This has been another busy week at work, but now the work week is finished for me. I am packed and have cleaned up the temporary apartment and am trying to stay awake. I have to catch the train to Kiel at 1 am in order to catch the bus to Hamburg at 3 am in order to get to my flight which leaves at 6 am. Normally it doesn't take so long but there are fewer travel connections to pick from at night especially during the week. I will connect in Amsterdam and arrive in Atlanta at 2 pm tomorrow. Then I have to go to NC in the next couple days to try to get a new drivers license. Then on Wednesday I am flying back up to DC to wrap up some loose ends at my old job. After that the whole family will come with me back to Germany in mid March (the ides of March, which I hope for me is lucky).
See you state-side.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Some animals around town and a drive north to the Baltic.
A couple of things to mention this week.
There are red squirrels, the kids with tufted ears, in the area around Ploen. They are much larger than the "boomers" back home, about as large as a regular gray squirrel. I saw one briefly about a year ago when I first visited, here is its picture,
then I saw one again when visiting last December, and earlier this week one strolled by on the porch in front of me, not 10 feet away. These are very rare to see back home so it is fun to see their cousins here.
Also, there are small birds here that seem like a cross between a chickadee and a house sparrow. They have a black stripe down their bellies. They act kind of like a chickadee but are larger. I wonder if they are related or are some kind of sparrow. At some point I will look them up.
Also, there is lots of waterfowl here. Sea gulls, mallard ducks, geese, and "coots" are very common. I've seen big groups of geese grazing in the fields around here. The coots, which we don't have back home, are more timid birds and very good at swimming under water. A few days ago I watched a mallard here swim under water to get away from gulls that were badgering it for food it had but couldn't swallow. It would duck under the water and apparently go under part of a dock to prevent the gulls from seeing it and resurface further down. It kept doing this to get away from the gulls hovering above it and dive bombing it. Also, I've seen grebes a few times and they can travel a long distance under the water as well.
There is a fisherman in town that keeps fish in a large tank behind his restaurant and I look in there from time to time while walking by. Earlier today the sky reflection wasn't bad and I saw lots of very large fish. Some looked like giant gray carp and I definitely saw a couple sturgeon several feet long.
One morning this week before work I biked halfway to Preetz, a town nearer Kiel, without stopping, another small accomplishment for me. It's was a little over 3 miles one way, 6 miles round trip. I added it to the biking map below in pink.
Saturday G and I drove to Kiel via a scenic route. First we went north to Luetjenburg which was a nice town but not accessible by train.
The we turned west to parallel the coast and passed what appeared to be a medieval village, so we veered back and checked it out. It was deserted so we walked around and looked at the buildings.
Then we hooked north to see the Baltic coast at Schoenbergstrand. There was a statue on the walkway that I liked of a person holding an umbrella in a strong wind.
The sand on the beach is very white (no I didn't spot any amber, but I couldn't help looking). There were rock walls jutting out into the ocean at intervals, perhaps to stop erosion.
While walking I spotted a group of mallards swimming in the Baltic, another first for me. I've never seen ducks in the ocean that I can remember. I walked out on a dock before heading back and only later after looking at the map realized that this is the point farthest north that I have ever been on the ground, N54°24'57" (some transatlantic flights have hooked further north, but that doesn't really count). I have been to Canada but they have all been points south of this. Europe is deceptively further north than one expects compared to America.
Then we headed to Kiel and IKEA where I bought some mattresses, blankets, pillows and some other odds and ends to get ready for my family moving in to our new apartment--only about three weeks from now.
Here is a map of our route Saturday in blue.
There are red squirrels, the kids with tufted ears, in the area around Ploen. They are much larger than the "boomers" back home, about as large as a regular gray squirrel. I saw one briefly about a year ago when I first visited, here is its picture,
then I saw one again when visiting last December, and earlier this week one strolled by on the porch in front of me, not 10 feet away. These are very rare to see back home so it is fun to see their cousins here.
Also, there are small birds here that seem like a cross between a chickadee and a house sparrow. They have a black stripe down their bellies. They act kind of like a chickadee but are larger. I wonder if they are related or are some kind of sparrow. At some point I will look them up.
Also, there is lots of waterfowl here. Sea gulls, mallard ducks, geese, and "coots" are very common. I've seen big groups of geese grazing in the fields around here. The coots, which we don't have back home, are more timid birds and very good at swimming under water. A few days ago I watched a mallard here swim under water to get away from gulls that were badgering it for food it had but couldn't swallow. It would duck under the water and apparently go under part of a dock to prevent the gulls from seeing it and resurface further down. It kept doing this to get away from the gulls hovering above it and dive bombing it. Also, I've seen grebes a few times and they can travel a long distance under the water as well.
