Long-lost Relatives

Having a rare last name makes it exciting when you come across someone else with the same name. Although our family name is more common in some parts of Germany, it only has two entries in the Balingen phone book. One is for a woman named Marianne; Elena was asked by someone at work if she is related to her. This is a change of pace for Elena, who is used to having a Romanian last name which was consistently mutilated by people trying to pronounce it as they squinted at her name tag (usually only last names are printed). No one struggles with her last name now that she has a thoroughly German one -- given to her by her Canadian husband, ironically.

The other entry is for a butcher shop ("Metzgerei" in German) which I decided I needed to find immediately. After all, anyone who shares my last name and makes their living with meat must be a close relative. And after a short search, there it was, complete with a logo of a boy gleefully pulling on a link of sausages. Apparantly, they had found a photo from my childhood:

 

Of course, there was nothing else to do but go in and buy something delicious. I did purchase a few items, but due to the small line of people behind me, I regretfully chickened out when it came time to tell the lady behind the counter that I was related to the owner and should be entitled to a family discount. I think at the moment I was just so overwhelmed by the dreamy scent of smoked pork.   

"We Can do Everything. Except Speak Proper German."

So, I apologize for taking a week to post. My excuse is that last week was pretty taxing: My first week of work (9 1/2 hrs each day); a German test on Friday which took several hours; following which I was under the weather all weekend.
My first week of work was very interesting, not simply because of the work itself, but also adjusting to the way things are done in Germany. Language (as I mentioned in the previous post) is obviously a big part of the adjustment, and it seemed fitting that I got to cap off the week with a German test. There are several officially recognized levels of German language ability: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. A1 is quite basic, but is required for non-Germans to get a residence and work permit; B1 is required of people applying for citizenship, and C2 is basically perfect German in all scenarios. A few weeks ago before getting my permit, I needed to take a quick grading test to judge my German ability and whether or not I would be forced to take a A1 test. Fortunately, I did well and did not have to write the (expensive and time-consuming) A1 test. Being a glutton for punishment, I immediately booked a B1 test which is required of immigrants who have lived in Germany for several years and wish to obtain citizenship. Although I'm not eligible to be a citizen for another 3 years, I booked the test thinking that I'd like to get it out of the way in case I ever need it. Besides, some employers like to see evidence of language abilities before they hire.  
So there I was, with 12 other immigrants (mostly Turkish and Russian if you're curious) who have lived in Germany for years and taken a several-month long night course to prepare for this 3-hour test which includes listening, reading, writing and speaking. I, of course, have only been here for 3 months and did not take the course. Remember I said I'm a glutton for punishment? It was a good experience and I'm quite sure I passed... by how much, I'm not sure. I'll let you know when I get the results mailed to me.
In fairness, I did have quite a head start in the German department, what with hearing it among family sometimes and then often speaking it at home with Elena during the last 3 years. Which is actually one of the minor reasons for moving here: to improve my German. There is, however, a glitch: when I say "German", I mean what's literally called 'high German' which is to say: proper, official modern German. The problem is that the place I have moved to is the south of Baden-Württemberg province. Let me share with you the new slogan of Baden-Württemberg:

"We can do Everything. Except Speak Proper German"
No kidding.
That's because the Schwabs -- as the residents of south-western Germany are traditionally called -- are known for two things: being hard-working innovators, and having a very distinctive dialect. "Dialect" is putting it nicely. It's butchered German... but it's fun. Let me give you a comparison you can appreciate: moving to B.W. to learn High German is like trying to perfect your grasp of the Queen's English by moving to Alabama. I wish I could post a recording, it's that funny.
My work supervisor last Monday was very accomodating, and tried his best to speak High German. No such luck with the supervisor I've had since then. He's a full-blown Schwab from up in the hills (literally), who makes no attempt to mitigate his dialect. Thankfully, the dialect my family speaks is related to 'Schwäbisch' as it's called, so I can usually understand it... but I still have to stop myself from laughing. At home, Elena and my mother-in-law speak the old Schwäbisch dialect my family speaks.
So basically, the next time you see me, I will have learned a lot of German... just not proper German.
In case you wonder why I've developed a strange accent.

Jeremy's First Day of Work in Germany

Well, first of all, thanks to those of you who have been praying for me (Jeremy) to find work. I had a second interview with a company late last week, and they wanted me to start as soon as possible! So, with my last remaining ounce of strength I will attempt to tell you a bit about my first day of work in Germany.

It's at a precision manufacturing company in Gosheim, about a half hour's drive south and up. I say "up", because it's at a noticably higher altitude than Balingen. While Balingen is at the base of the 'Schwäbische Alb' as it's called (a raised geographical formation in south-western Germany extending to Switzerland), Gosheim is well up into it. Today the clouds were below in the valley and it was sunny all day. It makes for a scenic commute, but one which I'm told can take a lot longer in winter.

The company where I am now working seems like a pleasant place to work, and they're expanding at a ridiculous pace. In the last year and a half they have grown by more than 50% to over 300 employees, and I was one of six new ones starting today. It's very clean and organized, and thankfully everyone (including the boss) is friendly and has a good attitude.

