Today started with another early alarm, I am happy that I get to stay home and sleep in tomorrow! Poor Chris, he has to go to work. Oh wait, that's why we're here. This morning we squared away important stuff at the housing office about our place. The nice German ladies in the housing office translated our last name for us...and couldn't stop laughing. Quattlebaum: of course "baum" means "tree" in German, but the "quattle" was always a mystery. Chris always told me it meant "shade," which I had my doubts about. Apparently "quattle" was traditionally spelled "quattel," and it is a word for "pimple." Chris decided he ended up with that because of a tall, acne-ridden ancestor: pimpletree.
For most of the day we were on an Air Force introduction tour to Kaiserslautern, the main community in the area. It was nice to get into a larger place, we've been busy in little villages and on base. Here are the photos from our sights.
Our lunch was quite an interesting experience. The ambiance and food were great, we sat out in the biergarten with people on our tour whom we had flown into Ramstein with. It was gorgeous and sunny, but then the clouds and torrential downpour came, also bringing hail. We were all soaked, and it was quite memorable. Luckily we were done eating when the rain came, even though we had a large umbrella over our table the rain was very hard, and the umbrella leaked, so the plates collected water.
Back home and changed into dry clothes, we decided to venture out and go to Ramstein-Miesenbach, to find used car dealers. Sounds easy, right? We walked to the next village and caught the correct bus, but due to my confusion we got off the bus at the wrong stop, and had to walk a few kilometers from Miesenbach to Ramstein. Once in Ramstein, we found new construction, which affected all the bus routes so we didn't know where the bus would come in that town, and ended up walking back to Miesenbach to catch the bus home. We were also unsuccessful in finding the advertised dealerships. We found where they were supposed to be, but we were surrounded by car rental places and other such things. So we should sleep well, we walked several kilometers today!
It is so frustrating to try and get ourselves established and functioning here. We had briefings, but they gave us information we were already aware of or could have figured out. We were lucky in finding our house, it was the second place we looked at. But finding a car proves to be much more difficult. It would be helpful if we hadn't been switched to a sponsor who pretends we don't exist. The people that I would expect to help us, to remember what it's like to be the new kid, don't care to assist. Chris and I are bound and determined to be helpful when people arrive in his office, offering rides and advice. It makes me so mad when people say "well have you done this yet?" when we didn't have a clue to do it, or don't have the means to complete the task. Once we get a car, I think things will be much better. I'm really ready to just be settled in the house, that will be comforting as well.
I'm such a fan of the Germans! The more I learn about them, the more I see my German heritage reflected in my lifestyle. They are very clean, organized people. Germans love their rules! They have laws, and they follow them. They will turn in others who don't follow them. It's great - they know what they are supposed to do and they do it! I have used my German a lot, and the people I've spoken to seem appreciative that I'm trying. We've been told that Germans like that we try to speak the language, reaching out to their culture, but they will end up speaking English with us so they can practice it. Germans are great gardeners too, we see lots of Blumen shops, and there are always planted and potted flowers around. Most times when Germans actually have a yard, rather than grass it is decorated with beautiful plants. We are happy to have a little front yard and a nice backyard so that we can plant flowers and take part. Germans are incredibly envrionmental as well, you should see their elaborate recycling system! Waste makes up hardly any of the materials, so many things are recycled and biodegraded. Since the World Cup is going on, Germans are full of national pride. Most cars that drive by are decorated with German flags. When the German team is playing a game, the roars of cheers and claps float throughout the village.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A Place To Call Our Own
We found our home! It's a great duplex, the one I raved about in the last post ;-) We met with the landlord today (who thankfully is American so we can communicate clearly in English, and she's super nice) and worked on the contract. Here's some photos!
Today we had a long briefing about Ramstein information. Tomorrow we get to go on a tour of the Kaiserslautern area, we are part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community. We're so ready to have our drivers licenses and a car, it's hard to depend on people for rides so much. Particularly when everyone in Chris's office is too busy. My goal for new people coming in is to help them out with the transition and helping them know what they need to do - help that we did not easily or fully receive. But we're smart kids, we've figured it out. That doesn't mean I'm not frustrated! I'll be pleased when we move in next week and get our car, we plan to start shopping tomorrow. BMW, here we come! You can't live in Germany and not drive a manual BMW on the autobahn.
