The miracle of the peace prayers happened after the sermon when nearly 2000 people left the church to a crowd of tens of thousands waiting outside with candles in their hands. With nearly 70,000 demonstrators on the street that day, not one window was broken nor one person injured. Within a few weeks of peaceful demonstrations, the party and ideological dictatorship had collapsed. ‘He hath set down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek.’ ‘You will succeed, says the Lord, not by military power or by your own strength, but by my spirit.’

We had a great time visiting Leipzig and we could definitely go there again. The city is not much larger than Dresden, but has the energy of a big city. Dresden is definitely more beautiful in general, but has a less busy inner city life.

Oh Germany

2007-03-02T13:36:00.000+01:00

Ah, back in Dresden at last! Back in Neustadt and our little apartment on Bautzner Straße. Back to where it feels safe and where we find our way. Coming back to Neustadt on a Friday night is also a little special, the streets are filled with young toughs looking for a good time, enjoying a kebab and meeting friends. We had our share of that too last night, enjoying a döner with Aussie friends Peter and Karen and then meeting up with some other people at the local corner bar. The kebab place we went to has apparently developed a new kind of mighty-fine service. This is how it works. Whenever they loose your bill, they give you a fine bottle of Turkish wine. Never saw that coming. Unfortunately, you still have to pay for the food.

Last week I was in Munich for a work-related meeting. Due to the tight program, there was not much time for exploring Munich, but in the evenings I at least enjoyed the Bavarian cuisine. Each morning I had the luck of walking through the English park on my way to the meeting location. Wonderful scenery with swans and water streams flowing through the open spaces.

Today we are traveling to near-by city Leipzig with Peter and Karen, home of Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Sounds quite impressive, doesn't it? Although Leipzig is near-by, we have never been there so it will be exciting to see how it differs from Dresden. From what we've heard, it really is different and people whisper that the Leipzigers' mentality is not as conservative as the Dresdeners', let's see if we notice.

Our shoes are wet, our skin is cold

2007-02-27T13:18:00.000+01:00

Dresden has been disappointingly gloomy and rainy. The afternoons sometimes give us a moments relief from the gray skies, but hardly enough to satiate the spirit.

The wedding plans are underway. Most major things have been decided upon. We're now deciding on invitations and RSVP cards and trying to narrow our font choices down. Do we want a swirly font or a really swirly font? Decorations are in order too - though those will probably be decided upon a bit later. It's amazing - the wedding industry, there are countless options. You can have anything under the sun, so they say, "it is (our) day"...yet, of course, it comes at a cost, aka "upcharge". Did you know that places will charge you to cut your wedding cake?!? In some places, if you buy a cake outside of their partners - they will charge $1.50 per person to cut and plate the cake. Ha! Unbelievable!

It's been crazy and sometimes scary (due to the insanities of the wedding industry beast), but everything is getting planned and organized in its perfect timing. We're both looking forward to the final outcome of the wedding day and the marriage.

This week has been a slow week for me at work. I expected work to be slow after our return from the States, but it hadn't slowed down till this week.

We haven't done anything spectacular the last two weekends. Basically we just crash as soon as we get in on Friday and stay in bed watching Grey's Anatomy or movies on Jake's iBook until Monday morning arrives. However, occasionally we have ventured out for a walk or to ride our bikes in the wind or rain.

Here are some of our discoveries: a gate to the oldest Jewish cemetery in Dresden, Neustadt and a lonely shoe.

Wild Ponies

2007-02-15T22:35:00.000+01:00

I set out for two weeks of wedding planning, never expecting it to be as crazy as it was, but with the help of family and friends I was able to find a suitable reception area at Ski Liberty and a beautiful church in Marion, PA. My mother and I went shopping for my wedding gown and I found it in the second store we visited - the details are a secret, of course! Jake came a bit later and we bought wedding rings together and he got fitted for his tux.

At the end of the two week wedding spree we went to Princess Anne, Maryland to visit my aunt Maralee and uncle Verle who will be helping out during our wedding. Verle will marry us, like he did my mom and dad and Maralee will help with food preparations. Princess Anne is about 40 minutes from Assateague Island, known for its wild ponies that roam in the natural reserve.

There were many things to see - plenty of beautiful birds; among them were the Great Blue Heron, the Bald Eagle and the Egret (named as they appear on screen - click on picture to see larger version).