Sunshine Blogger Award

Bev from Confuzzledom tagged me in her Sunshine Award post, and since I haven't written much lately and find these posts really fun to read from other bloggers, I thought I'd go ahead and participate. Thanks for the tag, Bev!

The Sunshine Blogger award is given by bloggers to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community. [Oh dear. I'm not always positive...] There are rules.

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in your post and link back to her/his blog.
2. Answer 11 questions the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 new bloggers to receive the award and write 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger award logo in your post.

Here we go with Bev's questions:

1. What is the best book you've read so far in 2018?

Bev is an avid reader, so I would expect book questions! The one I enjoyed the most was Diary of a Bookseller, by Shaun Bythell. He runs a bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, and his book covered a year of his life, the strange things customers say, the quirky employees he's had, his runs around Scotland to pick up loads of books when someone asks if he'd like their (or their deceased grandfather's) collection of books, the stinky cat that lives in the book shop, and life in a small Scottish town. Apparently sending Shaun anonymous postcards is a thing, so I sent him one!

Bev, there's a book festival in Wigtown every year, and I think you and I should take a road trip there! 

2. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?

OMG, no contest. A Steinkauz!! 

3. What food could you happily eat every day?

Again, no contest. Ziegenkäse im Speckmantel.

The salad's not really necessary, but
the dressing is delicious.

4. What is your favourite thing about the place you live?

I can get everywhere I need or want to go on public transportation, it's a small, quiet town, and it's in Swabia.

5. Where were you born?

On an Air Force base that no longer exists in Michigan, USA.

6. Are you eating or drinking anything right now?

Yes. (a glass of white wine)

7. What is one talent you wish you had?

That's easy for me - the ability to understand and speak the basics of every language. Beyond that, the ability to play the piano well. I wasted the chance my parents gave me - 11 years of piano lessons, and I couldn't be bothered to practice.

8. Do you have a favourite board game?

Anything trivia-related, so probably Trivial Pursuit - in German and in English. I love challenging myself and learning along the way.

9. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

Being able to write and share my thoughts. My American friends and family won't talk about politics or anything controversial or unpleasant, but I can write about anything I want to here and put it out into the universe. I equally enjoy connecting with other bloggers, especially those living in Germany (or Switzerland!) or Scotland.

10. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

I think I tried octopus once, at Stefano's in Sheboygan. It was on an appetizer plate, so it was just a bite. I remember saying it wasn't awful.

11. If you won a large sum of money, what's the first thing you would do?

I would pay off my children's education loans (the silly twits studied in the US, where post-secondary education is affordable only for the very wealthy, rather than in Germany), and then I would give them each a chunk. I don't need much and have a husband who is working himself to death, providing us with a comfortable life. 

Oh dear, now to nominate other bloggers. Do I know 11 other bloggers?

Marisa from Adventures of La Mari

Camila from Adventitious Violet

A at Around the Wherever

Allie at Starting over in Stuttgart

Meredith at Kaffee und Kuchen, but I don't know if she's still blogging!

Danielle from So Long, USA!

I think it would be a little silly to nominate more because these are the only bloggers I know who have read my blog, besides Heather and Dormouse, who were already nominated. I read others, but I doubt they've been here. If I'm wrong, let me know and I'll happily tag you!

Here are my 11 questions:

1. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
2. What drives you crazy about blogging (or what is sometimes not so nice)?
3. What is or was your dream career?
4. Which book have you been meaning to read, but just haven't got around to yet?
5. Who or what is immediately to your left at the moment?
6. Do you enjoy trivia contests/shows/games? Why or why not?
7. Besides electronics, what are three things you always bring with you when you travel?
8. Is there a place or country you can say you would never want to visit?
9. What is something you have from one of your parents or parent figures (trait or object)?
10. What are your favourite types of blog posts to read (what is the topic)?
11. Would you rather travel to a new place with an organized group or alone?
    
12. Bonus question: How old do you feel (not how old are you)?

Looking forward to reading your responses!

a Valentine's Post

This question-answer list has been seen on Facebook, but I decided to do it on my blog instead, in part so any readers I still have know I'm alive. I've been ill and not up for blogging, but I'm climbing out of the fog.