In a nutshell, my job is to program, maintain and trouble-shoot automated part-checking machines. Considering it was my first day, I had the opportunity to see and do a lot, and was relieved to overhear my immediate supervisor giving a positive report about me on the phone at the end of the day.

Although there's a lot to learn in any new job, I find having to re-learn all the technical terms in German is adding another level of challenge. My brain is stuffed and weary from trying to retain everything... basically, I was learning the terms as my supervisor was speaking them. I could usually discern what he was talking about from the context of the conversation or because he was pointing at something, and would think "So that's what you call that in German!"

All part of the fun though; I did sign up for all this after all by moving here!

Welcome to Balingen

It occured to me that many of you reading this have never been to Balingen, so I thought I'd tell you a bit about our new hometown. Balingen has a long history, going back at least to the year 863. It was slowly built up during the following centuries, and by the time Matthäus Merian made the engraving above in 1643, it had several landmark buildings still standing today -- despite a few devastating fires which destroyed much of the city. The Protestant Church is in the middle, while the Zollern Castle is visible as the three large buildings huddled together on the far right. Even a few sections of the outside wall still remain, but the city has expanded far beyond it to house the current population of 34 000.
                                                                                                                                                       
The Zollern Castle or 'Zollernschloss' stands beside the Eyach River which flows through the city. It is undoubtedly the most famous building in Balingen, and for obvious reasons is a favourite subject for photos and postcards. I may eventually dedicate an entire post to the Zollernschloss, but until then, enjoy this photo taken on our wedding day (we have many others featuring us and family members in front of the castle -- could you ask for a better backdrop?) by a certain Mr. P. Denzinger.

The Protestant Church stands in the middle of the city center, and its imposing bell tower marks the time every hour; a sound which can be heard even outside the city. At the moment I took this photo, it was tolling 11 o'clock, and if you look closely or expand the image, you'll see that the ancient sundial clock is actually reasonably accurate.




















The Stadtmitte, or city center: a tree-lined pedestrian haven dotted by cafes and sculptures, where children play while adults enjoy a cappucino or espresso. It's not hard to get used to. You're pretty much guaranteed a decent cup of coffee or scoop of gelato -- many of the cafes are owned and operated by Italians. This picture was taken on one of the last warm days of the season.

Here is a view of the city center in late afternoon as seen from a footbridge over the railroad tracks. 

 
I hope you've enjoyed this little introduction to the city and want to see more... in person, of course.

Elena's New Job

Well, something amazing happened when Elena went to look for a job. She decide to apply at the pharmacy where she most wanted to work, the Stadt-Apotheke in Balingen. It is the most central and busiest pharmacy in the city, and it had always appealed to her. Although they weren't advertising an opening, she was hired on full-time the next day! She began work a week later, and loves it.

Here she is in her official-looking white labcoat and name-tag assisting a random customer... okay, it's actually her sister Kethe. The strange thing was that I really did show up at the pharmacy at a random time to take a picture of her with a customer and it was her sister! The pharmacy is now doing even better as Elena's family members show up regularly to see if she's actually working.

As for me, I just got my Aufenthaltstitel (residence and work permit) a couple weeks ago, and have applied at about a dozen places for work. I've had a few promising preliminary interviews, so I'll let you know when I get hired as well. Thanks for your prayers!

Celebrating Our 3rd Anniversary in France

We celebrated our 1st anniversary by flying to Germany, so now that we're living in Germany, we decided to celebrate our 3d anniversary by going to France! The grass is always greener...

Actually, Elena had only been to France (Strasbourg, just over the border) once before, so we thought it would be fun to do a quick 2-day getaway. After a beautiful drive through the Black Forest, we cruised through the rolling French countryside to the cities of Luneville and Nancy in Lorraine.

Of course in Luneville, we visited Chateau Luneville, enjoying its well-tended gardens on a day with near-perfect weather.

Nancy is a big city with a lot to see and do, but since we were there for only a short time, we went straight downtown to check out the large square with its famous golden gates. We also enjoyed walking through the huge park with lovely gardens which lies just beyond the gates. 


It was so nice to be able to end our short trip by spending a bit of time with Kurt and Marlece Woerlen in the little village of Vallois. They are the grandparents of our sister-in-law Tirzah, and they made us feel very welcome. Onkel Kurt shared some insightful biblical exhortations with us, and Tante Marlece treated us to an excellent meal with food straight from the garden. They even sent some fresh vegetables home with us, along with a few delicious jams!

Beginning in Balingen

Herzlich Wilkommen!

Elena and I have been wanting to send out an email to let our friends know how we're doing, what we're doing, etc. now that we're living in Germany. Instead of semi-regular mass emails to those who may or may not be interested in what we're up to, we're going to try to do a blog! Although there will be a spurt of blogs initially as we catch you up on our first 2+ months here, I'm anticipating that posts will become somewhat less frequent as we settle into everyday life.

I thought it would be nice to start out with a family photo, but since we don't have kids we stole someone else's for this picture:

They even match us, don't you think? A dark-complexioned little eastern European, and a larger, high-maintenance redhead! Actually, they are the fraternal twin daughters of Elena's niece Carina, named Alanis and Alessa. And in Alessa's defence, she is not usually that cranky. It probably had something to do with being held by the big stranger with the scary voice.