Heidelberger Herbst: what a mix of experiences!

My friend invited to me to Heidelberg for the Heidelberger Herbst Altstadtfest this past weekend. It's funny, because I had in mind what the day would be like and it was totally different -- in a weird, fun way!

Heidelberger Herbst was a wonderful conglomeration of everything! It includes a flea market in the narrow streets of downtown; live music; stores with special opening hours; food and drink booths; and lots of random events. I went into it thinking it would be more of a traditional German fall festival.

I saw these guys hanging out early on so it confirmed my initial suspicions, but I ended up being wrong in the long run. I think this was a stag party. We walked down this road and I knew things weren't going to be traditional.

And they weren't! In the square, we listened to some great techno music...and watched a group of men deep in the throes of a stag party. How do I know this was a stag party where I wasn't sure if the lederhosen clad young men were part of a similar party? Well, I think it was the fact that the guy below was dressed up like a(n ugly) women, wearing some crazy stuff, and getting danced on by his friends. There was a hula hooper and a bubble blower, too!

See? Bubbles.

Our evening didn't get any less random. We saw a guy dressed like this:

I thought that if I got some frozen yogurt things would return to normal. This place had some delicious, somewhat tart froyo:

 All was going well until I read the sign across the street:

It's one of those places where people can sell their gold. I get it: bring in your old gold, jewelry, coins, and...toothgold. TOOTHGOLD???? GOLD TEETH? What the HECK!? Even worse, the sign says "also with teeth." Egads! Who would have gold teeth laying around? My friend suggested that maybe if one were to get in a fight and his gold tooth got knocked out, he could bring it in. Wouldn't he want to keep it?

Even crazier: we saw a dude in a kilt, and it appeared that he had shaved his legs. I shave my legs when I wear a skirt, so I guess it's not that weird. Maybe everyone does?

I needed to move on; I needed to get over this alarm. We decided to visit the medieval fest; that couldn't get too weird, right?

We drank pomegranate and orange infused grappa and generally felt great about everything after that, including the medieval heavy metal music being played. That was an interesting mix.

The grappa made us decide that we really should have a cocktail, so we went to the vinegar and liqueur store (yes, they have those here; it's a bit random) and listened to watered down acoustic pop songs and drank cocktails (which were quite lovely, btw). 

That led my friend to the wonderful conclusion that we needed gummi candies in naughty shapes but without nasty dyes so we bought some gummimänner and of course giggled like crazy about them. We were ready to call it a night but the ice cream shop had a DJ in the window so we danced with the group in front of it for a while (seriously, what ice cream shop in the US has a techno-playing dj? Yinz are missing out).

All good things must come to an end. We finished our dancing and trotted home.

So, is Heidelberger Herbst your traditional German fall festival? Not on your life, but wear your lederhosen and dirndls if you'd like because believe me, you won't be the weirdest ones there. I think the festival is whatever you want to make of it and YMMV: your mileage might vary. I know that I loved the mileage I put on, cavorting through town.

Product review: Pillsbury Funfetti Glazed Chocolate Lil Donut kit

The mix, and the doughnuts, ready to bake. They don't look appetizing!

 
I picked up an interesting baked good mix at the commissary: Pillsbury Funfetti Glazed Chocolate Lil Donut kit.

German bakeries don't serve doughnuts and there isn't a wide variety of premade doughnuts at the commissary, so I thought I'd give the mix a try. All that one adds is margarine and water to the dough and milk to the glaze.

I ended up baking them longer than was called for because they seemed too mushy at the recommended time. They were really flattened on the bottom. After they cooled off, I coated them in the glaze and then added the sprinkles. I found that it's necessary to put the sprinkles on right after the glaze (no pausing) or they won't stick well.

I am not really enamored with these. They are okay, I guess, if one is desperate for a chocolate doughnut hole. However, they are sickeningly sweet. I have been cooking from scratch more often so I forget just how insanely sugary American mixes are. Plus, they taste sooo fake. Duh, what else could I have been expecting from such a mix, I know.

So, I'd give them a C+.

OKAY, edit is necessary: they don't taste that good when they're freshly baked/several hours after being done, but the next day they're much, much better.

I revise my grade to a B+ on them (they're still super sweet).

Further obsession at the Kaiserslautern Wochenmarkt

Om nom nom nom.

This will be my upcoming week of delicious eats, for sure, thanks to my visit today to the Wochenmarkt (we'd call it a farmers' market) in downtown Kaiserslautern.

I picked up some goodies: 3 (!) cauliflowers to make the most delicious, cheesy, vegan baked cauliflower dish ever, two bottles of new wine (called Federweisser here), kale (oh goodness, I can't wait! I almost want to delay my trip to Heidelberg for Herbstfest so I can have a kale feast), and feta cheese with herbs. I had to practically waddle home because I stuffed two cauliflowers in my backpack and the rest I clumsily carried in my arms. All was well, though.

I bought some different varieties of my favorites. Last time, I had curly kale (or Grünkohl in German). This week, I bought Schwartzkohl, which has a broader, flatter leaf. Even though it's "black kale," it's not really black; it's just a darker green. I prefer curly kale, but believe me, I'm not giving up any kale opportunities and black kale is still delicious.

I also tried a new type of cauliflower and it's super funky looking! The middle part is green and it's spiky. I tried some and it tastes just like regular cauliflower. It's called cauliflower romanesco, or Roman cauliflower. I have read that when it's raw, it tastes like cauliflower, but when it's cooked, it tastes like broccoli. It will be interesting to try this frankenflower!