M grudgingly agreed I could do this, so here I go!

1. How long have you been together?
    Friends for 27+ years, together for 13 years, married for 11+ years.

2. Who said "I love you" first?
    He did. 

3. Who is more sensitive?
    I at least appear to be.

4. Where do you eat out most as a couple?
    Straub's Krone!

5. Who's older?
    I am.

6. Where was your first date?
    We don't actually know. After so many years of friendship, there was no clear "first date."

7. Who is more social?
    I am, but he surprises me sometimes.

8. Who is the neat freak?
    Sadly, neither of us.

9. Who is more romantic?
    Both of us? Neither of us?

10. Who wakes earlier?
      Usually he does.

11. Who's funnier?
      He is, and here's the proof.

12. Who has the bigger family?
      I do, both immediate and extended.

13. How long did it take to get serious?
      14 years.

1991 - long before serious

14. Who picks where you go to eat?
      Either of us. 

15. Who is the first one to admit being wrong?
      He is. He says it saves time and avoids arguments.

16. Who wears the pants in the family?
      We both do. I hate skirts. Then again...

The answer to who is wearing pants is all the more interesting
here if you consider the British definition...

17. Who eats more sweets?

      I think I do.

18. Who spends more money?

      He probably does. He also works harder.

19. Who is more sarcastic?

      He is, but I've always given a valiant effort.

20. Who makes more messes?

      He does, but he also cleans up after himself.

21. Who hogs the remote?

      He does, but now and then I get to choose. Those evenings usually go like this...

        me: "Do you know what you're going to watch on TV tonight?"

        M:  "Oh no."

22. The better driver?

      Without question, he is. He also actually likes driving. I do not.

23. Who is smarter?

      Again, he is.

24. Did you go to the same school?

      For 5 months in 1986 I attended his school in Esslingen while I was on an exchange program.

25. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together?

      Wisconsin or Tennessee - whichever is farther from Stuttgart.

26. Who hogs the blanket? 

      Neither of us - in German double beds, each gets his/her own blanket and mattress.

even in hotels!

27. Who does the laundry?

      I do, but he does his own ironing and mending when needed.

28. Who's better with the computer?

      He is. It's his career.

29. Who reads more?

      No contest - I do.

30. Who's the better cook?

      Also no contest - he is, but I've learned a lot from him.

      He's cooking Rouladen for dinner as I sit here typing this...!

preparing Rouladen,
demonstrating mise en place

Now it's your turn! There's still time before Valentine's Day!

Book Review: So sind sie, die Amerikaner

Despite an extended illness and finishing up my latest Integrationskurs, I found lots of time in January to read. I actually read six books and finished a 7th! The one I'm about to review is more of a booklet, really, with only 100 pages of light reading. 

This book is part of a series, written in German, about people of other countries. The series also includes books about Brits, Islanders, the French, Swedes, and the Japanese, among others. Judging from the one about my Landsleute, I believe the intent is for the writers to be whimsical while relating their honest opinions and observations.

The word that came to my mind when I was about half-way through with the book (I read it within a few hours) was: Volltreffer!  From my point-of-view the writer pretty much hit the nail on the head, though I believe most Americans would be offended and defensive if they could read it. I went to Amazon.de to see what reviews were there, being almost certain one of my Landsleute would have commented, and sure enough. Just look here and click on the comment to wayways's 5-star review. ("Wow, somebody really hates Americans!!")

Admittedly the writer does not focus on the many positive aspects of Americans and life in America, probably because those aren't particularly amusing. But I don't see her as just complaining, either. If you want to be comfortable living in America as a foreigner, you need to try to understand what makes them tick and avoid hot spots.

This is a good book to read in preparation for a quick trip to the States, though of course there's no way to truly explain the people of any country in just 100 pages.

Section headings are, for instance:
 Nationalism & Identity
 Typical Qualities
 Sense of Humor
 Eating & Drinking
 Customs & Traditions
 Free time & Entertainment

The author begins with a warning: "Americans are like teenagers: loud, curious, unable to keep a secret, indelicate, and with a tendency toward embarrassing behavior in public. When one accepts their basically adolescent ways, one can also understand the rest of their culture."

