Coffee Cake

The old coffee cake!

Every year my mother makes Coffee cake for thanksgiving and than for christmas. I usually helped by rolling the dough into the butter and the cinnomen( cant spell that, let alone say it right). I never really watched my mom make the dough I just did the finsihing touches and sprinkled some rasins on after. It is weird not being with my family this year so I wanted to do something traditional and make Coffee cake. Little did I know that making it was alot harder than I had thought.

I was at school when my class teacher came in and started to discuss what everyone was bringing for tomorrow for the christmas party. Everyone said they were bringing something and than someone started yelling someone has to bring Kaffee Koeche I said oh coffee cake, and sophie flipped aroudn and said oh you know coffee cake and I said yeah I am going to make some. I meant I was going to make some for my family but she quickly rose her hand and said OHH Hannah bringt das( hannah is bringing that). The teacher looked so happy that I was participating in their christmas fun so I didnt want to ruin it. So while I was in school I was traslating all of the indgredients over into english. It was really hard to translate active dry yeast because there is no such word, everythign else went smoothly. I had my list and I went to the store. If I thought finding the words in the dictionary were a little tricky I should of at least expected that finding them would be even harder. I am so use to going into Safeway and knowing where everything is and if not I can just walk until I find it. But the store is set up so differntly here things that should be by each other are not, and other things that shouldent be there are. I felt bad asking where everything was all the time, so I tried not to ask the same lady twice but I am glad that I did ask because there would be no way I could of found everything by myself. So now that I had all the ingredients I headed for home. I dropped everything off before picking up Margy at the train station and I felt really proud of myself for buying everything I needed for only 17 euros. Once Margy and I were back we started to get to work. I am glad Margy was there because she helped me convert everything which was actually the really tricky part because she did not know how to cook( so she says), and I did not know how to convert. It took awhile for us to get the dough ready and Margy kept on asking me if it looked right.... I actually didnt know, usually my mom makes the dough I never even bother to watch her make it I just know my job of rolling the dough into little balls putting it in the butter and than rolling it into the cinnomen sugar mixture. We finally got done with our first batch and it took me forever to get all the dough off my hands because it was wedged in between my fingures. Margy had to keep on telling my host sister Jona not to eat the dough yet because it wasnt ready.... it was nice that Jona was helping us though she really liked watching us make something and we tried to find little things that she could help with, like putting the flour in, or mixing the sugar with the Cin. and other things in that area. Silke my host mom kept on checking in and even made fun of Margy's radio station that she had on ^^. Carina helped mix the flour into the dough which is actually a great arm work out by the way... maybe I should start a new excercise programm..." bake the pounds off with Hannah". The longest part of the whole process was probably waiting for it to rise... after a half and hour or so we started our second batch and we were actually doing really great, we made it so much faster than our first one and I kept on thinking for some reason we were forgetting something... only until just now did I remember we forgot to put the eggs in there, so I hope the cake tastes alright :S.

The first batch was finished rising and so Margy helped me roll the dough into little balls.... and you know the rest. Margy pointed out that you can tell the difference between her dough balls and mine... but thats because unlike margy I could go Pro in the dough ball making business ^^. Margy than had to leave leaving me with the rest of the baking. Once again I had to wait a half an hour for the thing to rise, and while it was rising I started to roll the second batch into the pan. everything was done and than i put the first cake into the oven, it became clear in just a couple minutes that americans always make it bigger. My cake was rolling off the sides of the pan, my host mother was laughing and making sounds to mimick the sound that a cake would make if it had a mouth. Overall my cake turned out pretty good, and now I just have to wait and see how my second cake tastes without the eggs in it... I hope it doesnt taste too bad because thats the cake thats going to school tomorrow... yikes