I rounded out my trip by buying some red (rot) new wine, too. I have tried the white and I think it's only fair that I also try the red. Of course, I didn't want the white new wine to feel left out, so I bought a bottle of that, too. It is a good excuse to have friends over for some delicious harvests from the season.

Bob, I didn't know you had so many names

A few years ago (and before I lived in Germany), my brother and I were in Paris. We flipped on the tv and were thrilled to see SpongeBob on tv -- in French (yes, of course). We were even more thrilled when we saw that his name is Bob L'Eponge (Bob the Sponge) in French. For some reason, that really was funny to us.

In German class, I asked what his name is in German; it's SpongeBob Schwammkopf. That seems like a lot of sponges in one name, since it's SpongeBob Spongehead. It makes me laugh every time, but it's still kind of weird to me and possibly a little mean to call someone a spongehead. Well, I guess it's not any weirder than a cartoon about a piece of grumpy bread (Bernd das Brot, which I watch when I go to Berlin).

--

The rest of our conversation in class was just as deep. We talked about woolly caterpillars. I knew there was something special about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it, so I looked it up. There is an old wives' tale that if the caterpillar's middle band of color (brown) is wider, the upcoming winter will be milder. Our conversation then devolved into the hypothesis that if the caterpillar is wearing a scarf, winter will be colder and if he has socks on all his feet, it's going to be a horrible winter.

This conversation, as well as one I had in the US with my German teacher there about the "bumps on a log" snack, might be why my German isn't as far along as it could be but why I've enjoyed the lessons so much. See? German class also includes Entomology and culinary skills.

The WHAT?!

In my German classes, we were practicing the different forms of prepositions in the dative and in the accusative.

Our teacher gave us the following sentence in German: "The snake crawls under the rock."

I had never heard the German word for snake before so when she said it, my eyes widened. A word that sounds similar is used in (non-polite) American slang. I wonder if the English word is a derivative of the German word?

Another student, sitting next to me, smirked and said that she's heard the word used in the similar way in German, too.

After we recovered from that moment, I did get to hear my favorite animal name so far: Eichhörnchen, or squirrel. It means "little oak tree" something. I can't remember what the "something" is, so I'll have to ask my teacher. I love German nouns sometimes*, though. They're so descriptive!

*but not the word for "snake"

Restaurant Review: Fatih Servet Döner, Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Restaurant Reviewed: Fatih Servet Döner
Location: Inside the Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Website: http://www.einkaufsbahnhof.de/de/berlin-hauptbahnhof/schlemmen/gastronomie/fatih-servet-doener/

During my trip to Berlin in August for a class, I found myself returning to one restaurant: Fatih Servet Döner. Often, we didn't have a large amount of time in between class activities, so I needed to grab a quick meal that was inexpensive and centrally located. Since Fatih Servet Döner is located in the Berlin Hauptbahnhof and makes a quick take-away meal at reasonable prices, it fit the bill.

The restaurant is in the middle level of the train station. It has a small seating section but its main focus is take-away meals. It offers döner, falafel, salads and even Italian fare like pastas and antipasti. A dining partner ordered a döner and said that it was decent.

During the three times I visited, I ordered the falafel sandwich. I was thrilled to find falafel as the Turkish restaurants where I live don't often have it. This falafel was made in-store and is so much better than the premade, frozen flafel I've had the misfortune of eating at some other restaurants. At Fatih Servet Döner, there is a deli case of falafel that staff pops back into the fryer for customers. It's served with a lettuce/parsley/tomato/cabbage mix with a choice of sauce (yogurt with mint or a spicier sauce which is probably also yogurt based). The mix is served in something like a cross between a panini and pita, which was grilled.

In addition to the falafel, I bought a salad and it was the best I've eaten in Germany so far. Of course, this might be because I bought it with the salad dressing applied when I ordered it so the lettuce was actually crisp for once. With the lettuce, the salad had feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, red peppers, and of course some corn (it seems almost against the law in Germany not to have corn on random foods).

I recommend this restaurant for a quick, tasty and preiswert meal at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof.

Heidelberger Herbst this weekend!

My friend invited me to experience the Heidelberger Herbst (fall) Altstadfest (old town festival) this weekend; the website with information is here. It's a big fall festival in Heidelberg with live music, a flea market, a craft market, art and culture points, and more. She says it's a wonderful way to experience autumn in Heidelberg with great food, music, and art. I can't wait!

In which I eat cauliflower for a week straight...and love it

I found a vegan recipe for cauliflower baked with a "cheesy" coating of nutritional yeast at the Delighted Momma blog; click here for the recipe. It was so delicious that I have been eating it all week (in addition to the kale that has become my obsession). I know it's kind of weird to eat the same thing all week, but I never try to pretend that I'm normal (I find it boring). I'm also lazy about grocery shopping, especially for fresh produce, so I will buy a lot of one thing and be stuck eating it all week. This recipe was a pleasure to eat though.

The main yum-ifying (is that a word?) ingredient is the nutritional yeast. I know, that name does not sound appetizing at all. However, it truly is tasty and is a great way to get a cheesy taste while keeping recipes vegan. Plus, it's packed with vitamins and minerals and is more healthful than is regular cheese. Delighted Momma has written up more benefits and ways to use it here.

It's possible to buy nutritional yeast at  most health food stores in the US. I'm not sure if it's possible to buy it in Germany; I find the health food stores here a bit daunting because of my lack of German language skills. One common brand is Bragg's. I buy my nutritional yeast from Amazon; I find the prices to be a bit lower and I bought the one pound Hoosier Hill Farm container, which was about $16.* It seems rather expensive, but a little goes a long way and to me, it's worth it to replace high fat cheese.