There is a fisherman in town that keeps fish in a large tank behind his restaurant and I look in there from time to time while walking by. Earlier today the sky reflection wasn't bad and I saw lots of very large fish. Some looked like giant gray carp and I definitely saw a couple sturgeon several feet long.
One morning this week before work I biked halfway to Preetz, a town nearer Kiel, without stopping, another small accomplishment for me. It's was a little over 3 miles one way, 6 miles round trip. I added it to the biking map below in pink.
Saturday G and I drove to Kiel via a scenic route. First we went north to Luetjenburg which was a nice town but not accessible by train.
The we turned west to parallel the coast and passed what appeared to be a medieval village, so we veered back and checked it out. It was deserted so we walked around and looked at the buildings.
Then we hooked north to see the Baltic coast at Schoenbergstrand. There was a statue on the walkway that I liked of a person holding an umbrella in a strong wind.
The sand on the beach is very white (no I didn't spot any amber, but I couldn't help looking). There were rock walls jutting out into the ocean at intervals, perhaps to stop erosion.
While walking I spotted a group of mallards swimming in the Baltic, another first for me. I've never seen ducks in the ocean that I can remember. I walked out on a dock before heading back and only later after looking at the map realized that this is the point farthest north that I have ever been on the ground, N54°24'57" (some transatlantic flights have hooked further north, but that doesn't really count). I have been to Canada but they have all been points south of this. Europe is deceptively further north than one expects compared to America.
Then we headed to Kiel and IKEA where I bought some mattresses, blankets, pillows and some other odds and ends to get ready for my family moving in to our new apartment--only about three weeks from now.
Here is a map of our route Saturday in blue.
Friday, February 22, 2008
WCWIII?
In some regional politics back home, a friend sent this news link to me this morning:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23076509/
The seeds of the third Walton County War (WCWIII) may be germinating.
(busy at work now, more later ...)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23076509/
The seeds of the third Walton County War (WCWIII) may be germinating.
(busy at work now, more later ...)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Nach Ascheberg
I found my gloves! I thought I had left them here boxed up last December but couldn't find them until now. They, of course, were in the one place I didn't look and didn't think they were--in a bag with some of V's clothes.
It was a gray day today but armed with gloves I took off for a bike ride before work. Starting off I noticed that they are shingling our future apartment. There was a large flat bed parked out front lifting stacks of red terra cotta tiles to the roof with a crane where people were unloading it.
I extended my explored route to the west, further toward Ascheberg from Koppelsberg. The extension is plotted in blue in the map below. It occurred to me later that instead of turning back I could have kept going to Ascheberg and rode the train back from the station there. I'm might try that sometime.
One quick observation about Germans, Germans tend to be very quiet in groups and many avoid eye contact when walking by. In contrast they, and many other nationalities I've talked to, consider Americans to be very loud and "chatty".
Also, the door thing that I mentioned in an earlier post, the outside doors to buildings tend to open inwards rather than outwards as in the states, and the doors in bathroom stalls tend to open outwards, again the opposite as the trend in the states. I keep finding myself pushing on doors in the wrong directions and feeling stupid about it, but hopefully even I can learn.
It was a gray day today but armed with gloves I took off for a bike ride before work. Starting off I noticed that they are shingling our future apartment. There was a large flat bed parked out front lifting stacks of red terra cotta tiles to the roof with a crane where people were unloading it.
I extended my explored route to the west, further toward Ascheberg from Koppelsberg. The extension is plotted in blue in the map below. It occurred to me later that instead of turning back I could have kept going to Ascheberg and rode the train back from the station there. I'm might try that sometime.
One quick observation about Germans, Germans tend to be very quiet in groups and many avoid eye contact when walking by. In contrast they, and many other nationalities I've talked to, consider Americans to be very loud and "chatty".
Also, the door thing that I mentioned in an earlier post, the outside doors to buildings tend to open inwards rather than outwards as in the states, and the doors in bathroom stalls tend to open outwards, again the opposite as the trend in the states. I keep finding myself pushing on doors in the wrong directions and feeling stupid about it, but hopefully even I can learn.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Kosovo Declares Independence!
Kosovo has just become the worlds newest country (following Montenegro which also parted from Serbia in 2006). It's parliament unanimously approved a declaration of independence earlier today, breaking away from Serbia. Serbia and Russia oppose an independent Kosovo while the US and much of the EU support it. Serbia has threatened to downgrade diplomatic relations with any countries that recognize Kosovo, while businesses in Kosovo have offered discounts to citizens of countries that recognize its independence (I see a future trip brewing here). This follows recent elections in Serbia that elected an "EU friendly" president rather than one with a tougher stance on Kosovo independence and closer ties to Russia. I'm told, by EU citizens here, that the back room deal was, if Serbia stays peaceful and does not take any military action against Kosovo, it will get the fast track to EU membership.