Random

So once again another one of my weekends was so random, that I actually had to tell myself that I have to write this stuff down in my blog. The first thing that happend was as I was waiting for the train so I could go to another Rotex meeting a guy came up and started talking to me. I told him that my german ist very good, and than he said Ohh you speak english thats great. He than asked me if I could come around the corner where the bikes were at. My first thought was that I was probably going to be jumped or something, so I slowly went around the corner. A woman was standing there with a video camera and was making a video. I half smiled as she had the video camera pointed towards me. The guy than explained that he was doing an advertisment project for his school. I said that I would help and so I did. It was a little random and I couldent believe that that actually happend so I had to take a picture of the two people, and I was laughing as I said that this never happend to me in the states. The guy started talking to me, and than I borded my train and left. I was already running late because I always forget to switch my clocks backwards, and so my clock in my room is always one hour fast. I think that my host mom may have switched it because I told Margy and Clint that I would meet them at 2, and by the time I got on the train it was already past two but I thought it was 1. My train just missed margy and clint as they were heading to Koln because they had to meet with the other exchange studnets and get there tickets to Aachen. I didnt know what train to take so I randomly got on a train, I didnt even know where it was going. Clint than called me and asked where I was, I asked a man what the next stop was earlier and he said Koln so lucky for me I was on the right train. I told clint I was going to Koln and than he asked if I was going to the Main station, I really didnt know where at in Koln I was going. So he told me that he and margy would wait at McDonalds for me at the main train station in Koln. Not even two minutes after talking to him did I find out that I was at the main train station. I couldent call clint back because I never put money on my phone, actually I dont know how to put money on my phone. So I waited at McDonalds, and clint and margy later came up. I was a little upset because they didnt wait for me at Koln, and they were upset that I was late and didnt call them. It was nothing to get really upset about though becase we were all there now. I was glad that they waited for me, when clint told me that the train to aachen had already left and they almost went on it. finally we got on our train and went to Aachen. When we got there Margy and I had no clue where to go, but Clint had everything ready and lead the way. Finally we mad it to the place where Rotex was having us stay and we got in there. The last Rotex meeting was bad, but this one seemed even worse. We took a tour of a glass making place which was okay, but we also took a tour of Aachen which was really boring and cold. We had so much free time in the gym and of course all the people from the U.S are in one place, and all the people from other countries are with their countries.... for the most part. If being bored didnt ruin the mood someones cell phone got stolen so they had us all go into a room and one by one they took us out and checked our luggage.... it took so long and was so boreing that I really would of rather been alone at home than there. The cell phone was never found, and even the people from Mexico and Brasil didnt even want to party... but even without all the parties we still hardly got any sleep. Lucky for Clint and Margy and a deck of cards the trip was not so boring. They even taught me how to play yucker ( not sure if I spelt that right) which was actually a really fun and addicting card game. Clint Margy and I left early becaue it was Clints host brothers birthday and even if it wasnt we still just wanted to get out of there. Once again we ended up at Mcdonalds in the Koln train station when clint told me to look to my right... I gave him a wierd look before looking towards my right and I saw a lady holding napkins on her head, and she had blood all over the top of her coat. After that the food didnt look so appetising but I was still hungry so I finished margys sandwich.... no I didnt have any food besides that so I wasnt complty pigging out at McDonalds. I over heard the lady and the Police man that the lady had gotten hit by a car, I am not sure exactly what happed to her because I could not understand anything besides walking, and than a car.... so im pretty sure that is what happend. My weekend seem so random and was actually such a long weekend. Normally random things turn out to be good,,, im still trying to figure out if this was a good random or a bad random group of things... well I better be off to decide the answer to my question ( To Be a good random, or Not To Be a good random.... that is my question)

