Entschuldigung? Or Thoughts on Becoming the NKOTB (yet again)

No, not the epic group that supplied us with some of the finest music of the early 90s, not to mention a host of trading cards and other paraphernalia for pre-pubescent girls (like Julia) to cherish. No, we're talking about moving to Germany and feeling even more like outsiders than ever before. The people of Tübingen, however, are some of the nicest people we've met anywhere, and they're helping us to find our way. We just may dedicate our first MTV viewers' choice award to them. In the meantime, here's some thoughts and pictures of our experiences so far:

Our first taste of Germany was in the Köln/Bonn area. We first travelled with our good friends Chris and Michelle Hays, together with their two sons Judah and Asher, to their place in Bonn. Both Bonn and Köln are great cultural centers, and we enjoyed our brief visit there, and especially time with the Hays fam. This first picture is us about to catch the train to Köln. We were proud of successfully negotiating the train system, and put into practice a philosophy that has come to be our m.o.: try to look confident, because you probably can't ask for help.


And this is the door of the magnificent cathedral in Köln, whose tower we scaled in over 500 stairs and then felt for the next few days:


Then we crammed our stuff into a rental car that was definitely too small to fit everything, even though in the end it did. We drove the three and a half hours south to Tübingen, trying not to forfeit our lives on the Autobahn. When we arrived and checked in with student housing, we were told to get our key from the Hausmeister. We knocked on the door of the Hausmeister, and were answered by an imposing, heavy-set man with a foreboding beard. When I had asked in my broken German whether he might be the Hausmeister, he grumbled something and indicated that he wanted us to leave. So, we went outside and tried to ask passersby if the ursian man was the Hausmeister. Unfortunately, they didn't speak English, and by this point Julia was close to tears. Finally, he beckoned us back inside and I managed to discern that he wanted us to address him properly, by his name. Yes, Herr Frölich, I am sorry, Herr Frölich. We got our key. Note to self: formality is important here!

We got our flat and were pleasantly surprised. Everything is pretty new, and even if a bit small and sterile, it's clean and has pretty much everything we need - especially after a trip to Ikea to buy the dishes that weren't included.




(O the diligence!)




Then we were able to set out to explore Tübingen in earnest. What a stunning town! You can feel that this is a place that has been continuously inhabited for hundreds of years. The city, though small, has seen some greats: Hölderlin, Schelling, Hegel, F. C. Baur, D. F. Strauss, J. Kepler, etc. (we're learning who these people are as we go!). The Altstadt ('Old city') is marked by jagged A-line roofs at improbable angles, intriguing boutiques and vegetable stands, and cobbled streets. Here's a view of the Marktplatz (Marketplace) in the center (the big building is the courthouse, and it's traditional when you get married to have your picture taken on the balcony):


Don't the buildings look like they're falling into each other? And here's the famous view of Tübingen, taken from the bridge overlooking the Neckar River:


One of the cool things about the city is how many events there seem to be. When we had our initial consultation with our language school, they told us about the annual French/Italian market, where vendors from Tübingen are joined by sellers from France and Italy with a range of food and collectibles:




After we had begun to settle into our language course routine (3 hrs of German a day: wie sagt man 'Ugh' auf Deutsch?), Julia was grateful to secure a position teaching English at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut, a center for German and American cultural exchange. She begins her first class on 13 October, and is looking forward to learning how to teach English as a foreign language.



And just today we were able to get together with a very hospitable German couple, Martin and Stefanie. I met Martin at a conference in Nottingham a few months ago, and we had been emailing in anticipation of our arrival in Tübingen. Here are a couple of pictures of the local vineyards taken while on a walk near their house:




Finally, we will leave you with a taste (you wish!) of one aspect of Germany we think we'll like: this is the land of pastries, sausage and beer. The local bakeries are excellent, and we indulge on Sunday mornings:



We can't really let ourselves think too much about how much there is to learn, or we get overwhelmed. Nevertheless, we think this will be a good year - especially if you come to visit!