Sleeping Woes, Sleepless Nights

Here is our lovely bedroom in our Heidelberg apartment. Two twin beds and a crib all nestled together. We're just one big, happy family at night--or NOT!

While some might consider it a luxury to be able to stick your hand through the crib bars while still laying down in bed to give your baby a reassuring pat during the night, I find it down-right annoying. Even with a noise machine, we continue to wake each other up throughout the night, and once Penelope is awake, it's a LONG time before she goes back to sleep. [insert crying and wailing noises]



And then there is the problem of the crib. The tiny crib that is really more like a longer version of a bassinet. Apparently German babies are able to lay perfectly motionless on their backs during the whole night, and therefore they can make do with tiny cribs. Penelope has been somewhat mobile (rolling, turning circles on her belly) for several weeks now, and that mobility has led to more problems. Her limbs continually get stuck between the crib bars during the night, causing the whole family to lose sleep. [insert crying and wailing noises]

Usually the reason Penelope gets her body stuck in the crib bars is because she wakes up, sees me laying in bed beside her, and decides to turn her body around and inch as close to me as possible. Because that way the crying will be even louder in my ears and surely then I will come to her rescue! [insert excrutiatingly loud crying and wailing noises]

Oh, and the pacifier problem. She rejected thumbsucking after a few months, so now she needs her pacifier to fall asleep. But the mobile baby coupled with the smallness of the crib makes for many a pacifier to fall through the bars and drop onto the floor in the middle of the night. I often find her gazing down at her pacifier with one arm outstreched through the crib bars in desperation. [insert more crying and wailing noises]

After much contemplation, we arrived at a solution to our sleeping problems. Put a bumper pad around the crib bars! Surely this will prevent the pacifiers from falling to the floor and may even prevent a limb or two from getting stuck at night. And more importantly it will create a bit of a barrier between the child and her sleeping parents. Now you see us, now you don't!

If I were in the U.S. I would have simply jumped into my car and headed straight for the nearest Babies 'R' Us megastore and bought one. But this is Germany. And I have no car.

After inquiring into several (tiny) baby boutiques around Heidelberg with no luck, we happened upon an American mom who told me that I should go to the store BabyOne. I learned that this is their equivalent to Babies 'R' Us and the only place that sells basic baby items in this area. Armed with that piece of information, I went home and researched the store and used Google Maps to locate it. From my estimation, all I would need to do is to cross over the bridge by our apartment and walk down along the river away from the town center until I reached the street. It didn't look like too bad of a walk.

So I bundled Penelope up, plopped her in the stroller and headed for the store. We walked. And we walked. And we walked. When I saw signs saying that we had left Heidelberg and were now in another town I got worried. But I kept walking. And walking. An hour and 30 minutes and a few rain showers later I finally arrived at BabyOne. [insert huge sigh of relief]

After wandering around the store for a while like a dumb American, I found what I was looking for, and walked home (another 1 1/2 hours) triumphantly.

Here is the new view of the crib from my vantage point in bed.



And here is the happier baby who now sleeps in a comfier, holeless, crib.



But like any good escape artist, she is beginning to find the holes in the system...

Duckie Love

Penelope has always loved bathtime, but our new place in Heidelberg doesn't have a bathtub. Thankfully the little one is flexible. After devising a drain plug out of a washcloth and providing a towel for her to sit on so she won't slip around, Penelope now sits for her bath in the bottom of the shower. As you can plainly see, she thinks it's the best thing ever!

But the real reason she likes bathtime is because she gets to spend time with her best friend, the rubber duckie--which she likes to call 'Gossie.'

These two have a very unique relationship. Gossie has no problem with Penelope gnawing on her. In fact, it's how Penelope demonstrates her love for her fine-feathered friend.

Recently Penelope has prefected a magic trick--making Gossie's head disappear!

She has also been training Gossie for the triple back flip.

Penelope was overcome with glee by the amount of rubber ducks at the Stuttgart Volksfest. She begged and begged her father for one.



Finally he relented and brought her one home. Although a bit unsure of one another at first...

Penelope made the first move and forged a new friendship.

And now they are BFFs.

Things that make me go hmmm...

1. Sauerkraut Juice. People seriously pay money to drink pickled cabbage?

2. Orange egg yolks. What do they feed their chickens here?

3. Radler: 50% beer, 50% sparkling lemonade = a curious combination

4. Room temperature dairy. Even if it is possible to scientifically engineer milk to not require refrigerization, is warm milk all that pleasant to drink?

5. Roasted Turkey flavored Pringles. Why ruin a perfectly delicious can of chips?

Inside the Castle

"Deserted, discrowned, beaten by the storms, but royal still, and beautiful," wrote Mark Twain of the Heidelberg castle.

