Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Last Chapter
Home!! It feels wonderful to be home. I realized some very important things on this trip. - I really like my life. I missed Gary, my friends, my practice and my life in Ventura much more than I ever thought I would. I realized that I really don't want to live anywhere else. I realized that I like the abundance we have in this country in so many areas and not just the obvious ones like opportunity, education and general freedoms, but in superficial ways too. I like that there is a whole row in the grocery store devoted to crackers and that there are many, many choices (even if I only eat 2 kinds) as opposed to maybe 5 varieties in Germany. Maybe that is not something I should like, but I do. So I come home with a deeper appreciation of all that I have and that is worth more than anything money can buy. Thank you readers for taking this trip with me. I hope that you too gained something beneficial from it.
Frankfurt
The trip to Frankfurt was not the easiest. It required changing trains in Wurtzburg which meant getting heavy luggage on and off of trains and down stairs, under tracks and then up stairs on another track. Men were very helpful and grabbed my luggage and carried it up for me. It was very nice and a first for me in Germany. Again, I found people much warmer and more helpful than on previsious visits. Anyway, I got into Frankfurt and went to dinner with some colleagues. The next day was meetings but they got over fairly early, so another counselor and I went walking around Frankfurt. Frankfurt isn't really a city one usually tries to visit. It doesn't have the charm of so many other cities in Germany. However, it has become a hub of the United Europe and it has become cosmopolitan. It is very multi-ethnic (a third of its 650,000 residents carry foreign passports. There is a very beautiful and lively market square that is fun to visit. Unfortunately, I was there on Sunday, so every store (and there were many)was closed. But, at first glance one would not know anything was closed. The streets and squares were filled with people out walking. It was nice. It must be really crowded on other days. Besides lots of boutiques and department stores there are churches, museums and a beautiful opera house. There is an interesting red light district. There are a number of 5 story towers filled with prostitutes. You walk along and the prostitutes sit in windows and show off their wares. I have been to a number of these over the years, so I didn't pay the $30 to walk through. It is an interesting experience and if I hadn't seen this sight before, I would have walked the towers. Another thing that is lovely in so many of these German cities is the walk along the river. So we walked over the river on a pedistrian bridge and then along the river. Again it was fairly crowded. People here get out and walk - maybe that is why they are not fat. With their diets of pork, gravy, potatoes and lots of pastry I think they would be tubby if not for the walking. Anyway, it was a lovely way to spend my last day in Germany.
Friday, March 27, 2009
My Last Day in Schweinfurt
Today was my last day in Schweinfurt. I went downtown and took some pictures. Actually, there aren't really old things in Schweinfurt even though it's been a community since 700 or so. Since it was THE ball bearing place in Germany where all the ball bearings were manufactured it was a major bombing site in WWII. Actually, lots of things in Germany that are old are rebuilt or partially reconstructed. The palace in Wertzburg was largely destroyed. Some of the things from the interior were removed but much of the building was destroyed.
I had lunch yesterday with a very nice chaplain who is a reservist who has been called to duty. He has spent much of the last year doing funerals. He is conducting about one a week. We had 2 this week. It is very sad. And he says we kind of lose sight of all those who are wounded. It is just funeral after funeral. He was at the base in Italy and presided over a funeral every Friday for weeks. One week here in Schweinfurt we had 6 soldiers killed in a single incident in Iraq. Also, several wives were telling me that all the focus is on Iraq, but that soldiers are in danger and getting hurt and killed in Afghanistan.
At least with cell phones and computers the spouses are able to talk with their soldier daily. Sometimes the soldier may be in a more remote place and they only talk once a week. Tonight I went to a dinner for spouses of deployed soldiers. It was the 100 day mark and there were activities all day and t-shirts saying "We Have Survived the First 100 Days." A nuimber of spouses were men. There was a panel and they answered questions. One guy talked about taking care of his 16 month old baby. Another guy talked about how much work it is taking care of his 3 kids. One question was about how to handle the kids as a single parent. One woman on the panel had many deployments under her belt. She said her 13 and 15 year olds really don't know what it is like having dad home. He has been gone most of their lives. Her 4 year old is having a hard time. He hasn't gotten used to dad being gone. One cute little mom talked about her 3 boys know she can "handle this boat" and that she "runs a really tight ship." Some of these women are really amazing. I really feel for them. Especially for those new to the military. Imagine a 21 yr. old., married 1 year with a 2 year old and pregnant. She has always lived in small town Alabama. She married her boyfriend after they had a baby. He joined the army and now she is in Germany and he is in Iraq. She has little understanding of the military way of life. She has never been out of Alabama, let alone a foreign country. She is a very typical example of the spouses I have seen. The others are young German girls. These people have a very difficult life. I am coming away with a great appreciation of all they go through. I am so glad that Michelle Obama is focusing on Military Families. We all need to be more educated about the military and how difficult life is for those families.