My Grandpa Dukie passed away over the weekend, and I'm sad I cannot be with my family right now. But I love them and they know I would be there if I could. I miss my grandpa already, it's hard to believe he won't be there when I return. He used to call friends on their birthdays and play "Happy Birthday" on the organ ;-) He was a great car salesman, so his wisdom will be with us as we search for the right car.
Today we had a long briefing about Ramstein information. Tomorrow we get to go on a tour of the Kaiserslautern area, we are part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community. We're so ready to have our drivers licenses and a car, it's hard to depend on people for rides so much. Particularly when everyone in Chris's office is too busy. My goal for new people coming in is to help them out with the transition and helping them know what they need to do - help that we did not easily or fully receive. But we're smart kids, we've figured it out. That doesn't mean I'm not frustrated! I'll be pleased when we move in next week and get our car, we plan to start shopping tomorrow. BMW, here we come! You can't live in Germany and not drive a manual BMW on the autobahn.
My Grandpa Dukie passed away over the weekend, and I'm sad I cannot be with my family right now. But I love them and they know I would be there if I could. I miss my grandpa already, it's hard to believe he won't be there when I return. He used to call friends on their birthdays and play "Happy Birthday" on the organ ;-) He was a great car salesman, so his wisdom will be with us as we search for the right car.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Where shall we live?
We are so far north that it is 10:19 pm and I can still see light outside, though the sunset is almost over. It was a lovely day, Callie and I lounged in the garden this evening. Earlier this afternoon, Chris and I went to base to call landlords and make appointments to see houses. We also scoped out the PX (it has german-capable electronics), the credit union on base, and cell phones. This evening we had 2 appointments to see housing! The first was an apartment in a building that the family lived in as well. It was beautiful on the outside, and the inside was nice but it was a bit small. I totally missed the master bedroom, Chris said it was just inside the entryway. There was a laundry room in the basement, which we would share with the family. Our next stop was a duplex on a street on the outskirts of a village that has an amazing view. The moment we stepped inside the door, I fell in love! It is the most beautiful place! I want it, can you tell? We still have a few appointments, so we decided to see another place we are interested in tomorrow, and then pretty much decide. I seriously doubt there will be another place as wonderful as the duplex, I assume they will mostly be like the apartment. We also visited an apartment in an apartment building that Chris's friend wants us to take because she's moving, but even after she saw the duplex she said forget her place, go with the duplex. It is exciting to go see places, I've never had the chance to pick one out since I moved into the apartment my roomie had been living in for 2 years already, though I loved it. I am interested to see what tomorrow brings!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Lazy Day
Today was gorgeous and I spent much of it outside! Callie isn't sure about Germany yet, here she is hiding in the bushes.
I went for a walk in Rodenbach and it is a cozy German town. I found 3 Italian restaurants, the bakery, and I ventured into the drugstore. In the distance past the houses are tall tree-covered hills.
Chris had a successful day at work, he completed most of his inprocessing and started working a bit. He has a desk but no computer, I suppose he'll have to do his calculations by hand ;-) Tomorrow we will both go to base and call to make appointments to visit housing we are interested in.
I spent some time outside in the garden with Callie while studying the Germany driver's manual. Did you know that people already in a roundabout don't necessarily have the right of way? If it's not marked, they don't have the right of way. There's little things here and there that are confusing, but we went through half of the questions this evening and seem to be doing okay so far.
I went for a walk in Rodenbach and it is a cozy German town. I found 3 Italian restaurants, the bakery, and I ventured into the drugstore. In the distance past the houses are tall tree-covered hills.
Chris had a successful day at work, he completed most of his inprocessing and started working a bit. He has a desk but no computer, I suppose he'll have to do his calculations by hand ;-) Tomorrow we will both go to base and call to make appointments to visit housing we are interested in.