Weinachtsmarkt

Saturday clint, margy and I went to Koln ( cologne) to the weinachtsmarkt. Clints host family drove us to Koln and parked in a garage. We than went by foot towards the dom... which is a large gothis church... no i dont mean that it wore black and painted its fingernails I mean that thats the structure type it is... meaning gargouls and pointed towers. While we were walking I noticed a bridge... clings host family starts walking over this bridge that street trains also go down. I was freaking out because the bridge was over the Rhein river... and I am not one for hieghts and I really dont like bridges over water for that matter. Margy and Clint took this time to sheer me into utter fear... well it was more margy than clint. I was pressed up against the distant rails lookign at my feet the whole time keeping from looking down towards the water. Margy kept on going on that the worst that could happen is I fall off and hit a boat... I didnt really catch the rest of what she was saying but she was just trying to get me back for all the times I have gotten her. The worst thing that happend on that bridge though was when the street trains went by and the bridge would creek and rumble.. ohhh i was so scared. Finally we made it to the other side and I stood looking at the Dom for a good few minutes. You cant really grasp the beauty when your standing there because it almost looks fake, it was really beautiful and I couldent help but just stare at it the whole time. Clints dad than told me some facts about it and said that the workers go around the entire dom and fix everything that needs repaired and it takes 20 years to make it all the way around the dom, and than they have to start all over again. He said that its the only way they can keep it in such good shape. After viewing the Dom I went into the weinachtsmarkt where clints parents gave us some gluhwein.. which is a special brew they only make during christmas time and its heated up. I like wine but I dont think Im cut out for it being warm. we finished the wine and than it was time to go shopping for presents. Margy and Clint had there familis to shop for.. while I had to make a list before I went there of all the people I have to buy for or else I will forget. Now I cant tell you the presents I got everyone but I can tell you that looks are decieving. Some of the most expensive presents were actually the smallest, and the biggest presents were actually really cheap... its funny how they work like that. I can however tell you what I got my host family. I got my oldest host sister carina a puzzle box. It is actually a box that you can put something in but its a puzzle... i was never able to figure it out until the girl showed me that you have to pull form the corners and than it was made so clear. To add more to teh puzzle box i put a puzzle inside the puzzle but I had so solve the other puzzle in order to put it into the box... so i spent alot of time solving puzzles. I got my host mom a scarf because I didnt know what else to get her, and than I have a polly pocket set for Jona who is my youngest sister. I also have soem lotion that my mom had sent me to give away as a present too. It took me a long time to get all the shopping done, and I actually still havent gotten everyone a present so I have a little more shopping to do..... I also wont be able to send the package until later, which means my presents will not get there until after christmas but its the thought that counts and teh effort to get it there on time. So after we were done shopping margy and I took some pictures with the statues... well they were actually people dressed like statues,, and that made it alto more fun :D. We also got to see inside the dom, but a church service was going on... and it was the first time I have seen men in dress robes. I wanted to get a picture of them but I think they would of thought I was rude if I was taking pictures of them. I am glad I got to go to koln again and see inside the dom, and be able to shop in the weinachtsmarkt there. :D

Christmas Time

As many of you already know Christmas is just around the corner... and for those of you who have forgotten you better hop on the holiday reindeer fast. Things are different here in Germany around christmas. Normally I am used to just a few light streams hanging from the streets and even then no one really pays attention to them. In Germany they have lights hanging from the wires above the streets, and in the big cities they have weinachtsmarkt, which is a great place to do all my holiday shopping. There are little shops outside and each shop is differnt. Some shops have gifts from africa, such as tribal wooden carvings, and music, and animals. Others are candles that have different fragrences, candle holders, and designes. Some shops are filled with jewelry, and others are filled with furs. Another shop has hats, while another one has wood stones. Each shop brings something different to the table, but I think the shop I liked the most was probably the fur shop just because I knew I would never be able to afford the things, but it was outside so I didnt feel to bad about touching the furs, or sticking my hands into the mittens, or picking up shoes with fur linings. The markt is really beautiful with all its lights, and there is even a couple rides you can go on. Although Christmas will not be the same without my family and friends to be there, I always keep in mind that this is a once in a lifetime thing and that I will have next year to spend christmas with my family, so instead of mopping around wishing I was home, that I decieded to put myself out there and make the most of my holidays....... Christmas time is slowly approaching, and even though im a sea away, I know my family still sends me the best holiday wishes, as do I for them.

Dankefest ( thanksgiving )

Normally thanksgiving is not celebrated here in Germany. So Rotary thought it would be nice for Margy, Clint, and I to have thanksgiving here in Germany. Prior to the feast our conselor gave us each a task. Mine was cooking, Margy's was lists, and Clint's was taking photos.

