I miss my friend...

...my dearest friend Esther. She's one of the few people I can really talk with, who knows pretty much everything, and who actually understands things. I think it's because we're both kind of quirky and complicated, have a similar way of thinking and over-analyzing, and have a practically identical communication style.

We met washing our hands in the dorm bathroom our freshman year of college and were both excited to find another girl who's interested in computer science.

But she's in Mexico for the next week or so, and I'm, well, here in Deutschland. *sniff sniff*

On a different note (this is for my Dear German Readers), I finally updated the Church Blog.

Language Observation and Rabbit Trails

Sometimes when I throw in English words into a conversation, people don't understand me. Even when I repeat myself, they sometimes have trouble. Unless I repeat myself with a British accent. Or a German accent.

Why is that?

I know they learn British English in the schools here... but is my English really that difficult to understand?

It's always humorous when people "correct" my English. There are standard English words and phrases that Germans use, which they all mispronounce (but when everyone mispronounces it, it eventually becomes "correct", right?). And when I pronounce something "correctly," they'll sometimes make fun of me and tell me my pronunciation is off, just because it's different (albeit correct) than what they're used to.

Em...

But that's ok - I actually find it rather amusing.

That's all for the Language Realm today...

You know you're a nerd when...

- you're excited to finally learn what Macros are (think: Microsoft Access and Excel), and how to program them.

- the fact that you can apply concepts from your high school logic course to your current job makes you giddy.

- you almost get in a car wreck on the Autobahn while listening to the Brandenberg Concerto and imaginging/pretending/day-dreaming that you're the conductor.

- you find you have a strange attraction to scrawny Marketing/Advertising guys with wire-rimmed glasses and hair-that-your-mother-might-find-too-long, who look like they stepped out of the 70's.

Not that I've experienced any of these things, of course...

Interesting News Article...

US 'terror alert' for Germany

A US media report suggests that US and German officials fear a terror attack against American targets in Germany is in the advanced planning stages.

The report surfaced on ABC News, but US intelligence officials told the BBC they were unaware of any new threat in the last few days.

However, a warning for US citizens to stay vigilant was issued by the US state department two weeks ago.

"Any specificity of target or timing is simply not there," the BBC was told.

Source: BBC News


Hmm. Maybe the non-stop drama, criticism, and frustration does have an end. Though I doubt Neukirchen will be a hot target for terrorists.

Crazy Brits

So... they say "tummy button" instead of "belly button."

And they don't go to the "bathroom", but to the "loo."

And if they don't like something, it's "rubbish."

*tee hee*

Mary vs. Frau Barber vs. Mary-san*

The Art of Direct Address is becoming more complex by the minute! At my former job, it could be complicated at times (think: formal vs. informal "you")... but at my new job, I not only have to deal with German norms and language quirks, but also Japanese norms and idiosyncrasies. I've discovered that there's actually no consistency... it all depends on a myriad of factors including, but not limited to:

- your status (employee, manager, directer, etc.),

- your country (Germany, Holland, England, Japan, etc.),

- your language and its particular norms,

- your familiarity with the addressee,

- the distance you'd like to maintain with the addressee,

- your personal preferences.

Here are some generalizations:

- on the "European Level", everyone generally speaks English and calls eachother by their first name,

- on the "German Level", everyone generally speaks German and says "Mr.", "Ms." or "Mrs." and uses the formal "you,"

- the "Management", including German managers, are generally on a first-name and informal "you" basis with one another.

- the Japanese generally call you by your first name, with the suffix "-san" attached.

The question, of course, is how one ought to apply this conglomeration of rules practically and correctly. Hmm.

The majority of my co-workers call me either "Mary" or "Frau Barber." Certain co-workers avoid speaking directly to me and avoid using "you" at all, as they're not sure whether to use the formal or informal version.** My German boss calls me "Frau Barber." My Japanese boss calls me "Mary-san."

Welcome to the International Business World.


*Sorry if this is boring for you guys... this topic fascinates me for some reason. :)

**That's one thing that's interesting about German - you can carry on a lengthy conversation without even saying "you"... you can replace "you" with "one" or "man." Ah, the delicate art of language.

Ah, life...

Ok, it's Honest Time...

This past week or so has been hard not only for me, but for quite a few people on this side of the world. So much has taken place; lives have been changed; tears have been shed... but, like anything, it's part of life and the only way out is through.

The funeral and surrounding events have brought me to certain realizations both about myself and about life in general. I seriously think it's time to pull the Thinking Shirt out of the closet...

So, that's what's going on lately: lots of thinking, and practically no productive activity.

It's not always easy living alone* and in a foreign** country.



*though I'm rarely alone... and if anything, I need more time just for myself. Gotta love the introversion.