Since our arrival in Heidelberg over two weeks ago we have gazed up at the castle on many different occasions and from many different angles. Our first reaction was similar to that of Mark Twain. From afar it appears to be a structure that was once glorious but now sits in ruins. It has the reputation of being one of the most significanat tourist draws in Germany, its state of decay, in some sense, contributing to its celebration as a 'Romantic' monument.



Last weekend we set out to get a closer look at this romantic castle of ruins, but this time from the inside. We discovered that the castle was much more expansive than it appears from a distance, and although much of it is in ruins, there is much left intact.

But first you must make the steep journey to get to the castle. The first and easiest option is to take the funicular--sort of like a cable car that runs up a track straight up the steep hill. This takes you right to the front entrance of the castle. We were short on time and didn't want to wait for the next car, so we ruled this out. The second option is the steepest and longest set of stone steps you've ever seen. No amount of money could have convinced us to do this as we had Penelope in the stroller. The third option is the Burgweg, a steep cobblestone path that leads to the back entrance of castle. We chose this route. It took both the father's and my strength to push the stroller to the top. Here I am after just having reached the base of the castle, still huffing and puffing from the journey.



After paying the entrance fee we made our way to this balcony and took in the magnificent views of the city and the surrounding countryside below.





We had rented these neat hand-held computers that provide an audio-visual tour of the city. The castle was our last stop on the tour. Since we had taken the Burgweg route and not entered the castle through the main gate, it took us a while to figure out where we were on the map. Notice the intensity on my face as I try to get my bearings.



Below is the Friedrichsbau, or Friedrich's Building. It stands out amongst the rest of the castle because it is completely intact. You can even go inside and tour the restored rooms.



My favorite building is the Ottheinrichsbau. All that remains is this ornate wall that faces the inner courtyard of the castle.



But most of the rest of the castle is just ruins--but magnificent ruins nonetheless.



Another attraction within the castle is the Grosses Fass--the biggest wine cask you could ever imagine. It was built in 1751 and holds 221,725 liters of wine. Apparently they needed all this wine because the average castle resident drank 16 liters of wine a day. That's an awful lot of wine, my friend.



You can even walk up two sets of stairs and stand on top of the cask.

So now that we've taken our own tour of the castle, we can't wait for you to come visit so that we can show you around!

Communication 101

Shopping in a grocery store always poses a great many obstacles to the foreigner. The produce section is filled with fruits and vegetables that you are unfamiliar with and lacks those fruits and vegetables that you are accustomed to. The packaging looks different, and you don't recognize any of the brands. The brand names you do recognize are imports and therefore five times the price. The products are arranged in a way that makes no sense to you, and it therefore makes it all the more difficult to find what you are looking for.

There are also the unspoken, assumed ways of doing things that everyone expects you to know. Here, in Germany, that includes remembering to bring a 1 Euro coin so that you can get a shopping cart, and to return the cart to its proper location so you can get the coin back. You must also remember to bring your own bags to put your groceries in after buying them so that you don't have to pay for each of the store's bags. And don't expect them to bag your groceries--that is your job.

Then there is the language. Oh, the difficult German language. Now I understand why companies are so careful to put colorful, descriptive pictures on their food packaging. If it weren't for the pictures, who knows what food I would come home with. But pictures can only get you so far. For example, after doing a little celebration dance when I found peanut butter in the store, I was then confronted with the choice of just which type of peanut butter I would buy. I could see from the pictures that one was "crunchy" and one was "smooth," but then there was one jar that said "ohne salz." I figured "salz" meant salt since it was so similar, and peanut butter tastes better with salt, so I bought that one. It was only when I brought it home that the father remarked, "Why did you buy peanut butter without salt?" Oops.

As a language teacher by profession, I tend to take note of how people try to communicate with me in German when they know I don't speak German. I find myself often thinking of the students I teach who come to me not knowing a word of English and struggle so hard to understand and make themselves understood. After working with students with very little English for awhile, I am familiar with what strategies work and what strategies don't work. Gestures, rephrasing, pictures, acting it out, breaking it down--those things work. Speaking fast, repeating the same thing over and over again, raising your voice and speaking louder, and louder and LOUDER--those things do not work.

This past Monday I found myself in the check-out line at the local grocery store. Half of the town happened to be at the store with me because the grocery stores had been closed for the two previous days. (Grocery stores are always closed on Sundays, and Saturday was a national holiday.)