The day we celebrated thanksgiving was on a friday so I had to ride horses after school at 2. Riding went longer than I had thought at it was 4 by the time I got home. I still had to pack because I was sleeping the night at margy's house. So I ran up to my room, and I remembered margy had forgotten her Obese bag of stuff at my house. I am not lieing when I say this bag was fat, I packed a little backpack full of clothes while this was a duffel bag big enough to fit a person in it. I called Margy and said that I would bring her stuff too, and than the counselor said that I need to pick up Bohnen at the store... for those of you who dont know what Bohnen is it is beans, but I didnt know it was beans either when she asked if I could pick it up. So than I was stuck, I had to get money to go buy the beans, but than I had to drive to buy the beans, and than go back to the train station... all of that carrying margys fat bag. I decided to leave the bag there, get the money drive to the store, come back to the house and than go to the trainstation with all the stuff.
Once I got into the store I started looking for Bohnen, my host mother told me that they would be right there when I went into the store but all I saw was fresh vegetables, and fruits... once again keep in mind I didnt know what Bohnen was. So I was searching all over in the fresh food section when finally I gave up and asked a lady where the Bohnen was. She walked me to the back of the store and gave me a bag of Bohnen and they were little seeds, but they said Bohnen on them. So I got to sacs of Bohnen and than headed back to the house, grabbed the fat bag, and headed off to the station. I had to walk all the way there because I was sleeping the night, and I looked like I was going hunting with this huge fat green bag. I made it to the train station and than Margy called me and I missed it. I try to put off buying a phone card for the phone which means that I cant call anyone but they can call me, so when I missed her call I couldent call her back... so I sat there staring at my phone until it rang again and than I picked it up. I always feel awkward talking on the phone in english around people because they look at me funny so I walked away. Margy than told me that I was suppose to start cooking at 5, and it was 6 now. So now I was really late, and I was suppose to help cook. So I got on the train, took the bus, and finally walked to margy's house. I got inside gave margy her obese bag, took off my coat and immediatly started to help cooking. The counselor than asked me if I got Bohnen, I felt proud of myself so I cleverly boasted that I had gotten two, I take out the bags of seeds, and she tells me that she said gruen Bohnen... she than told me in english that it meant green beans.... wow did i feel really dumb, but you cant blame me for mixing them up. So now we were left without beans.

I washed my hands and began to start cutting. Now I have heard of pumpkin pie, juice, and spice, but I never have cut it into little pieces and ate it before. That was definatly something new. It was really hard actually to cut the pumkin, but after it was cooked it didnt taste half bad. I than helped a little around the kitchen doing this and that, and than they gave the three americans meaning me a beer. We set the table got the wine and glasses out and than grabbed our plattes and started to fill them with food. Earlier the couselor told us that they did not have stuffing in Germany, so when I saw what looked like stuffing in the butt of the turkey I was so so happy. I wanted as much as I could have. I also put on my platte mash potatoes with gravy, the pumkin, turkey, and green beans that the neighbor had given us. We all sat down and they wanted us to give thanks in german, so I said I was thankful for food and family. We all begun to eat, and started to pour the wine into our cups. I ate everything and now I was working on the stuffing. It was really good until i bit into a large chunk of black. It was hard, and soft and had a similar taste, well actually I spelt it before when I was cooking it for our dogs back at home. I looked down at my plate and I remebered that when I was helping cook that I never saw them take the insides of the turkey out... it gave me an instant sick to the stomach feeling. After that I couldent eat anything else so I was done eating for the night.
Once everyone was doen eating they asked if we would teach them a card game in america. Clint, and Margy thought of games, but we didnt know how to explain them in german because it would of been to hard.. I said we should play B.S so eventually we agreed to play that. I asked them how they say the cards, and we went through them all.. I was going to start explaining when I asked how to say Ace in german.. they than told me Ass. I started laughing, and Margy was laughing too. The entire time I was explaining the game in german I kept on laughing every time I had to say Ass. I laughed even harder when I said after the Konig you put down your asses. I think the counselor was starting to get angry, but I couldent help laugh, and the wine gave me no filter.