Tomorrow I go to Frankfurt.
I had lunch yesterday with a very nice chaplain who is a reservist who has been called to duty. He has spent much of the last year doing funerals. He is conducting about one a week. We had 2 this week. It is very sad. And he says we kind of lose sight of all those who are wounded. It is just funeral after funeral. He was at the base in Italy and presided over a funeral every Friday for weeks. One week here in Schweinfurt we had 6 soldiers killed in a single incident in Iraq. Also, several wives were telling me that all the focus is on Iraq, but that soldiers are in danger and getting hurt and killed in Afghanistan.
At least with cell phones and computers the spouses are able to talk with their soldier daily. Sometimes the soldier may be in a more remote place and they only talk once a week. Tonight I went to a dinner for spouses of deployed soldiers. It was the 100 day mark and there were activities all day and t-shirts saying "We Have Survived the First 100 Days." A nuimber of spouses were men. There was a panel and they answered questions. One guy talked about taking care of his 16 month old baby. Another guy talked about how much work it is taking care of his 3 kids. One question was about how to handle the kids as a single parent. One woman on the panel had many deployments under her belt. She said her 13 and 15 year olds really don't know what it is like having dad home. He has been gone most of their lives. Her 4 year old is having a hard time. He hasn't gotten used to dad being gone. One cute little mom talked about her 3 boys know she can "handle this boat" and that she "runs a really tight ship." Some of these women are really amazing. I really feel for them. Especially for those new to the military. Imagine a 21 yr. old., married 1 year with a 2 year old and pregnant. She has always lived in small town Alabama. She married her boyfriend after they had a baby. He joined the army and now she is in Germany and he is in Iraq. She has little understanding of the military way of life. She has never been out of Alabama, let alone a foreign country. She is a very typical example of the spouses I have seen. The others are young German girls. These people have a very difficult life. I am coming away with a great appreciation of all they go through. I am so glad that Michelle Obama is focusing on Military Families. We all need to be more educated about the military and how difficult life is for those families.
Tomorrow I go to Frankfurt.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Realities Here on Base
There is always tension here on base. Schweinfurt has lost large numbers of soldiers. We had a funeral this week. Part of our job is attending the funerals. Last year over 30 were killed from
Schweinfurt. I think the civilian workers are traumatized. A first Sergeant was killed recently and no one has gotten over that. The first Sergeant is most important to his men. He is mom, best friend and counselor all rolled into one. The men speak with much reverence of their first Sergeant. Suicides are way up and everyone is freaked out about that. Several of our workers were sent to another base because they had had so many suicides. Suicides go up every month and there are more in the military that in the general population. This is new.
Those in power are doing a huge suicide prevention thing. It doesn't seem to be working - numbers go up every month. It is all very sad.
Schweinfurt. I think the civilian workers are traumatized. A first Sergeant was killed recently and no one has gotten over that. The first Sergeant is most important to his men. He is mom, best friend and counselor all rolled into one. The men speak with much reverence of their first Sergeant. Suicides are way up and everyone is freaked out about that. Several of our workers were sent to another base because they had had so many suicides. Suicides go up every month and there are more in the military that in the general population. This is new.
Those in power are doing a huge suicide prevention thing. It doesn't seem to be working - numbers go up every month. It is all very sad.
More on the Autobahn
After several more hours on the autobahn I have gained more knowledge about it. There are big trucks in the right hand lane and cars pass them and then pull back over between them to make room for those going really fast. Sometimes there are signs prohibiting trucks from passing each other and sometimes they can pass. Well, when they decide to pass they just pull over. I guess they think they are big and the little autotopia cars just have to deal with it. It is kind of unnerving. Driving along at high, high speed and all of a sudden a big truck is moving into your lane! All the little cars scatter like cockroaches in the light and the truck comes on over. It all works out which is pretty amazing. I haven't seen an accident yet!
