Bloom Where You're Planted

To put a leash on my pre-relocation excitement I spent an incredibly large amount of time surfing the interwebs for Hamburg's finest eateries and attractions. I soon found myself with a list longer than our plane ride and a slight sense of horror. Yikes. This city is much bigger than what I'm used to. Nevertheless, I hit the ground running when we got here and through fits of confusion due to being frequently lost I started to make my way around Hamburg. Prior to starting teaching I had plenty of time to research and prioritize my laundry list of things to do in this big ole city--some weeks I was able to visit a new cafe each day of the week for lunch and I was l-o-v-ing every second of it.

Soon after I started teaching at Seedlings and privately, my schedule no longer allowed for such luxuriously lazy days. (Horrible, I know). Because of this, whenever I set dates with friends I always had puh-lenty of suggestions regarding where we should go. It happened to be that one of these lovely lumching ladies was Brenda, the in-coming President of the American Women's Club of Hamburg. Brenda just happened to be scoping out potential new Board members, and a new Activities Coordinator was on the slate of openings. I was surprised when she asked me, a brand new member, and equally surprised at the volume and shriekiness of my YESSS I'll do it!!

Last week this year's AWC Board was unanimously voted in at a lovely meeting at the US Consulate Office. We're really good with team effort jobs already so I have faith we'll do some good around here in 2011--and have a heck of a time doing it.

These sweets come from Sweet Dreams, a bakery so awesome that they don't even have set business hours. They just open when they've got things to sell and close when they don't. On any given Saturday you can expect to wait in a looooong line before you get your paws on some pastries.

To raise money for one of our club charities we had a very successful auction. I spotted this gem, created by a fellow member, and made SURE I went home with it at the end of the day.

My first event was a group dinner at a mod and super chic restaurant called The Meatery. We were in search of a good burger and we found about 20 of them, plus a variety of other deliciousness. Success!

Pre-guests, of course. Really--people did come!

The bathroom totally deserves some recognition.

The AWC strives to help new HH residents bloom where they're planted. I loved this motto when I first heard it and now, fully immersed in this new Hamburg life, I owe the club endless thank you's for helping me to bloom. Many club members have reached out to me to make sure I have everything I need-an invaluable service for people trying to make sense of their new surroundings. I love this club not only for that, but for giving me the chance to continue crossing things off my must-see Hamburg list through event planning-for more people than just me!

Cafe Haven

It is irrefutably true that Hamburgers know how to do coffee breaks right. This perfected talent is showcased in the heavy scattering of scrumptious cafes throughout our city. Coffee isn't complete without a sweet alongside it and with the daily demand of coffee comes the daily demand of sweet creativity. And oh, have the baristas and bakers succeeded in their attempt to please us. Anytime I visit one of my fav cafes I leave with a full, happy stomach due to a knock-your-socks-off eating and drinking experience.

The first cafe I visited in Hamburg has now become one of my all-time favs. Lilli Su entices hungry folks with a shabby chic ambience, handmade good sales, and an appealing organic menu. Once inside, visitors are treated to an escape from life and some damn good eats, too.

a flourless cacao brownie just for me.

I found Frau FUHS on Spotted by Locals, a site created by Hamburg locals to help English-speaking residents and visitors get a clue as to what's in. After a long hike from the train station I 'bout gave up on old Frau FUHS but decided I was too hungry to quit yet. Once I found her, I discovered it was well worth the aerobic workout it took to find the cute little eatery.

This pretty little crepe was chock-full of great vegetables. Healthy food that tastes great--that's talent.

When I was first told about Mutterland it was described to me as 'the place to go in Hamburg.' Though I rarely feel that spots deemed this way live up to their description, I naturally high-tailed it over to Mutterland just to check. It was there that I enjoyed the best salad I can remember (though any giant bowl of organic greens covered in apples, pears, nuts, and vinaigrette dressing is pretty much awesome) and spent a loooong time admiring their locally made products for sale.

Spiced Chai flavored honey?! I thought they were kidding! Thanks, Muterland!

Chocolate made right here in HH

Me, too :)





A few of us had a holiday gift exchange at Luehmann's Teestube, an English tea house that really can't be beat. Winning ambience + a killer tea and dessert menu = no problems by me.

Photography by Brenda



Photography by Brenda



 Balzac Coffee makes a mean vanilla soy latte.

This chain is all over HH and it's popularity is well-deserved. It doesn't disappoint. And, like all over the rest of the planet Starbucks has invaded lots of Hamburg's corners. We've seen Starbucks in just about every other city we've visited, too. It's really quite a feat, their taking over the world and all.


Though a happy stomach is a great advantage to lounging in a cafe the relaxed state I enter as a result of my experience is equally as satisfying. In fact, a lot of European cafes seem to subscribe to the same unspoken motto and push it off onto customers, too: Slow down, relax, and don't forget to chew your food. Good words to live by if you ask me.

Bahn Discoveries

While disclosing this may make some folks wonder if I've lost my mind, I have to share with you the love I have for my car-less life. Relying on public transportation sounds much, much worse than it actually is--and I'm here to prove that misconception wrong. I made the decision years ago that at some point in my life I would live car-free to support the charming Mother Earth. Life in Detroit doesn't allow for such a thing because of it's geographic situation and because a proper public transportation system doesn't exist in any way, shape, or form. Sigh.