I also learned an awesome tip about cauliflower (and possibly broccoli too): it's possible to eat the whole head of it! I used to throw away the outer leaves and stem, but now I use all of it except for the really tough veins on the leaves. Those seem to take forever to cook to the point where they'd be tender enough to eat. I especially adore the leaves after baking them; they remind me of kale and they're so delicious and crispy.


*I hope this doesn't come as an advertisement; I don't get anything out of mentioning this, other than helping readers find it if they want it.

Learning German at the Volkhochschule

I haven't taken any further university courses toward my German degree since May, and I've felt quite restless about continuing my language learning. It's never a good thing to allow a lapse in this, as one might forget quite a lot. To keep up my skills, I am pursuing several other ways to learn German outside of the university environment.

I signed up for a class through one of the American community groups. That class has been really good; it even uses the same book that my German teacher in the US had used with me, so there was the bonus of having the book already and being familiar with it. This particular class is mostly in English since all of us are Americans who are taking it.

There are pros and cons to studying a foreign language with the commentary in your native language. Our teacher is able to explain the complicated German grammar to us in English so it's easier to process. We then practice it in German. However, we aren't as immersed in German and about 1/2 - 3/4 of the class is in English. Don't get me wrong; I really like this class and I appreciate the foundation it's giving me. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around modal verbs, prepositions that express movement verses being static, etc., and learning this in English first is so much easier.

As a counterpoint to the German class mostly in English, I also signed up for a class at the Volkshochschule. The VHS is a local institution that offers adult/continuing education. Our local one offers non-credit classes in foreign languages, flower arranging, yoga, and many other topics. I found that the prices are very reasonable; my German class works out to be about 7 euros per lesson.

I was initially apprehensive about signing up for the course because it's entirely in German. Of course, being immersed is one of the best ways to learn a language, but I was very accustomed to having my hand held because all of my other classes were mostly in English.

There is a free online placement test to determine the right level to take. I took the A1 test (which is the first level in German) and received a 91%. I did a lot of guessing on it and I'm strongest at reading German. The VHS had an open house before classes started so I made sure to go for assistance. At the open house, instructors from the courses were there to help students find the correct class for their levels. The person I consulted initially told me that I should sign up for the level A2 class since I had a good score on the placement test. I told her that I had guessed on a lot of it and I'm good at guessing so I was worried I might have scored a bit higher than what is my actual ability.

I've done this before, to negative results; I took a Spanish placement for college and was placed in the last class one takes in Spanish before studying the literature. I was way behind in class and ended up getting a C+. Of course, I have to admit that I didn't do any of the homework or actually try to get a better grade (this was in my bratty high school days), but I didn't want to make this mistake again. I'd rather be in a slightly lower level class than where my ability lies and learn the content very well than be in over my head and flounder.

Based on my input, the instructor recommended that I take level A1, part 2. This ended up being very good advice; the class has been a good fit for me. However, I didn't know this until the first class session, so of course I worried about it a bit, which is ridiculous. After all, one doesn't receive a grade in the class!

Before the class, I picked up the textbook. The local VHS doesn't sell the books, but the local bookstore in town, Thalia, does. It was about 14 euros, I believe.

I was impressed that the VHS's language courses correspond to the European Framework of Reference, or, in German, the "Gesamt-Europäischen Referenzrahmens." According to the Council of Europe, "this scheme makes it possible to compare tests and examinations across languages and national boundaries... It also provides a basis for recognising language qualifications and thus facilitating educational and occupational mobility." So, in other words, if I pass the exams for each level, those levels are recognized throughout Europe. Everything is standardized. I love that idea.

After buying my textbook, I was ready for my first class. I showed up early (punctuality is very important ;) and was slightly relieved to see that most of the class was Americans. I probably wouldn't be the weakest one in class. I was even more pleased when in walked one of my colleagues! I had no idea that he was going to take the class too. Since pretty much everyone else in class knew each other (presumably from level A1, part 1), it was nice to see him.

The class began and I was a bit nervous at first, getting accustomed to hearing everything in German. However, I was delighted when, by the end of class, I realized that I understood anywhere from 85-90% of what the teacher was saying. My friend, who's lived here for 5 years and even defended his thesis in German, said that he usually understands about 85% of what people are saying in German and fills in the gaps from there, so I felt on target.

Everyone who has taken the immersion classes has said that the teachers are really good at making things clear without using the learner's native language. I was skeptical about this; if one is familiar with German grammar, she'd know why -- it's complicated! Our teacher used simple language, pictures, and activities to explain things. Sometimes I wasn't quite sure what she was saying at first, but it became clear as she used other activities.

Our teacher is really good. I have a teaching degree, myself, and was impressed at all the learning styles she managed to encompass. We did plenty of auditory learning but she interspersed it with bodily-kinesthetic learning (which I think is one of the hardest to incorporate) by having us use the imperative form and invite people to sit next to us in a game of musical chairs. She also included verbal linguistic and visual learning, of course. We laughed like crazy when she had us sing the German version of the preschool song, "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes." The German version is "Head and Shoulders, Belly and Legs." We had to sing it faster and faster, which made many of us erupt in giggles. It feels absolutely silly to sing a kids' song in a roomful of adults, but it was a great way to memorize body parts.

This week was my second class and I'm still impressed. I think my German will really progress with this class. Even after I finish my university degree, I plan to take additional VHS classes and my goal is to pass at least the B2 exam, if not eventually the C2 exam. 

So, would I recommend a VHS class for those entirely new in the German language? Well, I haven't been in that situation, so I couldn't say for sure. I do like the part 2 class a LOT and think it's great. Since some of the basics of learning German are quite involved, I might recommend taking the very first class in English if it's an option through another organization, or getting some materials in English, such as German Made Simple by Arnold Leitner*, to gain exposure to the language first. However, the teachers at the VHS are accustomed to teaching those with no previous knowledge, so if that's the only option, go for it.