A day of rest
It sunny and clear this morning so I started out for a bike ride, but it has gotten colder and my hands were freezing without any gloves. It isn't really that cold however. I just checked online and it is at or just a degree below freezing (I average the Kiel and Lübeck temperatures), but the 18 km/hr wind on a moving bike makes a difference. So I turned back and used this time to update my blog, do some reading and fight the urge to go to work. It's probably for the best. The clouds are rolling in now and the wind seems to have picked up.
As my work schedule becomes more efficient and a routine develops, there is less down time for other things. Plus there is a tremendous amount to do to get things started in my new job and finish up projects in my old one, so I haven't had as much time to post here on the blog and update entries lately. This may have to turn into weekly or biweekly postings, but I do want to keep the blog going if I can. It is amazing the changes that have happened in just one week. Now, crocus and snowdrop flowers are coming up everywhere, some lawns are carpeted with them and the days "feel" like they are getting longer from when I arrived two weeks ago, but this may just be wishful thinking. The grocery stores have put up racks of seed packets for people to plant in the spring. One thing that is noticeably missing are hot pepper seeds. German food tends not to be spicy-hot at all. I like using peppers in some of my cooking and I may eventually try growing some peppers of my own, but I may have to import the seeds from the US?
During this last week I received more mail from Deutsch Bank, containing my account cards and information and a letter from the local government containing my tax registration certificate, which I turned in to my employer. It contains information about my income tax rate to be charged. Later when V and the kids arrive and we move to the apartment I have to reregister at the Rathaus and will get another certificate that has updated information for my dependents to turn in as well. I also picked a medical insurance company. I had to do this within two weeks of working and need to pay retroactively to my start date, Feb 1st. Here in Germany insurance is required, you have no choice not to pay for insurance. If you make over a certain amount for the last three years (even if it is outside of Germany) you have to buy the more expensive private insurance. Underneath this cutoff you can choose from many different "public" insurance providers. The cost is a percentage of your paycheck, usually around 13%, and is split with your employer, so you pay around 6% of your income for insurance. It is tightly controlled by the government and I am told there is very little real difference between the providers. Also, here in Germany they have a very radical system compared to US insurance--you're allowed to see doctors and the insurance pays for medical expenses!
As my work schedule becomes more efficient and a routine develops, there is less down time for other things. Plus there is a tremendous amount to do to get things started in my new job and finish up projects in my old one, so I haven't had as much time to post here on the blog and update entries lately. This may have to turn into weekly or biweekly postings, but I do want to keep the blog going if I can. It is amazing the changes that have happened in just one week. Now, crocus and snowdrop flowers are coming up everywhere, some lawns are carpeted with them and the days "feel" like they are getting longer from when I arrived two weeks ago, but this may just be wishful thinking. The grocery stores have put up racks of seed packets for people to plant in the spring. One thing that is noticeably missing are hot pepper seeds. German food tends not to be spicy-hot at all. I like using peppers in some of my cooking and I may eventually try growing some peppers of my own, but I may have to import the seeds from the US?
During this last week I received more mail from Deutsch Bank, containing my account cards and information and a letter from the local government containing my tax registration certificate, which I turned in to my employer. It contains information about my income tax rate to be charged. Later when V and the kids arrive and we move to the apartment I have to reregister at the Rathaus and will get another certificate that has updated information for my dependents to turn in as well. I also picked a medical insurance company. I had to do this within two weeks of working and need to pay retroactively to my start date, Feb 1st. Here in Germany insurance is required, you have no choice not to pay for insurance. If you make over a certain amount for the last three years (even if it is outside of Germany) you have to buy the more expensive private insurance. Underneath this cutoff you can choose from many different "public" insurance providers. The cost is a percentage of your paycheck, usually around 13%, and is split with your employer, so you pay around 6% of your income for insurance. It is tightly controlled by the government and I am told there is very little real difference between the providers. Also, here in Germany they have a very radical system compared to US insurance--you're allowed to see doctors and the insurance pays for medical expenses!
My new computer
My employer offered to buy me a new computer so I picked out a Dell XPS M1330 laptop with the RAM and hard drive maxed out and it was ready for me to pick up on Friday. It is small and lightweight so I can carry it around easily and has all kids of ports, drives and wireless connectivity. It came with windows vista so the first thing we did is wipe the hard drive, partition it in half, and install windows XP on one of the partitions. Later I plan to install Ubuntu Linux on the other partition. The first software I installed was 1) Mozilla Firefox, 2) Google Earth, and 3) Skype. I haven't had much time to explore all of it but one unexpected thing I'm really starting to like is its built in fingerprint scanner. To log into my account I don't have to select my user ID and type in a password, all I do is swipe my finger over the scanner and I am in. (But there is the nagging wonder if the US federal government is collecting this data from Microsoft, for a reasonable fee.) It also has a built in video camera that I used last night for a skype video call to my wife and kids back in the states.
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