I spent some time outside in the garden with Callie while studying the Germany driver's manual. Did you know that people already in a roundabout don't necessarily have the right of way? If it's not marked, they don't have the right of way. There's little things here and there that are confusing, but we went through half of the questions this evening and seem to be doing okay so far.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 1
Today we went to base and Chris did important stuff, I followed him around smiling, saying hi, and keeping track of his stuff. We have our drivers study guides, and have tons of signs to memorize and lots of other things to learn. Apparently the driving test is hardcore, so we bought flashcards. We also went to the housing office and had a meeting with a nice German lady, she printed off a list of housing that followed what we wanted: country and close to base. We started with 80 listings, and have been narrowing it down. We can't wait to look at them and pick one next week! Chris will be leaving for work early in the morning, while I get to sleep in (yay! we've been fighting the sandman all afternoon) and I'll spend the day exploring Rodenbach (the town we're staying in) and playing with the kitty. Of course, Callie has easily found the quickest way to the bathroom sink for her running water drink: she hops up on the toilet, to the shelf, and on the sink. Here are photos of the housing search and sort, Callie lounging around, and our hotel room!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Crossing the Pond
We made it all the way to Germany! With, of course, the unexpected 5 phases of traveling.
Phase 1: waiting waiting waiting at the Atlanta airport because of crazy thunderstorms in Baltimore.
Phase 2: the turbulent flight to Baltimore in the very last row of the plane with no window :-(
Phase 3: arriving in Baltimore at 1:00am, while we were supposed to check in for our next flight at 12:30am. We gave Callie her dreaded sleepy pill, grabbed our luggage, and booked it to the other end of the airport to the international terminal. The lovely staff at the international terminal had pleasant comments for us, such as "you're really, really late," "I don't think we have room for 2 more," and "you're going to miss your flight." Not comforting, considering the entire reason we were late to Baltimore was because of the crazy thunderstorms right there in Baltimore. Had they looked out the window lately? So as we check in, we realize we're missing an important bag we left at the luggage claim. I leave Chris to check in and I run all the way back to the baggage claim where the nice AirTran guys are gathering the leftover luggage and they help me locate my bag. Then I run all the way back, Chris calls me his track star. Once we get through with checking in we rush through security to the gate, only to find that boarding had not even begun yet. This is the epitome of the Air Force my friends: "hurry up and wait."
Phase 4: the AMC flight to Ramstein. It was not bad, we slept most of the time. Unfortunately we were separated, and being the nice wife I am I let Chris keep the iPod since I had forgotten to charge my MP3 player. He was lucky to have an aisle seat, while I was sandwiched between 2 nice but bulky Army dudes who both had a knack of leaning into me while sleeping.
Phase 5: when we exit the plane, the crew puts everybody into 3 little glass rooms. I found this very odd until we realized it was to explain what to do when going through customs, and then they let us move along. Reunited with Callie and our bags, we searched for our sponsor, who eventually found us after we decided he wasn't there to get us and we were waiting for the shuttle to take us where we needed to go.
We got Callie set up with a litterbox, and she was quite pleased after the long trek. She's still a bit mad at us, but she enjoys exploring our room, tomorrow we shall take her into the garden. Our hotel room is wonderful! I had forgotten how much I love European hotels. We are in a family run hotel (as most are) and it is very cozy and friendly. Our room is more like a little apartment, we have a bedroom, living/kitchen area, and bathroom. After unpacking and showering off the travel ickies, we decided to find food. We walked around the corner to an Italian restaurant, always a good choice. Chris experienced his first German beer and was quite pleased ;-) Looking through the menu, Chris chose a calzone and I chose rigatoni with marinara. You can't get any safer in a choice than tube noodles and a tomato based sauce, I thought to myself. Well, I was quite wrong. In amongst my tubey noodles and tomatoey sauce were several mussels and miniature squid. That's right, squid. Needless to say, I only ate the tubey noodles. Chris's calzone was interesting as well, with each bite he was less thrilled. There was hard-boiled egg in his calzone! It was quite a first eating experience, and I found it odd because I didn't have any weirdness like that last summer when I was here, and Chris is quite confused about European food now. Tomorrow we're going to get groceries and do some cooking, as you may have guessed. There is another Italian restaurant in another direction, and I may convince him to try it tomorrow night, we heard they have gelato!
20 minutes left until 9:00pm, then we can go to sleep! We're trying to get into this new time zone easily, and I must say that it is a lot easier since we left the US in the evening/early morning hours and arrived in Germany in the afternoon. Last summer we left in the morning and arrived in Europe in the morning, then had the whole day to go before we could sleep! Mmm, sleep...
Phase 1: waiting waiting waiting at the Atlanta airport because of crazy thunderstorms in Baltimore.