*This is the book that my teacher in the US, and my teacher in the English-version of the class uses. It is really good, explains the grammar well, and is inexpensive.

Herbst (fall) in Kaiserslautern

Herbst, or fall, is now upon us. I pulled my head out of my textbook for a while to enjoy it in downtown Kaiserslautern this weekend. My exploits allowed me to taste some delicious regional specialties.

Kaiserslautern is in the Rhineland-Pfalz state, which produces much wine. Fall is a great time for Neuer Wein, or new wine; this is fermented freshly pressed grape juice (must). I have also seen it called Federweißer (feather white). I first bought a cup of it at one of the stands downtown. Oh my goodness, was it good! This is a drink that could get people into trouble, methinks. It basically tastes like effervescent grape juice; I really didn't taste any alcohol in it (it's about 4% ABV). I continued on to the farmers' market and picked up a bottle of it for 3.50 euros. I learned that the wine should be consumed within a few days; it looks as if I need to have some friends over, stat! The bottle needs to be stored upright. The cap is not airtight since it needs to release gas from fermentation.

In addition to the Neuer Wein, I enjoyed some Kürbis suppe, or pumpkin soup. This was delicious and hearty. I can't imagine that it was remotely healthful as I believe it was loaded with cream, but did it ever hit the spot. I bought a bowl for 2 euros and it was served with a piece of bread.

After visiting downtown yesterday, I continued the fall fun today. The Gartenschau (Garden Show) hosted a giant pumpkin competition in which local farmers brought their pumpkins to be weighed. They even had a competition for the longest gourd and an unofficial, friendly competition between two farmers with another type of gourd (typical guys! ;). It was rather funny to see such a serious group of men examining the pumpkins and bringing them in via tractor with great care. I was shocked by the weight of the pumpkins; some weighed as much as a horse I owned (1,200 pounds)!

I then went on to have a special meal of Zwiebelkuchen (onion torte) and more Neuer Wein at Cafe Fegert. The Zwiebelkuchen is another fall regional specialty; the one I ate today was like a quiche. It was very rich, salty, and good. It's another dish that's fun to enjoy as a treat, but I won't be eating it often.

So far, I have enjoyed fall in Kaiserslautern, both in how it "tastes" and the activities.

In Which Even the Hund Gives Me the German Stare

I love Germany, but I'm not sure if Germany's flora loves me. I am extremely allergic to everything here. According to the doctor I see, many Americans are having a tough time with allergies in this region. My problem is that I'm allergic to pine trees -- and my city is surrounded by the forest! It's beautiful...and itchy.

My ailments came with me during my trip to Berlin...with ridiculous results. I was walking to my hotel when this huge sneeze just ricocheted out of me. Have you ever had one of those sneezes that out out of nowhere, with such force that it seems able to knock down a house? Well, this was one of those sneezes.

A block farther ahead, a woman and the dog she was walking both stopped dead in their tracks. In unison, they swiveled around and stared at me. In fact, they both gave me a good, long German stare. I am absolutely not kidding you; the dog was staring too! The similar look on his and his owner's face did me in. I had to stifle immediate giggles. I was too far away to say "excuse me" so I continued walking, swallowing down hysterical giggles.

--

I continue to have problems with these darn allergies and sneezing. I was walking in the pedestrian area when another sneeze overtook me. Someone deep inside a store called out "gesundheit!" I yelled back "Danke!" Oh goodness. This is really out of control! At least I haven't sneezed when I was near anyone and I did manage to cover it with the crook of my arm.

My other favorite drink of the summer/upcoming posts

I had Eisschokolade about three times this summer. I enjoyed another drink far more often: iced tea! I made it myself with many different varieties of fruit/herbal tea and it's quite lovely.

I just brewed a large vat of tea the regular way and stuck it in the fridge (well, I let it cool down a bit first). I don't add anything extra to it but it certainly is possible. Since I'm from the northern part of the US, I don't get into that cloyingly sweet tea that is so popular in the southern US, but I would imagine one could dump sugar in it if one wanted ;) 

I found a new tea that I really like, and it is quite tasty as iced tea: pomegranate mint. I know, it sounds like an odd combination, but it's really quite good. The mint is not overpowering and adds some nice notes. I bought it at TeeGschwendner; they had a sample available of it made as iced tea. I ended up buying a bag of it. Darn! Usually I try to not submit to advertising, but I'm a bit of a sucker for herbal and fruit teas.

--
I'm still super busy with three classes and work, but someday, I hope to write about:
-the conclusion of the trip to Mechelen;
-what it is like to take a German class at the Volkshochschule;
-the trip we took to Ghent;
-autumn in Germany (and maybe how I haven't gotten much chance to experience it);
-going to the American doctor whose practice is on the German economy (yeah, slightly confusing);
-going to the American dentist whose practice is on the Germany economy;
-more about going to the German Apotheke;
-why my credit card won't work any more if I go to the last three businesses I just mentioned;
-a further review of AHRN and the Kaiserslautern Housing Office;
-more about my August trip/class to Berlin with plenty of historical information;
-renting bikes from Deutsche Bahn;
-a review of some other thrift stores in Kaiserslautern;
-the most awesome, vegan cauliflower recipe ever that makes me want to just hippie out, eat a ton of it, douse myself in patchouli and burn incense (well, all except for the last one because I can't breathe around incense);

and, going even farther back, because I'm just that far behind:
 -Long Night of the Museums in Heidelberg (oops, from April!);
-Strasbourg;
-the Maimarkt in Mannheim...