**even though I've been here over a year, there are still many cultural aspects and rules that I'm unaware of, as well as an ever-crumbling language barrier.

Befiehl du deine Wege*

Befiehl du deine Wege und was dein Herze kränkt,
der aller treusten Pflege des, der den Himmel lenkt.
Der Wolken, Luft und Winden gibt Wege, Lauf und Bahn,
der wird auch Wege finden, da dein Fuß gehen kann.

Auf, auf, gib deinem Schmerze und Sorgen gute Nacht!
Lass fahren, was das Herze betrübt und traurig macht.
Bist du doch nicht Regente, der alles führen soll:
Gott sitzt im Regimente und führet alles wohl.

Wohl dir, du Kind der Treue, du hast und trägst davon
mit Ruhm und Dankgeschreie den Sieg und Ehrenkron.
Gott gibt dir selbst die Palmen in deine rechte Hand,
und du singst Freudenpsalmen dem, der dein Leid gewandt.

Mach End, O Herr, mach Ende mit aller unsrer Not;
stärk unsre Füß und Hände und lass bis in den Tod
uns allzeit deiner Pflege und Treu empfohlen sein,
so gehen unsre Wege gewiss zum Himmel ein.

- Paul Gerhardt


This is a favourite German Hymn of mine... it's about the dynamic interaction between you and God: God directing you on this Road That Is Life, and you trusting Him despite trials and frustrations. This is continual process until you one day pass from this life here on earth into eternity...

...how do you want to look back on your life? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to look back and say that you truly followed God? That you trusted Him, even when times were hard? That you made the right decisions? That you had a purpose? That your life was meaningful? That you lived for others? That you were content?

Eternity has already started (does it even have a beginning?)... so start living accordingly today.


*sorry, but I'm not in a Translating Mood ;)

Happy Fun Printer (Or, The Fabulously Amazing Site of Tablature!)

Well, my printer has become active once again, for the first time in several weeks... and let me tell you: it's wonderful to be printing guitar chords and tablature as opposed to applications and resumes. Absolutely wonderful.

For those of you who are interested, I've discovered a pretty good website that boasts 250k+ guitar tabs: Ultimate Guitar Tabs Archive. So far, I've been able to find most everything I've searched for, whether it be artist or song.

We're talking everything from the Goo Goo Dolls to the Eagles to Tori Amos to Johnny Cash to Guster to My Boys the Beatles.

Yeah, I admit it... I've developed a new obsession... :)

Sundays...

Today was a lovely day in the Center of the Universe, despite the fact that about half the people (including Bizarro Mom, Syd, Maya and me) are battling a cold.

*achoo*

Speaking of the Universal Center, here's a video from a little while back... now all of my Dear American Readers can experience a tractor ride through the German countryside.

Maya is sitting left of me; Lizzy is sitting across from us; Huckleberry is attacking us with jumper cables, if I recall correctly; and The Little Rascal was driving the tractor (legally, of course).

Enjoy! :)

My skin is thick, darn it.

You seriously have to have thick skin to live in this country. Germans can be so freaking direct (and borderline rude) at times... but at least you generally know where you stand.

Ironically, my publishing this little fact in their country, in response to their behaviour, could be considered both direct and rude... but hey, when in Rome. And I'm slowly learning to give it back, though I still haven't concluded if that's a Good or a Bad Thing.

While on the subject... does anyone else have anything they want to criticize me for? Anything I've screwed up that you'd like to confront me on? Anything dumb I've said or done that you'd like to point out? Any language mistakes you'd like to make fun of? Any general complaints, criticisms, reprimands, or suggestions for improvement?

Work and Play and Lollipops

My poor, forsaken Blog... :)

See what happens when you work in front of a PC the entire day? In the evenings, the last thing you want to do is sit in front of it again... especially when you feel you ought to write something clever.

Excuses, excuses, I know.

Work is going very well - I'm understanding things and am enjoying the work itself. It's also been interesting observing the different corporate cultures between companies. During interviews, and also having worked for two companies (Siemens and Canon), I've had the opportunity to be an observer from a semi-insider perspective.

Well, I felt rather torn today, as I had to give up half-a-day in the Center of the Universe after promising Biff a month or so ago that I'd go to a concert with him. Though it was odd being somewhere else on a Sunday afternoon, there's really not much that beats live music. Germany has such a rich music history... just think about it... the only decent well-known non-German composers are Chopin and Rachmaninoff (Eleanor, do you want to wikipedia this to make sure I spelled it correctly, hehe? Thanks). So many famous composers are German: Mozart, Bach, Tokio Hotel, Beethoven, Wagner, Handel... and the list goes on.

If I believed in re-incarnation, I'd want to return as a window-shattering Prima Donna. Wait, our church doesn't need a Sopranist to shatter windows... the neighborhood miscreants are happy to oblige free of charge.