Phase 2: the turbulent flight to Baltimore in the very last row of the plane with no window :-(
Phase 3: arriving in Baltimore at 1:00am, while we were supposed to check in for our next flight at 12:30am. We gave Callie her dreaded sleepy pill, grabbed our luggage, and booked it to the other end of the airport to the international terminal. The lovely staff at the international terminal had pleasant comments for us, such as "you're really, really late," "I don't think we have room for 2 more," and "you're going to miss your flight." Not comforting, considering the entire reason we were late to Baltimore was because of the crazy thunderstorms right there in Baltimore. Had they looked out the window lately? So as we check in, we realize we're missing an important bag we left at the luggage claim. I leave Chris to check in and I run all the way back to the baggage claim where the nice AirTran guys are gathering the leftover luggage and they help me locate my bag. Then I run all the way back, Chris calls me his track star. Once we get through with checking in we rush through security to the gate, only to find that boarding had not even begun yet. This is the epitome of the Air Force my friends: "hurry up and wait."
Phase 4: the AMC flight to Ramstein. It was not bad, we slept most of the time. Unfortunately we were separated, and being the nice wife I am I let Chris keep the iPod since I had forgotten to charge my MP3 player. He was lucky to have an aisle seat, while I was sandwiched between 2 nice but bulky Army dudes who both had a knack of leaning into me while sleeping.
Phase 5: when we exit the plane, the crew puts everybody into 3 little glass rooms. I found this very odd until we realized it was to explain what to do when going through customs, and then they let us move along. Reunited with Callie and our bags, we searched for our sponsor, who eventually found us after we decided he wasn't there to get us and we were waiting for the shuttle to take us where we needed to go.
We got Callie set up with a litterbox, and she was quite pleased after the long trek. She's still a bit mad at us, but she enjoys exploring our room, tomorrow we shall take her into the garden. Our hotel room is wonderful! I had forgotten how much I love European hotels. We are in a family run hotel (as most are) and it is very cozy and friendly. Our room is more like a little apartment, we have a bedroom, living/kitchen area, and bathroom. After unpacking and showering off the travel ickies, we decided to find food. We walked around the corner to an Italian restaurant, always a good choice. Chris experienced his first German beer and was quite pleased ;-) Looking through the menu, Chris chose a calzone and I chose rigatoni with marinara. You can't get any safer in a choice than tube noodles and a tomato based sauce, I thought to myself. Well, I was quite wrong. In amongst my tubey noodles and tomatoey sauce were several mussels and miniature squid. That's right, squid. Needless to say, I only ate the tubey noodles. Chris's calzone was interesting as well, with each bite he was less thrilled. There was hard-boiled egg in his calzone! It was quite a first eating experience, and I found it odd because I didn't have any weirdness like that last summer when I was here, and Chris is quite confused about European food now. Tomorrow we're going to get groceries and do some cooking, as you may have guessed. There is another Italian restaurant in another direction, and I may convince him to try it tomorrow night, we heard they have gelato!
20 minutes left until 9:00pm, then we can go to sleep! We're trying to get into this new time zone easily, and I must say that it is a lot easier since we left the US in the evening/early morning hours and arrived in Germany in the afternoon. Last summer we left in the morning and arrived in Europe in the morning, then had the whole day to go before we could sleep! Mmm, sleep...
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
5 Days Left in the US
The last week in May the movers came to our house, boxed up all our belongings, and puzzle-fit them into large wooden shipping crates to be moved across the Atlantic.
Chris just earned his Associates in Finance! Yay Chris! While we are in Germany, he will complete an online Bachelor's degree. Katie has been toying with the idea of an online psychology masters, but has yet to find a program she likes. She'll probably find she's too busy traveling and playing with Callie the cat to study once we arrive in Germany!
After a tearful goodbye at the Pawling house, we drove all day long with a meowing kitty cat to Chris's family in Georgia. We've been enjoying a lovely, lazy vacation, sleeping in, reading a lot, and avoiding the summer heat.
Saturday night Chris's dad performed at a local Irish pub with his pal Butch, they sounded fantastic!
Sunday we went to South Carolina and stayed with Granddad in Bluffton, and made trips to the beach on Hilton Head Island.
Chris just earned his Associates in Finance! Yay Chris! While we are in Germany, he will complete an online Bachelor's degree. Katie has been toying with the idea of an online psychology masters, but has yet to find a program she likes. She'll probably find she's too busy traveling and playing with Callie the cat to study once we arrive in Germany!
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