Those are her first two sentences, and I'm pretty certain that most Americans would already be ready to fight.

She goes on to say, "Amerikaner sind freundlich, weil sie nicht anders können." (Americans are friendly, because they don't know how to be anything else.") She's talking about Americans' interactions with strangers, and of course comparing it to the way Germans tend to be.

The writer points out a well-known fact - that Americans are proud to be Americans, because the U.S. is the greatest country on earth. People from most countries believe that about their home, but we Americans have proof: so many people from everywhere in the world want to come to America, and many risk their lives to get here. What more proof is needed? (p. 11)

She also notes that just 40% of Americans own a passport (compared to 75% of Canadians and 80% of Brits, p. 7), but there's a reason for that, too. The U.S. is so huge that one can travel for weeks without ever leaving the Homeland. With most Americans preferring to stay home (or not being able to afford to travel), this leads to a lack of understanding of other lands and peoples and their ways of doing things. From thence comes another common stereotype of Americans: that we know very little about the rest of the world.

For most of the writer's observations, I can say I know an American (or several) who illustrates her point.
"Selbst wenn die Vorortbewohner abgesehen vom Haus ihrer Nachbarn auch jedes andere Ziel zu Fuß erreichen könnten, würden sie es trotzdem nicht tun." (p. 22) (Even if the suburb dwellers could reach not only their neighbor's house but every other destination by foot, they wouldn't do it.)   *The front door of a favorite restaurant is an 8-minute walk from the front door of my parents' house, and they drive there for meals. In their defense, they would have to walk along the side of a road to get there because there's no sidewalk.

"In den USA entspricht die Ehe oftmals eher einer Serie monogamer Beziehungen als einem Bund fürs Leben." (p. 31) (Marriage is often more a series of monogamous relationships than a bond for life.) *An American I once dated was described by his sister as "a serial monogamist."

"Mittelschichtseltern stellen fest, dass ihre Kinder nicht nur keine Ahnung haben, welche Gabel man wann bei einem förmlichen Dinner verwendet, sondern dass sie selten überhaupt eine Gabel benutzen." (p. 37) (Middle class parents say not only that their children wouldn't know which fork to use during a formal dinner, but that they seldom use a fork at all.)  *One of the students I took to Germany years ago on a class trip (16 years old) did not know how to cut her Schnitzel with a knife. She tried to cut the meat holding the knife as if she were stabbing something with it. Most kid-friendly meals in America (sandwiches, hamburgers, bagels, tacos...) are eaten with the hands.


The writer did miss out on two pretty significant points that I consider important for Germans to know about Americans before spending time with them.

1. They are unable to look at themselves with a critical eye, and
2. They are not looking for honesty when they ask for your opinion. "What do you think of my new...?" or "Oh! You've been to America? What did you think?!" They are looking for a compliment, not an honest answer, so it's best just to think of something nice to say.

Do you disagree with me? Well, you might not be able to, because although I'm writing this blog post, I'm doubting the wisdom of publishing it. Not because I am afraid readers will disagree with me (I'd enjoy a healthy discussion about this!) but rather because I might lose friends - if people I know see this - and be labeled an American-hater. Which kind of illustrates my points, ya know?

The writer does mention positive qualities of Americans: many spend time volunteering, we really know how to have fun, we are friendly, polite, and optimistic, and we see most problems as challenges to overcome.

On the other hand, Americans almost always push blame onto someone or something other than themselves (p. 83). If you doubt that, just reflect back on the recent government shut-down (Jan. 2018). And what is every American kid's answer when his or her parents ask why s/he is getting a bad grade in any class? "The teacher hates me!" I taught high school English and German for 16 and 14 years respectively, and I assure you, we teachers do not give bad grades because we hate a student. Students earn bad grades when their work sucks or when they don't bother to do it. "But I spent all night on this assignment [that you assigned us two weeks ago]!"  Blaming others is a big part of the American psyche, to the delight of the 1.2 million lawyers working in the U.S., and it starts early.

