The flowers are a-bloomin'

When I see forsythia flowers, I smile. They are the harbinger of spring for me (well, after crocuses and daffodils). Spring is my favorite season, for many reasons, especially considering that it ushers the end of cold and gloomy winter.

Forsythia also make me think of my family. My mom has it in her backyard in Michigan. My aunt, who lives in a different state, recently "forced" some forsythia. Even though her state is a bit warmer than Michigan is, it still has been cold there. She brought some forsythia inside and is coaxing them to bloom. She placed them in an heirloom vase, which is actually a shell casing sent by our cousins who weathered World War II in Holland! It's a strangely handsome vase.

I am seeing forsythia here in Germany, too. I went for a walk this weekend and saw a rather ratty-looking bush with flowers. Of course I had to share that picture with my family! It's been so warm here that they are blooming naturally.

Meanwhile, in Michigan...

My family, both nuclear and extended, has a fond spot for animals. My mom and my aunt have been busy feeding the squirrels and birds who visit their backyards this winter.

My aunt took a picture of this cute little squirrel. We thought he seemed a bit cold since he's clutching his little hands. I worked on the picture and now I think he's warm enough. Aren't you jealous of my Paint skillz?

Oh dear, it's so cold out in Michigan!

Things I've learned about other places by living in Germany

Before I moved to Germany, I felt that I had a reasonable, basic knowledge of how things work here. I read a lot of blogs, books, and even talked to some real, live Germans. I knew, though, that once I lived here and didn't just visit, I'd learn even more.

That I did, and I am still doing. However, I didn't realize how much I'd also learn about other places, including even the US!

Here are some of the things I learned:

Wisconsin:
-they call water fountains "bubblers." It sounds so quaint ;)
-they might call ATMs "TYME" machines (pronounced "time"); it was an acronym given for the name of the machines. It sounds so retro-future-y that it's awesome! I would be very excited about going to the time machine, I think.
-traffic lights are called stop and go lights. Makes sense!

UK:
-I am still confused by this one. Having "tea" doesn't necessarily mean having a cuppa; instead, it could be a meal. Whenever my UK friends invite me for tea, I find myself asking if they mean a meal or the drink.
-oh lawdy. I was trying to talk about pudding (you know, what Bill Cosby was always hawking?) and we had a super confusing conversation about it. My friend was envisioning some sort of cakey thing and I was seeing J-E-L-L-O.

India:
-really good Indian tea takes a while to make, about 15 minutes or so, and involves spices, tea, etc.
-Americans' use of the term "curry" just to mean spices is not correct. Curry is the sauce. Curry spices are varied. I think we need to tell McCormick spices that!

This sign was not what I thought it was

I saw this sign in the small town where I was living in the US. It made me really laugh. I was wondering what kind of contest would this be? Would people bring their stuffed moose and then lip sync songs, using the moose as a puppet? (I think these thoughts make me either extremely imaginative or just plain dumb).

I was very stuck on the concept of the moose being an actual animal. I finally searched this online and found out that this sign is for an event sponsored by the Moose Lodge, which is a fraternal service organization. Apparently the Moose Idol contest was a fundraiser and I doubt that there was any taxidermy entered. The sign made so much more sense after I looked this up!