Another interesting thing they do on the autobahn is construction. Lots of construction going on. They make the lane really narrow so I feel like I am inches from the temporary divider on the left and inches from the enormous, fast moving truck on the right. They do slow the speed. It is about 50 - 60 miles per hour in construction zones on the autobahn. At home it would be about 30 in the same circumstance. But what is really interesting is the way you find out about the construction. There is no warning like, Construction Ahead. You are driving along at warp speed and all of a sudden see a blinking light with an X and an arrow telling you that the lane is ending. Then you have about 30 feet (while at warp speed) to all merge into one lane. I don't know how we did it, but we did. It is definitely an "instant sweat in the pits moment. " After this incredible merging they then slow the speed to about 50-60. It is amazing. One really has to be watching closely. I feel my Mario Andretti skills have been honed from driving on the LA freeways.
There are lots of rest stops on the autobahn. The snow had lightened up some and the surrounding countryside was beautiful and white. There was a little village that was snow covered and looked like a Christmas card. So, I decided to pull into the rest stop to take my coat off and snap a picture or two. A man in a suit was getting out of his car as I drove up and by the time I got out and looked up he was peeing! Right there! He said something to me in German "look I'm peeing! or Take a picture of this" ?? Who knows. I just said, "Sorry, American, I only speak English," and hopped back into the car before he tried his high school English on me. He wasn't an oddity - I saw two more guys peeing as I drove out. There were women there too. The rest stops don't have toilets so they just let go! Well, needless to say it was not the picture opt that I had hoped for.
Another interesting thing they do on the autobahn is construction. Lots of construction going on. They make the lane really narrow so I feel like I am inches from the temporary divider on the left and inches from the enormous, fast moving truck on the right. They do slow the speed. It is about 50 - 60 miles per hour in construction zones on the autobahn. At home it would be about 30 in the same circumstance. But what is really interesting is the way you find out about the construction. There is no warning like, Construction Ahead. You are driving along at warp speed and all of a sudden see a blinking light with an X and an arrow telling you that the lane is ending. Then you have about 30 feet (while at warp speed) to all merge into one lane. I don't know how we did it, but we did. It is definitely an "instant sweat in the pits moment. " After this incredible merging they then slow the speed to about 50-60. It is amazing. One really has to be watching closely. I feel my Mario Andretti skills have been honed from driving on the LA freeways.
There are lots of rest stops on the autobahn. The snow had lightened up some and the surrounding countryside was beautiful and white. There was a little village that was snow covered and looked like a Christmas card. So, I decided to pull into the rest stop to take my coat off and snap a picture or two. A man in a suit was getting out of his car as I drove up and by the time I got out and looked up he was peeing! Right there! He said something to me in German "look I'm peeing! or Take a picture of this" ?? Who knows. I just said, "Sorry, American, I only speak English," and hopped back into the car before he tried his high school English on me. He wasn't an oddity - I saw two more guys peeing as I drove out. There were women there too. The rest stops don't have toilets so they just let go! Well, needless to say it was not the picture opt that I had hoped for.
Baden-Baden
I had 2 days off so I decided to drive to Baden-Baden for the night. It took about 2 1/2 hours to drive there. Baden-Baden is in the Black Forest (trees so thick they call it black) on the border of France. Baden-Baden is Germany's grandest 19th century spa resort. There are lots of hot springs here so, lots of spas. It was THE spot for the rich and famous of 150 years ago. It is still very elegant and beautiful. Lots of very fancy cars, ladies in minks, top, top end stores. The travel service on base got me a room at a very, very fancy and luxurious hotel for a pretty inexpensive charge. It was amazing. Very grand, very "Life of the Rich and Famous." After the army hotel for a month it was quite a treat. I got to Baden-Baden in the morning and spent hours walking around. There are beautiful parks, lots of shops and department stores, restaurants and outdoor cafes. Baden-Baden definitely has the French influence in ornate buildings with wrought iron balconies and in the food. It was so wonderful to have good French food! I even got vegetables (other than cabbage) and mushrooms! It was wonderful. There are 2 spas here besides the ones in the fancy hotels. One is the Roman Irish Bath. It is very elegant and old. Built 120 years ago. It is all nude all the time. Co-ed. I had to do it. You go through a whole routine. One room, shower, another room, shower, pool, sauna, shower. It was incredibly relaxing. The pools are different temperatures and different mineral makeups. Then, I went to the spa next door. It is modern and all glass like the one I had been to near Schweinfurt. It was nude