As we were playing the game the boy next to me named Phelix started to talk to us. Phelix by the way is an amazingly gorgeous guy who came to thanksgiving with us and he was sitting right next to me ^^. He was asking us normal questions, and we were just talking, and than he asked if everyone was a legal citizen, and I said well not really everyone. So that brought the mexican topic up... but his next question suprised me.... He said " I'm sorry to ask, but are you mexican". It was a dead serious question, at first I didnt know if he was joking or not because anyone who knows me will tell you that i am white, and I stay white.... like blinding white. I than said no and once again margy started laughing because he just called me a mexican, she wasnt being racist but I am a extremly white person. So finally the night was over, we said goodbye to all the guests, and I was trying not to run to the toilet so I could get rid of the "stuffing". Next time I think I will think twice before eating something, try hard not to laugh at the word ass, and keep in mind there are no mexicans in germany besides the exchange students... so it was a harmless mistake of racial identity... still i dont think i will be forgetting that someone asked if i was mexican... or eating the insides of the turkey,,, and I will never forget how to say Ace in german.

Schussel Fahren

I have never been very good at ice skating, I think it is gods way of telling me that he should be the only one to walk on water... thats what I think anyway. Normally when I go ice skating, I am skating in an inside rink that is nice and sleek, and even then I still fall...alot.

My counselor had a day off and wanted to take me with his family to go ice skating. I was thinking we were going to be indoors, the ice would be really nice to skate on and there wouldent be alot of people there... but three swings, and three misses were my guesses.

We arrived there and it was snowing, I am not a big fan of the cold, and usually im a sore sport when it comes to activites like that. I decided to be different minded this time, and try to make the most of it.. once we walked up the steps I noticed that the rink was outside...and there were A Lot of people. I finally made it through the line and stepped onto the Ice. I looked at the ice and it was covered in snow, and it was really rigged. To make matters worse there were kids there.... no offense to anyones children but for some reason children dont see the danger in going as fast as they can pushing themselves inbetween people and than laying right in the middle of the rink. It was like dodge ball with the kids because once you saw that they were coming you quickly moved as far as you could away from them or you would be in big trouble. I started off going really slow, taking my time, and most of all not falling. Not falling was my only goal the entire time, I didnt care how slow I went just as long as I didnt fall. In the end I did set my goal and I did not fall once, but I think I did make other people fall.... I actually had alot more fun than I had expected, but towards the end of Ice skating there were so many people that It took me 15 mintues just to exit out of the rink. I was glad that I got off the Ice when I did though because there was about a 15 kid pile up right in the middle of everyones way.. I did feel bad laughing when I just saw a huge chunk of people fall, but I dont think anyone saw me laughing or else I would have some really angry parents on me.

After Ice skating my counselor took me to go eat, where once again the I discovered the portions here, I asked for a salami pizza thinking they would just give me two slices, but they gave me an entire pizza. I thought I ordered wrong when I looked around and every who had pizza were eating a full pizza. Of course I didnt want to offend germany so I did eat the whole thing... well actually I ate the whole thing because it was really good, but I think it makes me feel less guilty for eating a whole week of calories when I say it was for the good of mankind to eat it :D.

Next time I go ice skating though I will make sure to wear warmer clothes, and than when I go out to eat, I will order a salade.. hey maybe ill get the whole cabage to eat :D

This is Handball

Here is a photo of the mens league playing Handball. The ball looks like a soccer ball but is alot smaller in size. The goal pretty much of the game is to throw the ball as hard as you can into the goal. That is why you are suppose to jump when you are throwing because it gives you more power. The uniforms are just regular shorts, and you have a team t-shirt that you wear. Some people wear pads on their knees and elbows in this game but its optional. I dont know what else to say about Handball really other than it is alot harder than it looks...well for me anyway. My body doesnt quite think of jumping in the air and throwing a ball. For practice we had to work hard at the technique of how to jump. Its like in track when you are stretching your legs and you jump forward kicking one leg as hard as you can back... now you do that move while you bring the ball overhead and throw it into the goal... now I didnt describe it very hard but for soem reason during practice I could not jump and throw at the same time.. I would either throw than jump, or jump/land and than throw... eventually I got the hang of it. They put me on defense at first to practice and some of the girls can throw the ball so quick and move so quickly that you dont even know whats happening until it already did... I swear this one girl jumped over my head and threw it in the goal.. than again she had a good 2 feet on me. I like being able to play a game that not alot of people know about, it makes me feel differnt or just that much more skilled than other people. I am not good at playing but I am okay, it will take me a little more time to grasp the whole concept and rules of the game but it will come.