So, while I was 100% unsure of what to expect upon our transplant to Hamburg, I was equally as sure that I would adore being vehicle-free. The phrase WE REALLY NEED A CAR (in all caps) has escaped from my mouth on the days that we are buying enough food supplies for a small army or are carrying home bags of boulders. Nevertheless, on a regular day I couldn't be happier with my 40-minute train commute to school.

Thanks to my fab phone I can catch up on correspondence, write, and get my life organized. While doing those things improves my all-around efficiency, my fav way to kill time on the Bahn is to surf the interwebs to keep up with my favorite bloggers and to discover new ones to fall in love with. An oh, have I discovered some stars.



Smitten Kitchen is a home-kitchen weblog from a little NY kitchen. The yumminess found all over this site is dangerous--I've missed more than one train because I was totally absorbed with/heavily drooling over the recipes and food pics posted by the witty author.

On her personal blog, my college friend and an employee of United Arts of Central Florida, Emma, shares her art, jewelry, and recipe finds among a tasty plethora of other things. Unfortunately I haven't seen her in years but keeping up wtih her charming blog makes me feel like I haven't missed anything.



Check out Emma's lovely site at: http://www.smvblog.com/emmabunny/





Raw on $10: I refer to this site as the Site of Omnom. The author, Lisa, posts incredible, cost-conscious raw vegan recipes weely. I am not a completely raw-food eater but I do stick with it pretty regularly. You wouldn't beLIEVE how good some of the recipes taste--and you don't even have to cook! My favs include mango pudding, pad thai, triple chocolate dessert, and stuffed mushrooms. Yum-o.



Pad Thai photo taken from http://www.rawon10.blogspot.com/




Etsy exists so all of us can get and give the most wonderful handmade and or vintage gifts to all those folks we appreciate. Prior to moving to HH this was the only site I used for gift giving. But, an ocean could never stop me. I still take more than a few glimpses at this chic site weekly. Some of my favorite gifted purchases:



photo taken from http://www.etsy.com/people/sassyapron



photo taken from http://www.etsy.com/shop/YoursTrulyxoxo?ref=pr_shop



photo taken from http://www.etsy.com/shop/prettytough?ref=pr_shop


and of course, one that I'm eyein':


photo taken from http://www.etsy.com/listing/66553797




One of the cutest, most wholesome, and equally delish food blogs I have come across is ohsheglows.com. Angela Liddon candidly describes her story of unhealthy to healthy and happy via lifestyles changes, particularly in her food choices. Her recipes are mouth-watering and her writing is charming. I highly, HIGHLY recommend her raw, vegan chocolate chip cookie dough. Cookie dough is a weakness of mine--basically I dive into the bowl of goodness and bake what is left over if I get around to it. Classy, I know. Lucky for me, this dough can be be eaten without even a twinge of guilt; all the ingredients are raw, nourishing plant products and the stuff tastes spectacular. Honest.



vegan raw cookie dough that tastes good as it's Paula Deen-like counterpart?! Believe it. 
ohsheglows.com



I met my amazing friend Kristin at the youthful age of six months and our friendship has had no interruptions since. Kristin and her husband, Dave, are angels that have been enhancing the lives of children and families in the Dominican Republic since 2009. Kristin is a special education teacher by tarade and has taught many children in the classroom, in after school activities, and through their church. She is selfless beyond belief and each time I read about all the great things she and Dave are making happen I remember how fortunate I am to have such a compassionate and giving friend in my circle. http://dominicandeyoungs.blogspot.com/

with Kristin at her farewell to the Dominican bash

 

Dan, of Single Dad Laughing, has created an adorably hysterical yet tear-jerking blog dedicated mostly to his life as a single dad, as well as other deeply insightful topics. My affection towards this site comes from both the fact that Dan is a dad that is head over heels for his son, Noah, and that he is willing to say what lots of people think but lots won't say. If you haven't read The Disease Called Perfection or The Small Side of the Numbers you really should, stat.

http://www.danoah.com/

Finally, though I use a baket-full of travel sites to coordinate our adored vacays, there is none so enticing and exquisitely written as the New York Times travel site. Oh, the pictures. Oh, the writing. Oh, I love love LOVE this site. Seeing these pictures on their 36 Hours in Lisbon guide made choosing Lisbon as our next weekend destination a no-brainer:

the above three images taken from http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/12/14/travel/1214-LISBON_index.html

See what I mean? Let's just hope I have enough will power to stop this site from causing me to go broke.

Though the train commute to work is a long one and the walks to and from private clients' homes are dark, cold, and often wet, thanks to my friendly phone I have the chance to not only catch up on and discover the works of wonderful writers, I get to do so while listening to my current favorite artists, like:

Certainly, I am irrefutably addicted to my iPhone. But, I find no reason to make excuses because it's hard to put a price on everyday convenience and entertainment. If only I could be sure to avoid missing any more trains due to my iPhone absorbtion.