...and even more. Phew! I don't see that I'll have a lot of time until my online class ends. That class has taken more time than any of my other classes were in-person had taken. I could totally slack in the class and not spend so much time on it, but I also really do want to learn the content. The end (of the class) is in sight; soon I'll be a (somewhat) free(r) woman.

My favorite drink of the summer: Eisschokolade

I ordered this drink several times this summer: Eisschokolade, and it was delicious. I saw it at cafes, restaurants, and I even drank one at the bookstore, Thalia!

It's basically a creamy, chocolaty milky drink, served with a scoop or two of ice cream in it with Schlagsahne (whipped cream, but not the hyper sweet American kind; this kind is so much better in this drink!) and a possible wafer/cookie on top.

It's really refreshing during the hot weather. To me, it pretty much tastes like what German hot chocolate would taste like if it were chilled.

The next drink I want to try is neu wein (new wine). It appears that it's the season for it now.

Another visit to KaDeWe: American food in Berlin, Germany

I wrote about a 2011 visit to Berlin's famous department store, KaDeWe, and the expensive American food I saw there. This past August, I went back to KaDeWe with another student during a history of Berlin class we were taking in Berlin. S. graciously gave me the following pictures that she took to illustrate the sticker shock on American products.

Betty! You are one expensive lass. Well, your brownies are at almost 7 euros per box!

Pop Tarts, as expensive as ever, or even more so! They're almost 9 euros per box.

Off-brand mac n' cheese and it's almost 4 euros? Seriously? This would sell for less than $1 in the US.

Jif for 7.98 euros. It is $2.78 in the US.










I'm soooooo curious: does anyone pay these prices at KDW?

Lady Liberty wouldn't!

Restaurant Review: Portofino, Sembach, Germany

Portofino
Hauptstrasse 36, Sembach
http://www.portofino-sembach.de/
Open daily from 6:00, closed Tuesdays

An acquaintance and I met for a nice dinner in Sembach. Considering Sembach only has about two restaurants, we lucked out that Portofino was a pleasant experience.

We were the only two diners present. The dining room, while small, was charming and clean with simple but elegant modern decor. There is an outdoor seating area with patio tables and umbrellas in the parking lot, too.

The menu offered starters, soups, salads, pasta dishes, a handful of meat dishes, pizza, and some desserts. The menu wasn't huge despite the previous list, but there was a good assortment of Italian dishes.

I ordered the Tagliatelle Swizzera, which had thicker, long noodles in a rich and creamy parmesan sauce with a few rogue fresh mushrooms. It was tasty (what dish with heavy cream wouldn't be?) with a flavorful sauce and a large portion. My dining partner had a salad and a pizza and reported that they tasted good as well. I felt that the food was tasty and a good value; my large plate of pasta was less than 6 euros.

Service was okay. Parking is almost non-existent; there are maybe about two spots in front of the building, but I personally wouldn't want to park there as it would be necessary to wedge one's car into the spot. Half a block down from the restaurant is a parking lot with 2 hour parking or street side parking can be found in the vicinity.

When I am in in the area and am in the mood for Italian food, I will visit again. Prices and food are good at Portofino.

Get your drank at the nachtwinkel

By "drank," I mean the Dutch word, not the drug reference!

In Belgium, we saw the "nachtwinkel," or the night shop. Belgian shopkeepers value the importance of being able to meet customers' needs even outside of traditional store hours (Germany, I'm staring at you), so there are nachtwinkels (not sure how to make that plural auf...Flemish?).

I love that they sell "drank." That just means beverages. However, it makes me think of some convenience stores in the US. **Okay, keep in mind that the following is what things used to be called - but these things have been co-opted to mean something else now.** Cheap convenience stores in the US would sell something called "drink." Its flavors are actually labeled by what color the drink is. So, the drink that is purple is called "purple drink," the red one is called "red drink," and so on. People don't even try to call purple drink grape flavored because it didn't taste anything like grapes; after all, why would something so fake and full of food dyes and high fructose corn syrup taste "natural?" I remember seeing some of these drinks when I was a teen and they were in these opaque plastic bottles shaped like little barrels. I thought that "blue drink" looked like windshield washing fluid for cars.

**Some of these terms now are used to refer to an illegal combination of over the counter medications, alcohol, etc. I'm not sure if anyone calls the highly artificial beverages by the previous name of "drink" or "drank," without a drug connotation.**

Despite that, I grinned a little bit when I saw the nachtwinkel with "drank." I wondered if they had any drinks named after what color they are.

Oh! And here's a Michigan moment: we actually do still have a drink named after its color and there isn't a drug connotation with it: Red Pop! Faygo, a Detroit pop company, makes it. Of course it's full of dyes and whatnot, but it is nice to have once in a while. It's supposed to be strawberry flavored, but I wouldn't say it's quite full-on strawberry. What does it taste like? It tastes like red. There you go.

Kale: where to find it and when in Ramstein-Miesenbach

Yes, this is a picture of obsession: kale obsession, but it tastes so good!

Vegetable store visited:
Paradies Garten Donauer
Spesbacherstrasse 61b, Ramstein-Miesenbach
http://www.paradiesgarten-donauer.de/

Helpful hint: in German, kale might also be called Grünkohl, Braunkohl, Krauskohl, Lippische Palme, or Oldenburger Palme.

I was (re)introduced to the wonders of kale last year. Usually, Americans only see a bit of kale used as a garnish on a platter of food; a piece of food is placed on it and no one ever eats the kale. I've tried eating a raw kale leaf and didn't like the taste of it. However, cook or bake the kale and it's like magic! The very first time I met kale was in a pasta dish at my favorite Italian restaurant, Salvatore Scallopini; here's a link to a recipe that's pretty close to their dish. Last year, I read about kale chips and gave them a try. I'm now hooked!

