Wedding Week - Part 2

After a few days of visiting friends (Herr J in Georgia and me in Myrtle Beach), catching up with our parents, and doing a little siteseeing, it was finally time for the official activities of wedding week to begin on Friday.

After a morning trial run with the hairstylist, I had a bridal luncheon with the bridal party, Herr J's and my mother, Aunt A, and Cousin B. It was a lovely treat to get to go out to the beach on Kiawah, and I'm so thankful to everyone for such a wonderful afternoon. Everyone looks so beautiful and colorful!

 

We were incredibly lucky with the weather - it was windy but sunny at the beach, but the rain began as soon as we left Kiawah. By the time we got to the church for the rehearsal, it was pouring, with thunder and lightning. We ran through the ceremony quickly, had a few laughs, and signed the marriage certificate with our witnesses. It made quite a funny picture of Herr J and I standing around the book with our pastor - and our attorneys! We were well represented by counsel licensed to practice in at least 4 states....though they were only present in their capacities as Maid of Honor and Best Man!

By the time we finished the rehearsal, the storm had passed over. Some guests later told us that as they were driving past the church there was a big rainbow overhead. If rain is a positive omen for a wedding, then I'm hoping a rainbow is even better!

(Please note - all photos below are by the wonderful Marni Rothschild)

Our church, St. Johns Parish:

Though I'd been quite worried, the afternoon storm turned out to be a blessing. The rain cooled down the temperature and dramatically reduced the humidity - and mde some lovely skies over the marsh. Since we were coming from Munich and many of our friends and family were travelling to Charleston for the first time, we wanted a wedding weekend that reflected our lives and showed off the beauty of the low country. We couldn't have picked a better spot than the Sea Island Yacht Club on Wadmalaw Island. This is what I wanted everyone to see.







It has a huge, wide porch overlooking the river and the marsh and is a perfect setting for a low country boil (a tradition in the area).  What is a low country boil? It's usually some variation of sausage, shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, and spices - thrown together in a pot and cooked outside.  If you do it yourself, you'll probably gather around the pot and have some drinks and some laughs while you wait. 



Again, the beautiful bridesmaids (with their lebkuchenherzen).



Mmmm....cornbread muffins...

To give everyone the real down home experience, my dad demonstrates shucking oysters at the oyster bar. Many of our Texas friends really enjoyed this part!


It was a perfect gathering of family

and friends 

and good food and views. 


At the end of the night, we did a fun little trivia quiz on Germany, with various German food products as prizes. Of course, you get a prize whether or not you're correct!

We fell in love with our baker Tammy's cakes at the cake tasting, so we had to get a couple of sheet cakes for the rehearsal, too. Here is chocolate cake with buttercream filling and a vanilla cake with raspberry filling.  Best chocolate cake we've ever tried. 


Enjoying the view of the river. 


The first day of the wedding events went very well. We had so much fun at the rehearsal dinner catching up with everyone - it was our first chance to see most of the guests who were not in the wedding, and a relaxed low country boil turned out to be the perfect locale. 

Also, we'd received the last minute favors from Amazon to substitute for the ones lost in the intercontinental mail. We were holding out hope that maybe another box would arrive in the morning. Being a wonderful small town, my mom asked the postwoman if she could call in the morning if the box arrived. But we were prepared and ready for the big day. 

Until around midnight I went to get ready for bed. I knew my hair had some pretty major knots in it - humidity and wind are not kind to me. But all the hairspray and styling of the morning must have created some evil chain reaction to turn my hair into one giant strawberry blonde dreadlock. Yes, my hair looks great in the photos, but if you lift up one strand, the ENTIRE mess would come with it. 

I thought that washing it and combing through some conditioner would do the trick. After 3 (small) bottles of conditioner and 90 minutes sitting in the bathtub (I was too tired to stand in the shower and too wet and cold to stand out of it), I finally got the knots out. There were some serious moments of doubt and thinking that we were going to have to cut it out...the morning of the wedding. Of all the things I thought would be major stresses in getting married, brushing my hair was not even on the list. 

Luckily my hair survived, Herr J survived the trauma of a bride fearful of losing her hair the day of the wedding, and we made it to the final, big day. And I've promised to avoid hairspray, backcombing, and anything else that might traumatize us both in the future when it comes to women trying to look pretty. 

This Weekend's Firsts

In the short lull between the blur of wedding/travel/Oktoberfest and the start of the really busy time at work and Christmas/honeymoon, we've been trying to fit in some hobbies. 

This weekend I finally made some progress on a few firsts....

My first knitting project more difficult than a simple scarf: Herr J's new trachten vest is finally starting to take shape. Just 12 more cm and the back will be done. 