After waiting in line for 15 minutes with a fussy Penelope, it was finally my turn. The store clerk started scanning the items. And while she was doing this I quickly stuffed them into my bags. Suddenly the lady stopped and held up the tomato and said "blahblahblah." I stopped and looked up at her quizzically. So she held up the tomato and said "blahblahblah" again, but with an annoyed sound to her voice. I said in English that I didn't understand. Then she said "blahblahblah" again but this time louder and with an exasperated sigh at the end. I stood helpless, trying with all my might to understand the word she kept repeating, but all to no avail. So, with another sigh, she took my tomato and put it on the counter next to the cash register. Oh well, I guess I didn't need that tomato.

But then it happened again when she got to my cucumber. "Blahblahblah." "Blahblahblah." "BLAHBLAHBLAH." More confused looks from me, and again she gave a sigh and placed my cucumber next to the tomato by the cash register. Guess I didn't need that either. She scanned a few more groceries and then got to my bag of carrots. "Blahblahblah." Here we go again! What am I doing wrong? Am I not allowed to buy vegetables here or something?!

It was then that the guy behind me intervened. He grabbed the tomato, cucumber and carrots, pushed through the lines of people, and set them on a machine. Then it clicked! I was supposed to weigh the vegetables myself, push the corresponding button, and adhere the printout with the price onto each bag. If only the lady had pointed to the machine when she said "Blahblahblah" or said it in a different way, maybe I could have figured it out on my own. This could have saved me some of the embarrassment and saved the people behind me in line a bit of time.

Dear Reader, let this be a message to you. Next time you come across someone from another country who looks as lost as I was, think of me and lend them a helping hand.