The problem was moving to Germany; I looked for kale at the grocery store, at vegetable stands, and even asked at the farmers' market but didn't find any. I was really disappointed but I let the issue drop. Imagine my delight and surprise when I was reading an article on Germany Ja! about self-service flower fields (which I also wrote about earlier this summer) and noticed that the author included a picture of her bike and in the bike basket was kale! I was so obsessed that I enlarged the picture to see the name of the vegetable and flower market in the picture and looked it up. I was in luck because the market is in Ramstein and I planned to go there this weekend anyway.

I stopped by today and asked if they had kale. The clerk answered yes and took me with her across the street to pick out some kale, which she cut fresh from the field. I was so thrilled that I bought two huge bunches of it - $13 worth!

An elderly gentleman in line said something and smiled. I had no idea what he said, but I smiled and said back in German "it is good" and pointed to the kale. I told the store clerks how to make kale chips and how good they are. They relayed it in German back to the guy.

I mentioned that I had such a hard time finding kale. The clerk said it's because Germans eat it in winter. I said, "but it grows now" and she said that it's better after a frost (which I did read online and confirmed it; it helps produce more sugars in the kale). She told the elderly guy, in German, that Americans like to eat kale in the summer and they exchanged a bemused look. I thought that was funny because she had said other Americans had come by to look for kale also; some are using it in juicing. That also made me smile because my crunchy hippie homies must've stopped by and all the weird Americans have been giving the Germans quite a show! We eat kale in weird ways and we eat it at the "wrong" time. Either way, it tastes darn good! :)

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Here is my Kale Chip recipe:

Kale
Sea salt or other good salt/spice rubs
Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Wash the kale very thoroughly, especially paying attention to the area around the ribs of the kale. You might even find aphid eggs on it. Wash them off. I like to soak my kale in a mix of warm water and vinegar in a sanitized sink to help clean it.
2. Thoroughly shake the water off the kale and dry it. If you are patient and want a better chip experience, I recommend letting it dry for quite some time. If you're impatient like I am, then dry it as well as you can but realize that your chips might not be as crisp.
3. Toss the kale with some olive oil and salt, taking care to lightly coat it.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; turn the kale over and cook another 10 minutes or so until the kale is the desired crispness.

Have the cat do your shopping in Leuven for you

We saw these stickers on some stores in Leuven, Belgium. B. was being a smarty pants and said that maybe it meant you could have your cat shoplift for you. I didn't think that was the case.

"Liefst Leuven" means prefer or preferably Leuven (according to Google Translate) and Leuven Laat means the store is open later, til 8 p.m. It's part of a marketing campaign for shopping in the city. I thought it was rather cute, but I'm a bit biased because I prefer cats, myself. I think they're using the cat like he's choosy and discerning, or something along those lines (and definitely not because he's shoplifting, B!).

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In other arenas of life...well, I've been gone from the blog a bit lately because life here has been quite busy. I'm in the middle of the class that's in midpoint of the degree I'm pursuing now, so it's really the median all around. This is the first online class I've taken, and I have realized that I really don't like the online class format. I feel a bit bratty saying this, but I'm not happy to pay $700 to read the book on my own and write papers. I could have had a similar experience for free, learning on my own. Obviously I need to do the work to finish my (third) degree, but I really wish there would be recorded lectures for students to watch. Do any online classes do that, or am I just too old school? I also miss the interaction among students and with the instructor in class. Writing some half-hearted, insincere response to something on the class message board because we're required to is no fun. I like listening to lectures because one can benefit from the expertise of the instructor and lectures bring the topic more alive. Plus, for the way I learn, I listen, take notes (there is the added benefit of kinesthetic learning when I'm writing the notes), and start to memorize the information immediately; I later follow up by reviewing my notes and the information is pretty well set into my memory at that point. I don't feel that I'm learning that much by slogging through the dense text on my own; I also feel as if I'm retaining so little of what I read.

Of course, I think my brain is nowhere as nimble as it was when I finished my last degree 10 years ago. There is a theory that our brains are being rewired from spending so much time online and on computers; we're not able to sustain as much intense concentration any more. I agree with that; I used to love reading classic literature, dense with footnotes and references. Now, I usually read everything via skimming and I must force myself to concentrate and read everything word for word in my class's text. I find myself losing concentration all the time.

In addition to my whinging and carrying on about the online class, I am also taking two German classes right now. One is through a local organization and it began this summer and will be ending soon. I also just started a Volkhochschule German class that is run by a version of community education, and it's all in German. I'll have to write more about that experience later. I just attended the very first class meeting and was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up but I did keep up and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be busy for the next three weeks as I juggle work, the three concurrent classes (at least two of them aren't graded), and daily life.

On top of all of this, I haven't felt well for about 3-4 weeks. This has nothing to do with sitting on cold stones or being exposed to air conditioning; this is the time of the year when my allergies and resulting asthma make me miserable. I've alternated feeling sick to my stomach, not being able to breathe properly, and sneezing. Sigh. The good thing is I have been still going to work through this; the bad thing is that I'm quite tired. Germany, I think I'm allergic to you! That is a shame as you are lovely otherwise.

Awesome automation in Mechelen, Belgium

B. and I were impressed to see that there were some options for off-hours shopping in Belgium. As German residents now, we're not accustomed to being able to pick up a few things from the stores later in the evening (after all, one should have planned ahead! Yeah, this isn't convenient).

There are several automated options in Mechelen. We passed a backerij (bakery) and saw an automated bread machine (brood automaat) outside. I was impressed!