Do I hate Americans? Nope. But I can look at myself and my Landsleute with a critical eye and not lose anything while doing so, and that criticism equates to most Americans as hatred. We all have quirks, and I think Germans have an easier time recognizing and acknowledging their own than Americans do. If you point out a German quirk to a German, rather than get defensive, he's likely to think a moment and say, "Yeah, I see where you get that."

I'll end with one funny American quirk the writer mentions that I'll bet you've never thought about. We use the oddest things to measure distance and size. (p. 53) We describe the size of a shopping mall parking lot in football fields. We describe volume in terms of how many bathtubs the thing would fill. And when someone asks how far away something is, we tell them how long it takes to drive there. "How far is Madison from Sheboygan?" "Oh, about two hours."

What quirks do you notice about your own people?

Can you look at yourself and your Landsleute with a critical eye?

Reading List 2018

I never read as many books in a year as I'd like to, which is one reason I don't set a goal on Goodreads. As a realist, I prefer to not set a goal rather than set one I won't achieve. I just read what I can and enjoy it as I go along. This post comes dangerously close to a reading goal, though, and I'm already feeling skeptical. But let's go with it and see what happens.

I don't like being "between books," which is why I generally read more than one book at a time. One of those needs to be small enough to fit in my purse for train rides and errands (yes, I have been know to whip out a book while waiting in the slow line at the Kasse), which my last novel of 2017 - Ken Follett's a Column of Fire - definitely was not.

In no particular order, here are the books with which I'm planning to start 2018 and how they found their way to my shelves. (X means I have since read/finished the book.)

Origin, by Dan Brown X

I have not read all of Brown's books, but the ones I've read were quite intriguing! Real discussion-starters. I learned he'd come out with a new one in 2017 and promptly put it on my birthday list. My kids ordered that one for me, along with a Column of Fire. I have no doubt I will like it, but it's not purse-size and won't be traveling with me. I'm not going anywhere until the second half of February, so this will probably be my January book.

Nachts ist es leise in Tehran, by Shida Bazyar  X

I heard about this one when I went to a book reading in Stuttgart about this book. There was a project in 2017 called "Stuttgart liest ein Buch" (Stuttgart reads a book), which encouraged people across the city to read a certain book and attend events at which they could then discuss it. The book they focused on was this one, and I decided to order it.

Moon Palace, by Paul Auster X

A teacher friend I met through the AATG (American Assoc. of Teachers of German) listserv who teaches English in a town not far from us gave me this book. Despite the fact that Auster is an American writer, I have never heard of him. Perhaps that's because all the writers I covered in American Lit were long deceased. My friend recommends the book, and I'm usually open to book recommendations!

Schwarzer Neckar, by Thilo Schuerer

Speaking of recommendations, this book has been loaned to me by one of M's employees (I'd also call him a friend of mine). There's a genre called Schwabenkrimis (Swabian crime novels), and this is one such book. I started reading it in the fall but couldn't quite get going - Krimis are not really my thing. It's the start of a series, though, and I really want to at least read this first one. If I like it as much as my friend did, maybe it will open a new genre for me. My challenge with such novels is to force myself not to browse the end when I feel like things are moving too slowly.

****
By the way, did you notice on my photo above that books printed in English-speaking countries have their titles facing left on the binding, and those printed in Germany face right? (The Auster book is English but was printed in Germany.) This could be really awful for people with OCD. In order for all the titles to face the same way, the German books would need to be shelved upside-down!
****

Ghostly Tales and Sinister Stories of Old Edinburgh, by Alan Wilson, et. al. X

My kids and son's girlfriend bought me this book while we were in Edinburgh together last June. This will be a good train book because it's a collection of short stories and a good size for a purse or backpack.

Scottish Folk Tales

The kids (they're adults, but you know how that goes) also bought me this book in Scotland, and since M and I are going there again this year, these two books will put me in the right frame of mind - as if I need books for that. If I haven't read this one by September, I'll take it with me.

the Darling, by Anton Chekhov

This was a gift from a student of mine from Russia, and I want to finally get to it! I'm familiar with Chekhov, but not this story. The book includes several other short stories as well and will be a good train read. I like to make sure I read at least one World Lit classic each year, so this will count for that as well.