This would also be my first attempt at knitting with a pattern and the first time trying to knit in German. Maybe not the wisest combination of "firsts" but after some serious frustration at trying to understand the pattern, I think it's back on track and I'm optimistic. 

And this weekend also brought the first batches of Spekulatius and Vanillakipferl!

Germany has such wonderful Christmas cookies that it would be a shame not to learn how to make them. And the variety of cookie cutters and baking forms available here is astounding. I always want to buy a bunch when I'm in the store. And since the only way to justify buying kitchen gadgets is to use them....

Here are the first two attempts, with a spekulatius form purchased a couple of years ago and a new vanillakipferl form. I'm excited to try some more cookies and experiment with the recipes. Once we figure out the best one, we'll post the resulting recipe. The first batches were a pretty good start, but I had to adjust a few things to make the dough come together and I'd like a little more spice to the Spekulatius. Luckily the stores are stocked with baking goods in preparation for Christmas!

And, what am I most excited about this weekend? 

Not really a first, but something that has been plaguing me for months. Between me forgetting and buying a new roll and Herr J moving in with a couple of his own, we have sooo many rolls of cling wrap. Which is always a pain to use anyway...it always sticks to itself more than anything else and is tough to tear evenly...you know...

But this one box has been like the loaves and fishes of cling wrap - it NEVER ends. For the past couple of months I think I'm at the end and will finally use it up and be able to throw it away, and no...there's plenty more. How old is it? Well, you might notice the writing on the box in Thai. I left Thailand over 7 years ago. It's THAT old. And today, I finally used the last of it. I know that there's no real accomplishment in using up something, but I feel some sense of accomplishment.  

I think Herr J is probably pretty excited to finally throw out that neverending box, too, or at least to have one less box cluttering up the kitchen. But what he's super excited about is that we got tickets this weekend to see Rush when they come through Germany next summer!

All in all, a pretty good weekend. Hope you all had good weekends, too!

Sauna Ettiquette

When I opened up the internet last week, the Yahoo!Deutschland homepage immediately caught my eye with it's front page article "Sauna Ettiquette: How Naked is Too Naked?"

While I'm a little bit too old to giggle simply at the sight of the word "naked," I did laugh at realizing that the uncertainty over what to do in the sauna isn't just a question for tourists and expats.   

My first visit to a German sauna was a bit of the opposite experience...I'd been so forewarned by other Americans that the German saunas are textilfrei (i.e., no bathing suits allowed) that I didn't bother to take one with me at all when I visited the Therme Erding in Munich.  After I travelled quite a ways on public transportation to get there, there was no way I was going back to get a bathing suit after I finding out that there was a textilfrei part and another part that allowed bathing suits!  

I have to say, it was an empowering experience. Of course, I went alone and didn't know anyone there, so it was a bit easier when everyone is a stranger! But I also realized that no one has a perfect body and probably most people are either (1) not caring what you or they look like, or (2) so worried about how they look that they don't even notice you. 

But, given my general confusion about what are the rules of the sauna, it's pretty amusing to see a German story about the same questions. I guess I'd just assumed that everyone here knows the rules and we tourists or new arrivals were the only ones confused!

So, out of curiosity, what are the rules of sauna ettiquette according to this article? 

• Proper Preparation 

Whether it's just a quick shower outside the sauna or avoiding garlic/onions for a few days prior, take steps to ensure you don't smell bad. And don't wear perfume.

• Proper Attire

Funny when you don't wear anything, but be sure to bring a small towel (for the pre-sauna shower), a large towel (to sit on in the sauna), and flip flops. (And they mention that using the towel to reserve a chair in the relaxation room is frowned upon)

• Good Courtesy

Just like in an elevator or waiting room, you should politely greet everyone upon entrance. And avoid being a space-invader by asking "is this space free?" before sitting next to someone. 

• No Chattering or Staring

While most saunas allow some talking (some are strictly for silent relaxing), it does seem like good common sense to refrain from too much talking, especially gossipping, talking about work (not relaxing) or talking about how hot that guy/girl over there is. And of course, while you don't have to stare at the floor, don't let your gaze linger on anyone. Very few like to be stared at while they're naked!

• Sweat in Style

I'm a little surprised that this has to be said, but I do hear complaints so it must be true. Don't do anything that others might find disgusting. Meaning, a public sauna isn't the place for shaving, clipping toenails, sweat-scraping, or other personal grooming. 

• Your boss in the sauna

My personal favorite on the list, since I avoided the sauna in my gym due to the fact that so many male co-workers worked out there. But, what do you do if you run into your boss or coworker in the sauna? Just greet him/her politely and try to find a place where you're both looking in the same direction. And above all, maintain the #1 rule: What happens in the sauna, stays in the sauna. Not that anything significant can happen in the sauna when sticking to prescribed ettiquette....but wise advice not to go back to work and talk about your colleague's cellulite or the size of anything. 