I was even more impressed when we passed by an automated grocery store outlet for SPAR. It was possible to buy many necessities from an automated storefront, such as milk, eggs, butter, and even cigarettes and beer (whether the last two are "necessities" is debatable).

Day and night open.

Our Belgian hosts told us that some of the regular grocery stores are even open Sunday mornings. *swoon*

A trip to Mechelen: Aug. 31-Sept. 1

Last weekend, my friend B. and I took a trip to Belgium; we visited Leuven (and here) and Mechelen. The main destination was Mechelen; we wanted to experience the Hanswijk Cavalcade.

We had arranged to stay with a Belgian family in Mechelen and it was a wonderful experience! When we arrived in town, we had dinner with the couple and E's mother, who was also in town to visit. They were so warm and welcoming; it was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Belgian life.

E and her husband J took us to their favorite cava (Spanish sparkling wine) bar in town. Along the way, they told us about the history of the town. They told us that the city center had been very unsafe about 17 years prior; after about 4 pm, everything would shutter up and people didn't feel comfortable going out on the streets. The town voted in a new mayor who very aggressively cleaned up a lot of the trouble; now, people can safely enjoy a nice late night dinner or some drinks downtown. The downtown area was very charming; there are many Gothic and Renaissance buildings that have survived.

E and her husband J took us to their favorite cava (Spanish sparkling wine) bar, Sava, in the Grote Markt, a huge square. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful view of the square; it was lovely, with a great view of the Stuidhuis. I didn't go inside the bar, but wish I had checked it out after seeing the bar's website; the interior looks awesome! Prices were reasonable; I bought the four of us a round of drinks for 12 euros. I ordered cava. The last time I had it, I was in Barcelona for a trip with my cousin and we ended up giggling for an hour and watching passersbys. The silliness then might have resulted from being really dehydrated and the cava went straight to our heads. In Mechelen, there was no silliness.

B ordered the city's official beer: Maneblusser, which means "moon extinguisher." It's even the nickname for Mechelen residents because of a famous story: during a misty night in 1687, a drunk man exited the bar and was shocked to see that St. Rumbold's Tower was on fire. Everyone ran to put out the fire but soon realized that the tower wasn't actually on fire! Instead, the red glow was from the full moon and the mist. Even though the residents of the city tried to keep the story under wraps, it didn't work and they earned the nickname of "moon extinguishers." Het Anker, a brewery in the town, makes Maneblusser.

Our hosts told us a little bit about the cavalcade the next day. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were going to be in attendance. We also learned that there is some controversy about the royal family; apparently, they are maintained by the state, and they are very costly to the taxpayers. Some Belgians are very unhappy about this as the royal family is only a ceremonial figure and people believe that the family should support itself.

It's a bit misty...good thing it's not on fire!

It was getting late, so after we finished our drinks, we headed back. We walked by the tower of St. Rumbold and were relieved to see that it wasn't on fire.

Another visit to Tamarillo: Kaiserslautern restaurant review

In an earlier review, I wrote about my first visit to Tamarillo, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Kaiserslautern. I would give my initial visit a lackluster score. The salad I had wasn't good and the service was so-so.

I visited Tamarillo again in July with a group and my score will remain at lackluster, but for different reasons this time. Our group kept growing, so we were moved to a different table. A few more people trickled in and one went to grab a chair from an empty table. Some people at our table teasingly warned him that the waiter was going to get cranky at him because apparently another person from our group was told he should have asked for a chair.

I can understand needing to maintain a table set up, but the chair didn't come from a reserved table and the waiters had done the typical thing we see here often: they had disappeared so there was no one to ask. If we had waited for them to come back, our group members would have been standing for 15 minutes. So, I don't feel that guilty that our group took some chairs from an empty table because it's hard to get service. The Germans in our group also thought that the waiter's reaction was not called for.

Dinner this time was much tastier: I ordered two actual tapas, since that is what the restaurant is known for. I ordered the Spanish tortilla, which is nothing like what North Americans think of as a "tortilla." It's more like an egg and potato quiche, minus the crust; the portion is like a small piece of pie. It was tasty. The other dish was Albondigas de spinaca en salsa de queso -- spinach balls in a bleu cheese sauce. That was good, as well. Some other diners had some wonderful dates wrapped in bacon. Everyone thought what they had ordered was quite decent.

We suffered from non-responsive service throughout the meal, though. Our waiters would disappear for quite some time. It wasn't that busy so I'm not sure where the waiters kept disappearing. I asked for the bill when our waiter finally swung through again. I had to actually call out "entschuldigung" and try to stop him in his tracks to even get his attention because he wasn't really acknowledging any diners, including our group. I politely asked for the bill and he disappeared for a while. When he came back, I thought he might have it. Instead, he went and rolled some silverware in napkins and finally meandered back to the table so we could pay.

You know, after lackluster service the first time, and the bill taking about 15 minutes (in addition to the other 10 minutes I had to wait to even see the waiter to ask him for it), I will say that I'm not going to bother with Tamarillo again. The tapas were decent but grumpy waiters who disappear and take almost half an hour (in total) to bring a bill have deterred me. 

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The sad thing is that while such a situation isn't guaranteed for service in German restaurants, it's very, very common. I understand that eating out in a German restaurant takes more time, but I don't think that's an excuse for bad service, either. Our waiter could have rolled the silverware in the napkins after bringing the bill, for example. I feel as if sometimes customers are treated as an imposition. I'm definitely trying to shelve my American experiences and expectations with customer service, as it can be taken too far in the US, and everywhere is different. It's difficult to adjust to going for long stretches without seeing any waiter available in the periphery, especially when there is a group of people dining. Wouldn't the restaurant want to generate more sales by selling an additional beverage to a thirsty diner who's already had one small, overpriced drink? What about checking on the diners at the other table who have just arrived? Or, how about letting a group that has finished pay the bill so another group can have their table?