The Great Escape

hmmm....there's got to be a way out of this thing



i bet i can climb out of here



or maybe if i shake it hard enough



or perhaps i could eat my way through the bar



my foot fits through, so maybe the rest of me will too



grrr....



~~~observations on the inner thoughts of an escape artist~~~

Spielplatz

We discovered the best playground ever in the Schlossgarten of Stuttgart. I think it might be the former home of the Swiss Family Robinson. If I hadn't had the little one strapped on, I would have climbed up to the treehouse myself! Penelope and I did find a perfect spot for the two of us to play, however, while the father snapped some pictures.

THE DÖNER

We have discovered the fast food of all fast food.



THE DÖNER

The McDonald's Big Mac has met it's match.

"What is a DÖNER?" you say.

It beings with a huge hunk of meat.
(Don't ask me what kind of meat. I haven't figured that out yet.)



Then the person takes the longest knife you've ever seen and shaves off pieces of the meat into a toasted pita-like bread.

This is topped off with your choice of vegetables (tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cabbage, peppers), cheese, a white creamy sauce, and a sprinkle of red spicy stuff.

Voilà! THE DÖNER




I prefer the meatless, vegetarian version.

As does Penelope.

*I do not, however, reccommend eating a DÖNER while carrying an infant in a Moby wrap.

Stuttgart, Part 4; or, The Bracelet

After we had had our fill of the Stuttgart Volksfest festivities and beer we headed for the train station. We bought our train tickets and proceeded to the Platform 3 to wait for the train. Penelope was tuckered out from trying to take in all of the sights and sounds of the festival that day. But despite our best efforts, she still would not give in to sleep--there were still people to look at and trains to examine.

Five minutes before our train was supposed to leave we heard an announcement over the loudspeaker (in German). The father knew just enough German to know that it had something to do with our train. But not enough German to understand the full message. (But who can understand announcements over a loudspeaker anyways, even when it's in your own language?)

We contemplated and observed for three minutes. Then we asked a young couple next to us for help. They replied that our train was now coming to Platform 1--in one minute. Then they said in English in a somewhat monotone voice, "You must run......fast.......you must....hurry." And hurry we did. Down a flight of stairs, down the hallway, up a flight of stairs and onto the crowded train.

So, there we were on the train, surrounded by fellow Volksfest participants, settled in for the train ride home, and hoping that Penelope would quickly be seduced to sleep by the whirr of the train. But windows that look like mirrors and new surroundings were much more appealing than sleep. Penelope decided it was a great time to put on a laughing and dancing show.

That was when the head appeared. A blond, 31 year old (this came up in the ensuing conversation) German woman in the seat in front of us turned around, peered over her seat, and oohed and awed at our darling Penelope. Being the proud parents that we are, we forgot about her need for sleep and happily showed off our little one.

Then the hand appeared. The woman cooed in German to Penelope and invited her to take her hand. Which Penelope did take--and promptly insert into her own mouth. (EW! Stranger germs!) Being the good mother that I am, I quickly pulled Penelope away and tried to divert her attention. Now I was done with the idea of showing Penelope off and just wanted her to go to sleep.

Then the bracelet appeared. A silver charm bracelet that the woman removed from her wrist and dangled in front of Penelope. Penelope lit up at the sight of it, grabbed it, and put it in her mouth. (EWW! More stranger germs!!!) I siezed the thing and tried to give it back to the woman. But the woman just put it back into Penelope's hands and said something in German. I protested politely and gave it back again. Once, again the woman said something and gave it back to Penelope. I wasn't quite sure what to do. Did she really think this bracelet was an appropriate toy for Penelope? And why wouldn't she get the message that I didn't want my baby to be playing with it, much less eating it?

Finally, the father stepped in and explained that the woman was telling me that the bracelet was a gift for Penelope. She was insisting that I keep it as a gift for Penelope. That weirded me out, but I saw no other option but to accept it. I faked a smile and handed it to the father, out of Penelope's reach.

A few minutes later Penelope took her cue and finally provided me an out with this overly-friendly woman. She started fussing and acting sleepy (FINALLY), so I placed my focus on getting Penelope to sleep and hoped the woman would turn around and leave us in peace. But the lady didn't take the cue and instead continued to watch Penelope, making comments here and there. That was when I decided to pretend to fall asleep with Penelope. Surely then the lady would give up and leave us alone. NOPE. She continued to watch Penelope while she slept.

The father, meanwhile, felt like he should make conversation with this woman peering over the seat in front of him. The conversation was a mixture of German and English, so I could follow some of it under the ruse of sleep. The woman explained how she lived in a town on the border of France with her boyfriend Toby. (It was then we realized that the man slumped over in a Volksfest beer stupor in the seat next to her was Toby.)

After discussing her job, her town and our experience in Germany she turned back to the subject of Penelope. "What you have is perfect...your family....It is so beautiful." Then she went on to say that all she has ever wanted is to have a child. At this point her voice started quivering and she began crying. She pointed to Toby (still a little out of it) and explained that he doesn't want children. She went on to say that she couldn't find a better man to be with, so she was stuck with Toby and without children.

At this point I was still weirded out by this woman and her emotions and frankness. But I began to understand her actions towards us and Penelope, and my heart went out to her. After she and the father ran out of conversation topics, she continued to watch Penelope sleep. When it was her stop, she yelled out excitedly to Toby to get up. Toby emerged and gave us a weak smile and a wave as we walked down the aisle of the train, trailing his girlfriend. Oh, Toby.

Stuttgart, Part 3; Where are your Lederhosen?

Penelope, why did you forget to wear your Dirndl for the Stuttgart Volksfest?



Upon arriving at the Stuttgart Volksfest we quickly realized that we were underdressed--or, better yet, not appropriately dressed.

You see, Germans take their festivals very seriously. And these very serious occasions call for nothing but the proper, very serious attire.



And before you question our photographing skills, please keep in mind that the pictures we have displayed here were very difficult to get. The Germans take their traditional attire very seriously, and we didn't want to upset them by making a mockery of them. This ain't no Halloween party folks. Besides, we were the only non-Germans around.

The traditional women's clothing is called Dirndl. Penelope is modeling--rather reluctantly--a lovely Dirndl outfit here.



By the way, when the above picture was being taken, the storekeeper got very upset with the father for taking a picture. He apparently didn't appreciate the Americans joking about the clothing in his store.

We did manage to secretly snap this photo a few moments later. (Gotcha!)



The guy in the picture above is wearing the traditional Lederhosen. Isn't he cute? It looks like he is shopping for a little something for his Frau (or his Mann).

What most surprised us about these outfits is that even the cool people were wearing them proudly. Observe the young, attractive couple below.

And look at these guys. Hanging out after a long day at work...in their Lederhosen.

And this guy complemented his Lederhosen with a delightful feather hat.

With this gentleman we observe the interaction between classic and modern.

Lederhosen + Cellphone = GQ



And the picture below is the best of all. What more can I say, he's just so serious about it all.

Though we were careful, the picture-taking did eventually get us--or really the father--into trouble. We ran into two kids who had had a few too many liters of Volksfest beer to drink. The one couldn't stand up. The other tried to help. And the father found it funny. So he decided to take some pictures.

The more sober of the two drunk dudes didn't find the father's picture-taking so funny.

When he saw the camera he lunged after the father shouting and swinging and shoving. He wanted a fight.

Luckily, the security guards swooped in and grabbed the two guys before the father--as he would say--took care of business on his own. Nevertheless, it was quite a tense moment.

Soon after we called it a night and headed to the train station. While on the train we had another curious encounter--but not so violent this time. I'll save that story for tomorrow's post...