It's beginning to look a lot like...
Christmas!
We only have one and a half weeks until all of Germany basically shuts down and goes on holiday. All major, decent companies in the area give their employees a winter break starting December 21st and stretching until January 6th.
Germans love their Advent season, which is funny, considering their vehemently secular culture. An example: last week I drove past a life-size nativity scene with a glowing baby Jesus while listening to a radio interview about why women shouldn't rely on their husbands, but rather plan ahead for supporting yourself and your children if and when you divorce. Lovely, right? But at least the decorations match the Christmas season! If not the choice of radio interview topics.
Our gifts and cards to the States are already in the mail. Now we have to focus on our gifts for the German side of the family. I think many of them will get Kärcher-related presents, seeing as Fabi now gets an employee discount. I'll probably throw in some wine and American Christmas cookies. (I feel like all my gifts are American-themed, on accident.)
Last weekend in Frankfurt I saw my first inch of snow for the season... we're far enough south in Stuttgart that we haven't had any snow collect on the ground yet - only flurries.
My students are in crunch time with tests and exams. The younger ones are perfecting their passive voice and the older ones are learning about gerunds and infinitives. I've scheduled my last tutoring sessions for the year 2013. I've sat at Hugendubel drinking coffee and reminiscing about last December, when I was first learning to be a teacher - or, I should say, first learning to apply the Berlitz method.
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| Our Advent wreath |
We only have one and a half weeks until all of Germany basically shuts down and goes on holiday. All major, decent companies in the area give their employees a winter break starting December 21st and stretching until January 6th.
Germans love their Advent season, which is funny, considering their vehemently secular culture. An example: last week I drove past a life-size nativity scene with a glowing baby Jesus while listening to a radio interview about why women shouldn't rely on their husbands, but rather plan ahead for supporting yourself and your children if and when you divorce. Lovely, right? But at least the decorations match the Christmas season! If not the choice of radio interview topics.
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| Our "Christmas tree", full of peacocks |
Our gifts and cards to the States are already in the mail. Now we have to focus on our gifts for the German side of the family. I think many of them will get Kärcher-related presents, seeing as Fabi now gets an employee discount. I'll probably throw in some wine and American Christmas cookies. (I feel like all my gifts are American-themed, on accident.)
Last weekend in Frankfurt I saw my first inch of snow for the season... we're far enough south in Stuttgart that we haven't had any snow collect on the ground yet - only flurries.
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| The Wisemen-themed advent calendar with Lindt chocolate inside |
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