Roadside candy machines: the Berlin edition

From a trip to Berlin in August, I saw this machine in the Friedrichshain district, which is in the former East Berlin. Prices of these machines' products are lower than they are in my corner of SW Germany. However, I'm not sure that I would care to buy a "Sticky Alien Baby," which looks like a rubbery alien fetus. I'll pass on that one.

Product Review: Use-It (travel) Guides

I had found a really cool tourist guide for the city from Use-It Guides: www.use-it.travel/home  They are non-commercial guides written by locals. We also found one for Leuven and one for Mechelen and were totally pleased with both of them! We learned about sights off the beaten path and some offbeat things as well about both cities. I don't think I've ever been this pleased with a city guide before, and I couldn't beat the price: it was free to print off the internet. And no, I don't get any compensation for saying how happy I was with the guide; I just like to share when I find a great information source  ;) 

The only problem I have with the guides is that they don't give the exact address of the sight; a map is included, but we really could have used the street address when we were looking all over for a museum in Leuven. A couple of the restaurants we tried to visit were closed, but the weekend that we used the older edition of the map, apparently a newer edition came out. As with any guide books/maps, if you're really set on seeing something or eating somewhere in particular, it's never a bad idea to do your own checking ahead of time. We were still really happy with the experience, though. 

In fact, I'm considering making a trip to some of the cities they feature that I wouldn't have visited otherwise, just because the Use-It guides make it the visit so interesting.

A trip to Leuven, Part 2

Leuven, August 31 continued...

After viewing St-Pieters Church in Leuven, my friend B and I looked for the Hospital Museum Histaruz, which is a museum with a medical collection from the 1920s-on recommended by the Use-It guide. We missed it when we first looked for it because it's set within the Universitair Ziekenhuis Sint-Rafael which takes up several blocks on Kapucijnenvoer Road; we finally found a sign for the museum and entered through a courtyard on the building, turned right, then turned left to go in.

Two very nice volunteers welcomed us in English (unlike what the guide had said) and we paid our 2 euros each for admission. My initial impression? Um, it's rather creepy!

Looks like an abandoned hospital from a horror movie...

Uhh, wheelchairs with no residents in the chapel?

Want to practice injections with a fake arm?

I'm a baby in a bottle, baby, you gotta...wait a minute, wrong song.

The hospital didn't become less creepy as we continued. Some parts of it were dark; others weren't, but it was hard to unsee what we saw in there -- look what greeted us in one room!

The tumors in wax weren't very uplifting.

Even worse was the dentistry room. This picture is really alarming! They're sticking what amounts to a crowbar in the guy's mouth and the guy looks like he's going to hit him in the mouth with a mallet.

Another picture, this time a print, was really disconcerting. It must have been so bad that I forgot to photograph the whole thing, but here's a part of it where a monkey is trying to perform dentistry on a bird. It's a total what the heck type of moment, and the rest of the print is even worse! There's some guy in his long johns getting dental work done and there's a cat in the room. That just doesn't seem that hygienic!

Another room had a lovely collection of urinals.

We were ready to go but apparently we missed seeing the basement. A volunteer came running after us, very worried that we didn't see the whole museum, and even escorted us to the stairs so we would know right where to go. Since she was so earnest, we felt that we had to see the whole museum. The basement was a continuation of odd leftover hospital equipment. There was even a room full of old computers just stacked on shelves.

We finally had seen everything and thanked the nice volunteers. It was a really odd visit; it was almost as if the hospital had been shuttered with everything in it, then reopened after only the ghosts were left. It's worth a visit for those who like offbeat adventures, creepy dolls, and scary medical devices.

Thirsty after our adventure, we stopped at Carrefour, a supermarket, to buy a drink. Look what we saw: there is the American version of Mexican food available there, Old El Paso brand products. Oh, OEP, how you have branched out to the international markets.

Old El Paso brand salsa and guacamole in Carrefour, Belgium.

While we were there, a guy approached us and asked us something in a language that I couldn't even begin to place. B. said that we were sorry, but we didn't understand him. Apparently, between the 6 or so languages we know between the two of us, whatever he was asking wasn't in any of them! The guy said something else in whatever language it was. We all looked at each other, perplexed. He then said something that sounded kind of like "sucré," which would be French, I guess, but the rest of what he said didn't sound like French, so I really don't know what it was. Quickly improvising, I asked "azúcar?" (Spanish for "sugar") and he nodded so I took him to the aisle with sugar in it, pointed, said "aquí," the guy said "gracias," I said "de nada," and B. and I were on our merry way. B. was a bit shocked, I believe, that I was actually useful for a foreign language for once as I'm usually relying on him for everything other than English. I don't think the guy started in Spanish but at least we were able to end on that common ground.

After that, we ran into this fellow on the street at the River Dijle. He is Paep Thoon, a 15th century organist at the Saint Pieter's Church who was sarcastic and always telling jokes, but there was truth in what he was saying.

Since we had basically started worshipping the Use-It guide, we decided that we must do its bidding and visit the "Ugliest tree" in the courtyard of Sint-Geertruikerk. The only problem was that we weren't quite sure which one it was! There were two that were kind of ugly so we looked at the Facebook page for a picture, found the correct one and gave it a hug.

It was time to leave for Mechelen after giving the ugly tree some love. As we were leaving town, I was struck by a hunger for some corn, which just happened to occur when we drove by the odoriferous Stella Artois beer factory.