 

Many of these rules came from the site of the German ettiquette authority, Knigge.de. If you're curious about a particular social situation, or just feel like browsing and looking for interesting items, it's a good resource. 

Wedding Week - Part I

After much anticipation and planning from abroad, we finally made it to our wedding in early September. It was a bit of a logistical feat, but in the end everything came together and was even better than I'd hoped. 

Photo by Marni RothschildWe decided to get married near Charleston, SC, which is not only where my family lives, but also just a beautiful spot for a wedding or a vacation...or in the case of many guests, both!  While visiting my parents last Christmas, we were able to book the church and a reception venue, and then were able to book everything else through a combination of internet, telephone, and a quick trip last May. Thank goodness for the internet and major help from my parents! 

 

We had a pretty clear vision of what we wanted - something combining the natural beauty of the low country with some aspects from our life together in Munich. And above all, we wanted it to be fun for our guests and a chance to get together with family and friends who we unfortunately do not see often enough.

 

And so with that goal in mind, we set out to bring a little of Munich and Oktoberfest to Charleston. Which is why I spent much of my free time this summer in front of the sewing machine. Not just finishing the dirndl I'd started last year, but making trachten treat bags for wedding favors.  I'd started by making little pouches out of dirndl fabric (blue gingham with flowers, green gingham with hearts, and a fun red, white and black pattern), and Herr J gave me a brilliant idea to make lederhosen shaped ones as well. This took some trial and error, but eventually they came out looking like little lederhosen. It was a fun project and I'm now intimately acquainted with the contents of several stores' sewing departments, and I got in some good practice with my sewing machine's embroidery stitches!!

 

We stuffed the treat bags with an assortment of German candies, boxed them up, and mailed them to the US in a few different shipments 4-6 weeks before the wedding. We sourced what we could in the US (beer mugs, etc), but certain things could only come from Germany and we shipped quite an assortment of German food products, candies, and a lot of lebkuchenherzen for decoration. 


And after shipping it all off we carefully packed for a complex itinerary (Herr J was visiting friends, attending the wedding, and then flying back to Munich; I was visiting family, going to the beach with friends, going to NYC for a week-long business trip, and then meeting him and another friend at the airport in Frankfurt to attend a friend's wedding before finally heading back to Munich).  Herr J left a couple days earlier than I. While I was excited to get on with the getting married, I found that I really missed him and it was strange flying over alone. Fitting that feeling, it was a cold, rainy day leaving Munich. 

It was neither cold nor rainy in South Carolina! 

For the first time in many, many years, I was able to celebrate my birthday with family.  I had a nice dinner with my parents and uncle, and then met the Dallas girls Sunday morning to start our Myrtle Beach adventure.  I hadn't been on a road trip or a girls' trip in a long time. It was so much fun to see everyone. We packed up the rental minivan, stopped for a good lunch on the way and then headed up to the beach.  

One of our friends was kind enough to get a week in a family member's condo near Myrtle Beach and several of the girls came for some or all of the week before the wedding. Relaxing and catching up with girlfriends was the perfect start to the week.  But before starting the bachelorette festivities, they surprised me with an ice cream cake and birthday presents! 



It was a fun but kind of odd birthday this year... Since my main focus was on the wedding and travel, I kept forgetting about my birthday. Since we would be apart on the day, Herr J surprised me the previous Sunday with a table full of great birthday presents (lots of great hiking and diving gear and a fisheye lens for my OMD). And then I'd forgotten again and got to enjoy the surpise yet again. 

But, back to the relaxing on the beach with trashy magazines.... 

In between a lot of much-needed relaxing and talking, we fit in a little bachelorette fun 

And there were more suprises and presents...including some lingerie and a sparkly "bachelorette" tiara which I of course wore out to dinner. 

We went out for a nice seafood dinner overlooking the pier, where our sweet young waiter brought us some extra key lime pie and gave us a tip on where to find a nice but not overly crowded beach. (Basically, he told us where the older people go...which I guess is now my demographic group!)

And then we went up to the rooftop deck for after dinner drinks. Nothing too crazy, but we did try to stay young with a round of shots (Coke for the pregnant friend/designated driver!)

And we couldn't leave Myrtle Beach without watching this classic. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. 

While I was catching up with the girls and getting in some pre-wedding beach time, Herr J was also visiting friends and catching up on American culture. Yes, he went to Georgia's first game of the season! He also introduced his friends' sons to the joys of German candy. 

