525,600 minutes later…

We started our journey in Munich exactly one year ago – landing January 5^th, 2012 at 12:30 pm.  There were a few uncertain moments in the beginning, and we both had our “that’s it, I’m moving back to the USA” kind of moments (we still do sometimes – just not as often).  Though after settling in, the last year has been the most fun and transformative year of our lives.  There are absolutely no regrets, except for the decision to study Spanish instead of German in high school.

For those that do (or don’t) follow our blog regularly, here is a recap of the best and worst from Weiss aus Deutschland 2012.

Top 1^st year moments in no particular order:

1. First night in our completely empty apartment except for 6 suit cases, some hand me downs from Ellen, and a dorm sized kitchen….an unexplainably weird and amazing feeling.
2. Seeing a male stripper at a public restaurant on (or for?) my birthday and Julie ‘accidently’ taking me to a strip club after my first day at work (check the previous blogs).
3. Watching, partying with, and later practicing with the Munich Caribes baseball team.
4. Cramming in with 40,000 fans to watch the greatest sporting match I have ever seen in the FC Bayern vs. Chelsea Champions League final in Munich.
5. BBQing on the Isar River, if you ignore the multitude of naked old men.
6. Traveling all of Europe.
7. Living the Bavarian way- in the mountains, in the beer garden, or attending some festival in the city.
8. Our 13 visitors from home…thank you for all the trips to Marienplatz!
9. Our ‘Pangea’ international party – 18 countries represented!

Bottom 1^st year moments in no particular order:

1. Julie’s face plant and trip to the ER for stitches.
2. Counting down the days before we can move back to the US….after our 3^rd day here (Noah).
3. Getting locked out of the apartment, spending 200 EUR, even though we had our keys!
4. Getting speeding ticket my first time driving through the city of Munich.
5. Eating a sandwich out of partially raw bread, not realizing what ‘Fertigbacken’ means – ready to bake (also Noah).
6. Train delays/misses.  Especially the 3-hour delay after my train was hit by lightning.
7. Continuing with public transport – trying to figure out where a bus/tram stop is, only to learn by watching it leave you standing in the wrong spot.
8. Wearing canvas shoes (aka sponges) through snow that one (or ten) time(s).
9. Outfitting an entire apartment, from the light fixtures to the curtains to the furniture to the kitchen.  Though not as bad as it could have been without all the help from Aunt Ellen!

Hopefully 2013 comes with more ‘Top’ moments than ‘Bottom’ – but either way, we wouldn’t change anything in 2012.  Well, maybe one: eating that raw bread.

Saturday night was sure interesting!

We went out with our American friends, Eddie and Laura, to celebrate Noah’s birthday (a week early, since we will be in France for his actual birthday).  We met them at Sausalito’s – a hip Mexican restaurant that has more of a bar feel with all the drink specials. 

Saturday night is also a time you will see many bachelor and bachelorette groups around the city.  You can spot them because they usually are wearing matching shirts.  For the guys, the groom is wearing something embarrassing like a tutu or a diaper, and for the girls, the bride has the typical veil on. 

The four of us settle into our small table in the corner, and as we are waiting for our food the music changes to the James Bond theme song.  Next thing we know, a man in a suit is speed walking across the restaurant to the bachelorette group in the back corner.  We take note, and see he starts to dance.  The though forms in my head that he could be a stripper, but no – this is a public restaurant!  Surely not!

Oh but he was.  And he proceeded to strip down to NOTHING (but he kept a strategically placed towel in front of his you-know-what.  And if you don’t believe me, check out this photo of him taking his applause at the end of the show:

And he got plenty of applause – every female in the place (and Eddie and Noah) was captivated.  And if the photo isn’t enough, here is some actual footage.  Don’t worry – nothing too extreme (I am not posting THAT footage on this blog – trying to keep this PG-13 here).

So Noah got dinner and a show for his (early) birthday!  Oh, and he got churros.  Man I love churros.

‘Celebrating’ Noah’s first day

Let me start by giving some background regarding my first days at work. After the end of my first day, I met Noah at Karlsplatz and we went to a nice sushi restaurant to celebrate – it was delicious. The next week, after the dogs arrived, I would arrive home on the train to be greeted by Noah and the puppies waiting for me at the platform – best welcome party ever.

So today was Noah’s first day, and I wanted to try to make it special for him too. He was set to arrive at our Laim station at 6:25. I left work early, with the goal of going home, grabbing the puppies, and meeting him at his platform so he could be surprised as he walked off the train.

I get off the train, rush home, grab the dogs, and start making my way to the station. I don’t have much time, so I alternate between running and speed walking. 3 minutes from the station, I get a text from Noah saying ‘next stop Laim, you?’. I say, ‘me too’, so I don’t ruin the surprise. By the time I am at the station, I am sweating (and it is minus 8 Celsius outside), but I think I made it in time. After waiting on the platform with the dogs, and we see 5 trains go by and no Noah, I text him to see where he is. Turns out he rushed off his train to try to wait for my usual train home – which is on the other platform – and we must have just missed each other. After my ‘normal’ train came and went, he went to wait in the station. Fail #1.

Next, I say I want to take him to dinner. I had seen this place just south of the station called ‘Santa Fee Bar’. I thought, sweet, maybe a New Mexico style restaurant! So we take the dogs home, hop on the bus, and head down there. Oddly, all the lights are off. I am thinking, maybe they are randomly closed on a Wednesday? Then we start to notice pictures of half naked women on the doors. Turns out it is a strip club. Fail #2. (Though some might say it is only a fail because it was closed….)

We decide to head back home and try out the place across the street from our apartment – Wotansturbel – this little German looking restaurant that I have been too chicken to try out because all you see is a door and I have never seen anyone enter or exit. Did I mention it is minus 8 Celsius outside and we are freezing with all the walking around? We get up to the door, and check out the menu to realize they don’t have food – it is beer only. Fail #3.

At this point, we decide to go home to heat up some noodles, because we are tired and cold and hungry.

So to recap Noah’s celebration night: I made him wait 5 minutes for me in the cold while I waited for him in a different spot. I dragged him through the freezing cold to try to eat a closed strip joint. I then took him to eat at a place that only serves drinks. I ultimately made him precooked noodles for dinner.

Hopefully we have better luck tomorrow.