only in some parts, mostly it was suits. Lots of different pools there too. One had these jets that made the water move strongly and rapidly and it went around in a large circle. So, once you got in the stream it was like being in a strong river. So I just rode it around for awhile. It was really fun. The original bath is just a ruin - It was used by the Roman soldiers. There is so much hot water just under the ground that the flora around there is very lush. There is also a spigot in town with hot water coming out. People believe you should drink it to heal what ails ya. No thanks. Actually they believe that the mineral water heals different things. So, you go to your doctor and get a perscription for a certain spa. Then the government insurance pays for your spa stay. Later I went back to my hotel and had this warm oil head massage treatment thing. It was wonderful. The girls in the massage part of the spa were very nice. I noticed in the restaurants and in the spa that the young folks who speak English tend to answer "Of course," rather than yes. It must have been a phrase used often in their English class. Now when we say "Of course," there is often and unspoken "duh" behind it. I don't think they mean that, but then they may. For instance, I said, "Should I hang my robe here?" and she says "Of course." Is she thinking "you idiot" - hard to say. she may be. But, it happens all the time. The spa in the hotel was very fancy. After my massage the girl who gave me the massage asked if I would like to use the pools and the rest of the spa. Sounded good to me so she said she would show me around. Well, there were pools and jets and waterfalls. Then she took me to this other part where there were saunas, steam rooms, aroma rooms, rooms with special lights. It was beautiful and empty, then we went around another corner where the showers were and there were all these naked people! You would think that I would be used to it by now. But it still is sort of shocking. So, she said take your suit off and put it in this cubby and take your shower and then use the different rooms. Well, I felt kind of committed but to tell you the truth I had had enough of the naked thing. Men and women walking around like they had clothes on. So, I got in the shower and decided I would go into this steam room where no one else was. So, I am in there and then I hear English! There are 5 American buisness men in the showers! That was just too wierd. These German folk that acted like this was norman was one thing, but American men! No thanks. So, I grabbed my towel and made my way back to the showers as the Americans moved to the sauna. The fact is Germans just have different attitudes about the body. It really is no big thing for them. Even in the spa with suits they have a more comfortable attitude with the body. Americans, even if in a bathing suit environment like Hawaii by the pool will put on a cover up, towel or shorts to walk 5 ft. to sit at the bar. The Germans walk over to the cafe in the spa in suits - no cover up. I sort of carried my towel and tried not to wrap it around me. It is just different. In the fancy hotel in Baden-Baden you have these big fluffy terry bathrobes. And people walk around in them naked underneath. They are on their way to the spa, but still, we Americans probably wouldn't do that. After I booked my massage the lady told me to come back in my robe. I said "In my robe with nothing on?" "Of course!" Then she added that it is better for me and will help me be more relaxed. I don't think so. I was a little nervous about the thing flying open or something. On the American modesty scale I am on the very little modestly end of the scale. On the German scale I am in the prude area. Most of my friends wouldn't even make it onto the German scale.
I think a main difference is that we equate nudity with sex and they don't. And they seem to be into sex. The ads and posters in town are very sexual. Also, they seem to be into porn. The hotel in Baden-Baden had about 16 TV stations. Two in English-CNN and BBC, one in Russian (the Russians own lots in Baden-Baden including some big fancy hotels and signs and info are in Russian) one in French, Al Jazerra (sp?) a couple in German and several old American shows (McMillian and Wife, the David Hasslehoff one and a couple of others, dubbed in German) and then 4 hard porn. I was flipping through the channels and then, Hello! oh my gosh! It wasn't even child protected or anything.
After the spa experience I decided to go to the Casino. The casino entrance was about 60 feet from the front door of my hotel. Good thing because it was hailing out. Everything seems to cost something here. You have to pay the lady in the public bathroom, public parking always costs a couple of bucks, you even have to pay a buck 5o to use a shopping cart at the market! So, it was no surprise that I had to pay $4.00 just to go into the casino. It was elegant, grand and quiet. (Think James Bond) No one would yell "yipee" even if they won big. Lots of very elegantly dressed people in there. Even in the slots area it is very quiet. The machines don't make much noise and the people whisper!! It is very different from our casino experience. I found it kind of boring. And I lost $40.00 Euros really quickly. So, I went back to my room. It was fun to lie in my bed of feather pillows and luxurious eiderdowns and listen to the hail outside. Then it started to snow. It was lovely.