Katherine of Aragon, by Alison Weir  X

My favorite genre is historical fiction, though putting this one on my list for 2018 is cheating a bit. I read most of it in 2017, but then abandoned it temporarily for a Column of Fire. This is not the first time I've spread a book over two years. Alison Weir is one of my favorite historical fiction writers, and I can already see myself reading all six in this series about Henry VIII's ill-fated wives (divorced-beheaded-died-divorced-beheaded-survived) as they come out. My son's girlfriend brought my attention to this series, and my Schwiegermutter already has the first two! The third is due out in May, 2018.

Pompeii, by Robert Harris  X

Don't you love it when you have a book on your shelf for so long that you don't remember how you heard of it or why you bought it? Hello, Pompeii! I don't know what to expect from this one except that, well, I know how it ends. I have another book by Harris - Enigma - but I couldn't get passed the first chapter. I don't know why I bought that one either, but I have higher hopes for Pompeii.

Coole Käuze, by Torsten Pröhl, et.al.  X

This book is fodder for my Steinkauz obsession. I bought this book to put under the Christmas tree for both M and me, but then my Schwiegermutter gave it to me for my birthday! It is chock-full of beautiful photos of Käuze (a type of owl) and information about their habits and way of life. I'll be taking notes for future blog posts about Alfred when I read this one.

Here I am wearing my
"OMG...I'm holding a Steinkauz!!" face.

Intriguing Owls, by Stan Tekiela  X

When my mom mentioned  our interest in owls to her cousin, he recommended this book. My mom passed the idea along to M for a Christmas gift, and thus it ended up under the tree. In this one also there is a lot of information about owls, wonderful pictures, and maps showing where in North America the various types of owls mainly reside. This one will be easier for me to read since it's in English, and it will be interesting to compare the information in the two books.

Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland, by Dorothy Wordsworth

This will probably be the most daunting of the books on my current plan. Dorothy was the sister of William Wordsworth, and the two of them took a tour together with Samuel Taylor Coleridge through Scotland in 1803. These are her diary entries and thoughts as well as accounts of their travels. I know I will revel in the old-fashioned writing style, but it's a big, heavy, hardcover book that I'll have to read at home. My Schwiegermutter gave this book to me last year for Christmas, but I haven't started it yet. This will be a good year for Scotland reads!

The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson

Here we have the winner of the "Not what I thought this book was about" Award. I'd put it on my Christmas list this year although I do not remember how I heard of it, and my kids bought it for me. It's much bigger/thicker than I was expecting (apparently I neglected to look at how many pages long it is), and the subject matter was a surprise as well. That makes me wonder, "What did I think the book was about?!" The beautifully-titled book is about the Great Migration in the 1930s of African-Americans from the South into the northern states. As I often do with a new book, I read the first few pages to get a taste, and I can say I am looking forward to reading more. I know I will learn a lot about something I hadn't spent much time on previously, and that is one of the main reasons I read!


We readers know what happens to our best-laid plans: new books slither across our radar, jump into our shopping carts, and demand our immediate attention. Most of the books I read in 2017 were unplanned, and quite a few had just been published that year! These are only thirteen books, which should leave room for interlopers along the way of the next twelve months, but several of them are intimidating in size. This is the closest I've ever come to setting a reading goal for [part of] a year, and if I fail miserably I'll probably never do it again. Just writing this post got me eager to get started, though!

Let the readings begin...

2017 Highs

December has been a nice, normal month here. Few extremes, just a nice, quiet Advent and Christmas holiday. So I thought I'd write a shorter post (M will applaud that) with some photos of the year's highlights.

HIGHLIGHTS of 2017

• good meals cooked at home as well as eaten at Straub's Krone

• three Kochkurse (cooking classes) at Straub's Krone

• visits from and with friends

• time with family

• Scotland!! (three of the family photos were also taken in Scotland)

• books

 

• two long weekends at the Engel, a Wellness-Hotel in the Schwarzwald

• owls - specifically Steinkäuze!!

Ich wünsche Euch eine guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr und alles Gute und Liebe für 2018!