But that's another story.

Life is generlly going well. Having not worked for multiple months, I've come to appreciate both work and play all the more. Everything is somehow better.

Das Leben ist vielleicht doch ab und zu ein Zuckerschlecken. :)

Opinion Procrastinations and Musical Obsessions

So... there's been quite the debate regarding smoking lately... several people have asked me about my opinion and, honestly, I'm afraid that if I publish it, I'll be ex-communicated from the church.

My opinion is alive and well and written... it's just a matter of whether or not it ought to be published, especially when children are in the audience.

*thinks for a minute*

On a completely different note, I've developed a new obsession, und zwar, playing the Guitar. At Eleanor's the other day, I was sitting outside messing around on the guitar when a friend came by...

Friend: "I'd like to play the guitar... but I can't."
Mary: "Listen to my playing - I can't play either."
Friend: "I'd never sit outside and just play like that... I'd be too embarassed."
Mary: "Eh, you have to start somewhere."

Then Syd, who's never anything but sweet and encouraging came by...

Syd: *starts messing with my guitar* "The guitar keeps squeaking... you have to press the strings tighter."
Mary: "Well, YOU couldn't play it much better."
Syd: "Your MOM couldn't play it much better."

One of the many things I've learned since being here in Germany is that quite a bit is possible - you simply have to do something... you have to have a little confidence and take the necessary step. And if you mess up, that's ok, too.

The pessimistic perfectionist is becoming a smaller and smaller part of my life...

Lord, liar or lunatic?

With Easter approaching, I've been thinking quite a bit about Jesus... specifically, how people (including myself) view him.

Is he God? Is he a prophet? Is he a good man and nothing more? Is he a criminal who deserved to die? There's quite a bit of disagreement when it comes to who he actually is, which is why I think it's important to look at who he says he is. For example, he claims to be God. He claims to be able to forgive people. He accepts worship.

Is that normal? Is that right?

If I were to claim to be God, and claim to be able to forgive people, what would the general reaction be? Would I be taken seriously or would that be more in the diretion of blasphemy and being commited to an insane asylum? Probably the latter...

All that to say... when it comes to Jesus, there are really only three options of who he could be: Lord, liar or lunatic. If his claims are false, that would mean that Jesus is either a lunatic (he made a false claim but believed it) or a liar (he deliberately and vindictively made the false claim). But if his claims are true, that would make him Lord.

There is no way he was simply a "good man." Good men don't claim to be God, don't claim to be able to forgive people's sins, etc. That's what *crazy* people with delusions of grandeur do.

Based on what he's said, I'd argue that he's either a very bad man, or God.

So... if what he says is true, we all have something to think about.

Jesus once asked Simon-Peter, one of his friends, "who do you say that I am?" This is a good question for us today as well. Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you think he was *crazy*? Was he a warm fuzzy prophet? Was he a criminal? Or could it maybe be that he really can forgive us, really can bridge the gap between us and God?

It's almost Easter. The entire Western World is on vacation. This might not be a bad time for us to think about who Jesus really is, and what that means for us.

Smoking, Part II (Translated Comments!)

Well, Tobi and Lizzy left some interesting comments, which I've been kind enough to translate for my Dear American Readers.

:)

Here's what Tobi wrote:

Point 1. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Smoking is poison (there’s no question about this) and no matter when and how often you smoke, you’re smoking out the Holy Spirit.

2. Nicotine is a drug and an addiction. Even if you only smoke every now and then, the step towards being a regular smoker (be it out of boredom or frustration) is very short. You should prevent such habits.

3. General question: do you want to be a good example for others or not? If I don’t want people or teens or youth to smoke, then I should consistently model this which would mean not smoking, ever.

4. It’s an either – or situation.

5. If you think you’re free, then you also have the freedom to say “no.” Smoking as a habit ties you down.

6. In the Bible, it says that if your behaviour is a hindrance to others, you should refrain. Well, I hate smoking, so your smoking would be a hindrance to me.

7. Smoking isn’t cool. Most people only smoke because of peer pressure. You could eat a candy or an apple or whatever instead.

Hash and marijuana are out of the question; they’re drugs. There are not decent medical values; it only anesthetizes the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, it says that you should have a pure spirit, even in pain. Look at how Jesus suffered; our pain is nothing in comparison.

Jesus didn’t smoke and wouldn’t smoke; he wasn’t into pleasure – He was here to save us. He kept his spirit pure and wasn’t distracted by smoking.

And here's what Lizzy wrote:

I totally agree with Tobi! I’ve never touched a cigarette and never plan to! Even though some friends of mine smoke, it hasn’t been hard for me to refrain because I think it’s disgusting!! It stinks, your eyes tear, it’s too expensive, etc.! When it comes to hash and marijuana, it’s the same story. I’ve never touched it and never will. I agree with Tobi!!