Our Big World Gets Smaller Everyday

Before I made my way across the ocean to Hamburg I contacted the International School of Hamburg to scope out teaching possibilities. Shortly after my first email went out, I got a response from Abbey, an American teacher now teaching kindergarten at the school. She reached out to say that she understood my visa dilemma and so kindly offered to help me solve the puzzle of becoming a teacher in a foreign land. She would be away for the first few weeks after we arrived but we planned to meet up shortly after. I was instantly so grateful for her. An American friend already! Score.

A few weeks after our move and borderline desperate to make friends with someone--anyone we could communicate with clearly--I found information about a Fourth of July picnic. Despite 95 degree weather and a long commute, Reggie and I amazingly found the discrete location of this comforting red, white, and blue celebration. After allowing ourselves to stand around and feel awkward for a only few minutes, we joined the food line, obviously. Right in front of us were two people our age which we, of course, found intriguing. As soon as we overheard one of them say they were from Chicago Reg whispered, "We have to make friends with them." Now, more than half a year later we know that when he heard us say we were from Detroit he told Mary, "Talk to them."
A few minutes into our first conversation after learning that Mary had Spartan roommates back in Chicago, I mentioned the International School. "I have a friend that teaches there", Mary said (and then I got my first taste of just how small our big world is), "her name is Abbey." What?! No.

We had found our first English-speaking friends. Score again.




with Mary on New Year's Eve



In a city 1.5 million people big it's pretty amazing how often things like this happen.

A month or so after our move, I received an email from a super sweet American woman who had been reading my blog. She was in Hamburg for a month with her husband while he was here on business. After chatting with her briefly and arranging a coffee date we discovered that not only did we live in the same quarter of Hamburg, and not even just the same street...she lived directly below me. Whaaaat? No.

Oh yeah, there are more where that came from.

My wonderful friend, Brenda (who is also the next President of my beloved American Women's Club), came to Hamburg two years ago from California. As soon as we met and shared the typical story about where we came from I learned that her family is originally from the Owosso area, which is where I, of course, lived during my student teaching year. Whoa.

an afternoon of tea and scones at Luehmann's Teestube with Brenda, Jennifer, Kate, Jana, and Mary

Though not as note worthy but entirely just as freaky, we had a couple come to tour Seedlings this week looking for schooling possibilities for their son. It was wild enough that they were from Michigan, but it got a lot creepier when they told me they're currently living in Northville, which is only thirty minutes from Reggie's house in Michigan. Whoa. And whoa again. A third whoa was granted when I later found out that the German woman that brought them to Seedlings and was showing them around Hamburg was none other than Tina, a friend, fellow member of the AWC, and major helper with my duties as the Activities Coordinator. Not knowing my school was the one she was at, she waited upstairs while the Northville couple came down to meet me, unbeknownst to both of us that we were in the same building at the same time. Freaky.


With a slightly higher freaky factor comes the story of the German guy on the train that introduced himself when he discovered I speak English. A few minutes into the classic "where are you from?" speech I learned that he had lived in Michigan for a year as a high school youth exchange student. But not just anywhere in Michigan--in Waterford, my hometown. And not just any high school in Waterford (there are, of course, only two) but to my high school's eternal rival. I was annoyed for a second because, afterall, rivals are rivals, but since there's an ocean and a decade between that drama I decided to keep the friendliness up for the convo. ;)


And so it goes. Every once in awhile another creepy small world story creeps up on me and I am again amazed at the many incidents in life that are incredible coincidences.

Thanking my Lucky Stars for our Little Stars

There is an endless number of reasons to love my days at school. Trains, planes, and wagons make the list, but believe it or not, there are even better chart-toppers than that:


Number 5. Our Little Library

Kids don't have to try to be cute. It just comes naturally. A smile and a hug from a student is enough to keep me going all day, but seeing a student enjoy a book can keep me happy all week. Our little stars love stories and books, and many of our books have been read at least a bajllion times (already this week).

4. Play-doh

No matter how wound up our kiddos get from our time outside, Play-doh can help them relax even quicker than a story. Since the original Play-doh can't be found in Hamburg we had to improvise until we had a chance to import a new pack of the real stuff. It's here now and seeing them entertained with the same stuff that entertained me a couple of decades ago is pretty darn endearing.

3. Crafts Galore

From pasta necklaces to shape men to handprint rainbows our little stars explore weekly the wonderful world of preschool crafts. And when they finish in 0.2 seconds I can easily entertain them with scraps of paper, a plain sheet of paper, and a gluestick. It's magic.

2. Our Classroom

It may be little, but it's as cozy as cozy gets and is exactly what we need.

1. Outside Time

 Our daily outside hour is highly regarded by all of our little cuties. We find plenty of things to do, no matter if the ground is snow covered...

You wouldn't believe how popular sleds are in HH. Parents use them as an everyday mode of trans when our city turns into a snow globe.

mud covered...

or covered in green (though rare, it does happen).



I'm sure you'll agree that all in all, it's not a bad way to spend a day. While these five are big reasons why I love my work, there are many reasons why I am thanking my lucky stars for our little stars.