Stuttgart Oktoberfest and Other Adventures

It's that time once again. The time where you see more and more girls in frilly Little-Bo-Peep dresses and guys wearing leather suspenders and checkered shirts. While any other time of the year this might seem a bit strange, during the fall in Germany you'll see it everywhere. Oktoberfests began as an old Bavarian tradition, lasting a few weeks before Germany Reunification Day (October 3rd). The main festival takes place in Munich, although these days there are Oktoberfests planned in major cities all over Germany and it has spread to other countries as well (why not have another reason to party on the weekends, am I right?).

Instead of going to the Munich festival, we opted to participate in the Stuttgart Cannstatter festival. Not only is it MUCH closer to us, but it's also just so much more enjoyable than the insanity that is Munich. Although the festival is still large in Stuttgart, it is considerably less chaotic overall. When you walk into the festival you're greeted by the sea of traditionally clothed, usually intoxicated, groups of people from all over the country and all over the world. Carnival rides, super-unhealthy food choices, and beer tents surround and overwhelm the senses. We walked to meet our friends in a large tent near the back of the festival where they were all standing on the benches of 2 long tables. Ordering our torso-sized beer mugs, we chatted and sang along (usually poorly) to the drinking songs serenading the crowd. The atmosphere in the tents during the early afternoon is much more light hearted and playful. When the evening shift begins, the crowds multiply, people are even drunker, and sometimes things get a bit rowdy. This year we moved to a smaller tent for the evening and overall I really enjoyed the environment of it much better. We spent the evening there singing, talking with friends, and making new ones until it came time for Bruce and I to catch our train back. While technically it was still early for the festival goers, it's so nice to get back, be in my own bed, and wake up not feeling like I got hit by a German bus the next morning. Am I getting old? Maybe. Haters gonna hate.

 

 

 

Getting back from Stuttgart, it was time to hit the job-hunt game hard again. My itch to get back into the classroom was killing me (too soon?).

While fighting the 3-headed-dog that is USAjobs.gov, Bruce and I kept our eyes peeled for other opportunities off base. On Wednesday he found a Bookoo posting (kind of like craigs list) for a teaching position at a pre-school/child care center nearby. That Friday I went in to meet the director and get a tour of the school. What they needed was a teacher to take over the specials classes; library, music, and science. Don't mind if I do! Sounded like a perfect fit for my interests and experiences. That next week I started. Teaching all of the students, whose ages range from about 10 months old to 5 years old, I get to have fun with them all! The position is part time, which is great for the time being, and I can't wait to see how the rest of this year goes!

How am I getting to work you ask? Well....
TADA

Charlie, the mini-cooper, has joined us in Ktown. The only speed-bump was that it's a manual car. Laura Teacher gets to learn to drive stick! the Sunday before I started the trail week at work, Bruce took me to the base to get my first manual driving lesson. The week before I was watching Bruce's feet while he drove and trying to absorb as many youtube tutorials as possible so I had a general idea of how it worked. I'd say it helped a little bit, but nothing is like actually getting in to the driver's seat. I felt completely out of control and like I was learning all over again (that same stress and heart beating out of my chest feeling returned from when I was in Drivers Ed at Tatnall). After an afternoon of slowly rolling around the base, Bruce drops the bomb, "well, time to drive home now".

0_o


"You have to do it eventually! Might as well be now." We made it back without too many hiccups and from that Wednesday on I was driving to work on my own! I've gotten a bit more comfortable, but I still have some ways to go before I'm relaxed at the wheel I think.

Speaking of relaxing- This weekend Bruce, Tom, Chris and I are flying off to London for a mini-vacation! We have some great adventures plans including Book of Mormon, and the boys are getting a proper shave. Most importantly, we are meeting up with Alex and the other members of the SoulFlare tour to see them perform! I can't wait to listen to them all do their thing, as I was missing in action during their last euro tour (Something about too many tubes attached, I couldn't go). I also will be able to catch up with the lovely Lysianne, who I haven't seen since leaving Korea nearly a year ago (has it been that long already??)

I will definitely be posting an update about that trip soon!

Until then xoxo

German of the Post
"Sollte der Bibliothekar sein lehrt uns oder Lesen in der Ecke?"
Should the librarian be teaching us or reading in the corner?