There’s also hookah. I wouldn’t count that as a drug, but in principle you can put it in the same category as cigarettes. You smoke it every now and then, but if you smoke it too much, you can become addicted (not as fast as with cigarettes, but when you’re addicted, it’s just as hard to break the habit!), which is why I think that what Tobi wrote about cigarettes also applies to hookah. I think you should keep your fingers away! It’s hard to prove whether hookah is more or less damaging than cigarettes… the only “advantage” is maybe that it doesn’t taste so disgusting. Another advantage might be the fact that you smoke in comfy little groups with friends/family. But these are the only advantages!

Hmm...

What (if anything) Would Jesus Smoke?

This is a serious question, folks. What do you guys think?

Would he smoke at all? If so, what? A pipe every now and then? A pack of cigarettes a day? Marijuana, but only for medical purposes? Hookah with his disciples after a long hard day of work?

Several of us were discussing this last night and there was a slight difference of opinion. I'd like to know what some of my Dear Reader's thoughts are and then (maybe) I'll publish my opinion.

:)

Girl's Night and Lists :)

A few weeks ago, My Favourite Girls* came over for a Girl's Night, which included Girl Talk, a movie**, face masks and looking at pictures. :)

Another thing we did that might especially interest my Dear Single Readers was write a List of characteristics we'd like in a future spouse. For all of you who have experienced even a taste of love (be it "true love" or not), you have to agree that this is a good idea. Why? Because when you're in love with someone, you tend to only see the rosy side of things, which means it's good to objectively think things through in advance.

Which is what we did. And we even read through Proverbs 31 to see what kind of women we should be. *thinks for a while*

Anyway.

If you don't have a List, I'd highly recommend that you start one. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.

The Simple List, for example, might only include the absolute-basic-must-haves... such as similar beliefs or similar interests.

The Complicated List, for example, might include not only the absolute-basic-must-have, but also nice-to-haves or absolutely-cannot-haves.

You also don't have to complete it in one sitting. It's a thought process more than anything else. I started mine while in high school and have added to it throughout the years as I've met different people.

Nobody's perfect, including your future spouse... which means we shouldn't expect to find exactly the person described in our List. It's simply a good way of objectively and concretely thinking things through and evaluating a person or situation regardless of any feelings we might have.

So... back to Girl's Night. I know you'd all like to see pictures of us with Quark*** and cucumbers on our face, but I promised not to post them, so you'll have to do without. Maybe next time. :)



*you know who you are!

**A Walk to Remember... yeah, several of us were, em, bawling. Including me - I'm becoming my mother!!!

***similar to joghurt, but thicker and unsweetened

Job Description

Well, several people have asked about my new job and what I'll be doing... so here goes: I'll be working as a financial analyst of sorts in the Finance Department. We're responsible for managing the expenses on our Location, which is primarily Sales and Service (no Production, that is). My primary task will be cost center controlling (budgeting, forecasting, reporting) and my secondary task will be supporting the Business Unit controllers in various upcoming projects.

It was a good, but difficult first week.

Thoughts after the first two days of work...

- If you go to bed at 9 PM as opposed to 1 AM, it's much easier to wake up in the morning.

- Re-piercing my nose every night kinda hurts... but I should probably let a few more weeks pass before showing up with my lovely little nose stud.

- From the 5th story, you have quite a view when the clouds roll in and the rain pours down.

- Driving through traffic can even be interesting when you have Swing Music CDs and children's casettes such as 3 vom Ast to listen to (thanks Huckleberry!)

- Change, uncertainty, stress and being tired tend to bring out bad habits... but cold weather has a way of ending them.

- I'd rather climb a tree than a corporate ladder.

The past half-a-year and the future...

While driving over the Rhein on the Autobahn the other day, I realized once again just how lovely it is here.

And, thanks to a pending work contract, I might just be able to stay here for a little while longer.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRAYERS, SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT!!!

In the past half-a-year or so, I've lived through quite a bit... and had I known the events which were to unfold, I probably would have stayed closer to my parents and taken a somewhat "safer" route. But, thank goodness, we're unable to know the future, so I took a (what I'm slowly realizing was rather drastic) step and landed not only in Europe, but in the Center of the Universe itself.

The past half-a-year has been both a difficult time and a time of learning... I'm not sure why things happened the way they did, but many things we'll only understand wayyy post-facto.

Sometimes I wish I could see into the future... why? It's a mixture of curiosity and the desire to somehow mentally prepare for All That Is To Come. But then again... if I knew, I'd probably (a) freak out (b) make different decisions and (c) not focus enough on the present, on what I ought to be doing now.

*shrugs her shoulders*