Better not let them see me walking around with wet hair...

I may be divulging a little TMI, but I do so in the spirit of cultural exchange and understanding :)

So, I got a bladder infection. Everything is fine- I went to the doctor and got antibiotics that I'll start tonight. That isn't particularly blog worthy. What is, is the response that my liason teacher and her husband had to me getting sick.

They are both convinced that me walking around the house in socks, but no shoes or slippers, is responsible for my infection. So much so, that Klaus lectured me today on the drive back from the doctors about how, "I want to be treated like an adult, but I insist on acting like a child, running around barefoot and without shoes." And that I needed to tell Arran to make sure he's always wearing slippers or he'll be the next one they'll have to drive to the doctors. And he said something about me wanting him to act like a father to me. I accidentally started to laugh, because I thought maybe he was being a wee-bit sarcastic... but he wasn't. There was a little part of me that wanted to ask if he had a studies to back up his claims, but I didn't think that that was an appropriate time to do so.

As soon as I got home they found me a pair of slippers to put on (keep in mind they're open toed and heels) and they told me that I needed to rest and make sure that I keep my stomach warm. Because they think that keeping my bladder warm will help it to heal.

I want to emphasize that I really appreciate that they are worried about me. They have been super awesome great, and are very much concerned about both Arran and my well being. I just think that in this case, their worry is a bit misguided.

Nonetheless, below is a picture of my socked and slippered feet :)

Food!

Back in the States we were a bit worried about our vegan options in Germany. Well, that worry was unneeded! This week we bought soy butter, soy milk, and soy yogurt at the store, which are beautifully displayed below on our three shelves in the refrigerator :)


On Friday we went into Berlin where we found an Arabic and an Asian market, which Linnea got super excited about. Among our purchases were dates (seen above), some noodles, and a bunch of spices (like fresh ginger!). And! a Russian Coke light :)


Oh, look! Arran washing the pots and pans I used to make lunch!

With our newly purchases spices, Linnea made Chana Masala, which word has it, was pretty tasty.

Home, sweet home!

This is our first full week in Oranienburg and this things are going well! These are pictures of our current living arrangements. The stairs on the left lead up to the loft where we sleep and the couch is where we have been sitting to watch The West Wing, which we just started stealing from the internet.

The room, as you can see, is very red- even the basket for our dirty clothes and our memo board (which you can't see) are in red. If you look closely, you can see tissues on the desk, which don't really match, since their orange. That is because we took them from the bathroom, which the box matches perfectly in. The bathroom is completely decorate in orange- from the bath mat to the hand towels to the toilet paper (yes, we have colored toilet paper!). Though it may seem a bit silly, the color coordination definitely makes it feel a bit more cozy :)

Wilkommen in Oranienburg!

As of last night, Arran and I have settled into our first German home in Oranienburg, Brandenburg!

My Betreungslehrerin (the teacher at my school that I will work with), Petra, and her husband, Klaus, picked Arran and I up from the Berlin main trainstation and brought us back to their home, where we will be staying until we find our own apartment. We have our own bedroom and living room area, which is beautifully decorated with Ikea products (how German!), and which is very cozy and comfortable. Last night we had dinner (peppers stuffed with ground beef, sauteed vegetables, and potatoes) and dessert ( fruit and ice cream) and then sat around and talked. Petra and Klaus are extremely nice and we both enjoyed talking to them about things ranging from the teaching assistant orientation we just came from, dialects through out the country, and the kind of work Arran and I will be doing during our time in Germany. This morning we both were able to sleep in (for the first time since we got here!) and later in the afternoon Petra is going to take us on a walk to show us Oranienburg and do some errands (like set up a bank account!).

So all in all, we've been having a great time :)