Then, this morning I got up to a fabulous breakfast (included) It was so nice. Since the weather was pretty bad I decided to leave Baden-Baden and head back to Schweinfurt. It snowed the whole way home. I found it kind of fun. But gnarly a few times on the road - which leads me to my next blog - More On the Autobahn.
I think a main difference is that we equate nudity with sex and they don't. And they seem to be into sex. The ads and posters in town are very sexual. Also, they seem to be into porn. The hotel in Baden-Baden had about 16 TV stations. Two in English-CNN and BBC, one in Russian (the Russians own lots in Baden-Baden including some big fancy hotels and signs and info are in Russian) one in French, Al Jazerra (sp?) a couple in German and several old American shows (McMillian and Wife, the David Hasslehoff one and a couple of others, dubbed in German) and then 4 hard porn. I was flipping through the channels and then, Hello! oh my gosh! It wasn't even child protected or anything.
After the spa experience I decided to go to the Casino. The casino entrance was about 60 feet from the front door of my hotel. Good thing because it was hailing out. Everything seems to cost something here. You have to pay the lady in the public bathroom, public parking always costs a couple of bucks, you even have to pay a buck 5o to use a shopping cart at the market! So, it was no surprise that I had to pay $4.00 just to go into the casino. It was elegant, grand and quiet. (Think James Bond) No one would yell "yipee" even if they won big. Lots of very elegantly dressed people in there. Even in the slots area it is very quiet. The machines don't make much noise and the people whisper!! It is very different from our casino experience. I found it kind of boring. And I lost $40.00 Euros really quickly. So, I went back to my room. It was fun to lie in my bed of feather pillows and luxurious eiderdowns and listen to the hail outside. Then it started to snow. It was lovely.
Then, this morning I got up to a fabulous breakfast (included) It was so nice. Since the weather was pretty bad I decided to leave Baden-Baden and head back to Schweinfurt. It snowed the whole way home. I found it kind of fun. But gnarly a few times on the road - which leads me to my next blog - More On the Autobahn.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Day Off
I had today off. Sunday is a hard day to work and it is a boring day off too. Nothing is going on. Most things on base are closed. The library is open and Burger King - that's about it. Everything in town is closed. Every store and most gas stations are closed. There is no one at the desk at the hotel and the maids are off too. I was going to do laundry, but there was no detergent in the dispenser and no place to buy it. I lazed around, watched TV, read and relaxed. I had lunch at the dining facility. The cooks make omlets or eggs 'till 1 on the weekends. It was good today. Also, stuck to my ribs. It was really cold today. After a couple of cold but sunny days today was cold and gray. I thought it was going to snow. Had to wear long underware and several layers just to go over to eat. I usually go to the mineral water spa on a weekend day off. I've been back several times. Not to the sauna though - once was enough! But today I felt lazy and didn't even go to enjoy the hot springs and get a massage. I am going to Baden-Baden Tuesday and Wednesday so I will save my laze in the water energy for then.
It is odd to see the downtown empty. Everyday but Sunday it is really crowded. I don't know when these people work. During the week downtown is very crowded and busy. The cafes are busy. Oh, and the people have their dogs with them. I think this is standard for all of Europe. It does seem a bit odd to be at a nice restaurant and both tables nearby have folks with dogs. Many people walking around downtown have dogs and they take them into the stores. So, I was in this nice department store and three women by me had dogs. The dogs were sniffing each other and I didn't want to get caught in the middle of a fight. I didn't see a way out. Hide in the blouses? Actually, the dogs were all fine and I think they are so well trained and used to going everywhere there isn't a problem. So, I didn't have to dive into the hanging clothes.
It is odd to see the downtown empty. Everyday but Sunday it is really crowded. I don't know when these people work. During the week downtown is very crowded and busy. The cafes are busy. Oh, and the people have their dogs with them. I think this is standard for all of Europe. It does seem a bit odd to be at a nice restaurant and both tables nearby have folks with dogs. Many people walking around downtown have dogs and they take them into the stores. So, I was in this nice department store and three women by me had dogs. The dogs were sniffing each other and I didn't want to get caught in the middle of a fight. I didn't see a way out. Hide in the blouses? Actually, the dogs were all fine and I think they are so well trained and used to going everywhere there isn't a problem. So, I didn't have to dive into the hanging clothes.
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