After our respective pre-wedding trips, we met back up in Charleston on Wednesday morning.  We spent a lovely day with his parents, taking in some of the sights around Charleston.  Their first stop was the Angel Oak on Johns Island


After a quick stop at Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ for some of their great pulled pork and mac and cheese (subtly flavored with a hint of mustard), we headed down to Patriot's Point to catch our tour to Ft. Sumter. (Given all the things that we wanted and needed to do in a short time, Herr J had a very detailed timeline that allowed us to get it all done). 



I hadn't been to Ft. Sumter in many years, and it was a beautiful day for it. The great thing about this tour is that you also get a nice boat ride and views of the harbor and marshes. 


And the dolphins were swimming just off the fort. So much fun to watch, but they're frustratingly difficult to photograph! When we chose the venue for our rehearsal dinner, the dolphins frolicking (or feeding?) in the shallows of the river tipped the scales in favor of the place we chose.   



So, after a day of siteseeing, we and Herr J's parents went over to my parents' house for a nice relaxed, newly-extended family dinner.  

 

And on Thursday, before the festivities really began, we took a day to just relax and spend time together.  Of course, before we could do anything else, we had to deal with the favor situation. I'd been a little paranoid about mailing everything over, but figured a month would be plenty of time for them to arrive. And of course there was no way I could carry everything over with me. I did expect that perhaps a few chocolates would melt or be crushed, so I packed a couple extra bags of the more delicate chocolates in case we needed to replace a few.  But I wasn't prepared for the packages to go missing, for DHL to have no information about where they were (somewhere between having left Germany and having arrived in the US was the best they could do with the tracking numbers), or for the fact that in the one box which finally arrived Wednesday, the damage was so bad that the gummi bears had liquified!  The chocolate of course also was a disaster.  

While we were still holding out hope that they might arrive, we realized that with 48 hours to go before the wedding, we needed to find a backup plan. And thankfully Amazon US stocks a wide range of Haribo gummis and has 1 day shipping. We ordered enough bags of different gummis to give as favors, and were just hoping the boxes arrived. At that point I'd given up hope of any of the candy being edible, but was hoping my weeks of work on the bags wasn't wasted. (The ones that arrived were undamaged, but were only 1/3 of the bags). Sadly, we could find no solution to replace the lebkuchenherzen that we planned to use for decorations. 

With our Amazon order placed, and having just heard from my dad that the lebkuchenherz did arrive, we decided to try out Sticky Fingers, which was recommended as one of the better bbq restaurants in town. 

I'm not normally a big wing fan - mostly because there's often so little meat on there and it's not worth the trouble - but the manager sent us a few wings to try, and even I admit they are pretty great. First, they're pretty meaty and large wings, and so a lot less effort to eat. And the taste really makes it worth it....slightly smoky and tasty, not the fried stuff covered in artificial tasting sauce.  These actually remind me of the great wings at Newton Circus in Singapore, if you've had those. 



With the wings and the friendly service, we knew we were off to a good start, and the entrees did not disappoint.  We both got combos so that we could try them all out, and I think the beef brisket was my favorite. And I'm a sucker for any restaurant with hush puppies on the list of sides!



The sauce choices...yes, of course we tried them all. (My favorite combo was the Tennessee Whisky on the beef brisket)

So, with our happy and full bellies, we headed off to unwind and play at Frankies Fun Park. (And let me just say now how wonderful the fun park is on a Thursday during the 2nd week of school....we had the place almost to ourselves).  

 

Our main event was the go kart racing.  A pretty pink car for the bride...

...and blue for the groom!



We also rode the slides and couldn't resist some skee-ball and some of the other arcade games.  A great way to leave the stress behind! 

We had one final meeting at the church and then I had one last mini-bachelorette party - dinner at Husk with my two bridesmaids who couldn't make it to Myrtle Beach. They brought me a gorgeous vintage veil to wear and we enjoyed some delicious southern cooking. 


Unbeknownst to us, it was Restaurant Week in Charleston....lucky, because we get to sample some amazing food at good prices, and not so lucky because everything is booked.  However, Husk is well-equipped for waiting and has a lovely bar in an adjoining house with some snacks.  


The food was definitely worth the wait, and we three had a lot of catching up to do! 

SC Shrimp with Tomato Braised Okra and Sweet Peppers
Fried Green Tomato with TN Cheddar Pimento, Pickled Ramps and Surry Country Ham
Kurios Farms Bibb with Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes, Roasted Corn and Salami, NC FetaThe appetizers were so good we forgot to take pictures of the rest of the food. However, Husk archives all of its menus online so you can go back and drool over all of the possibilities. 

With so many great meals, activities, and time reconnecting with friends and family, it was the perfect way to start off the week. But come Friday morning, the real rush begins!

 

Beer Stein... with the Lord's Prayer

I was looking at various web sites for German products that I could send to some friends in the U.S..  At one online import store (U.S. based), I came across an odd combination -- a beer stein with the Lord's Prayer on it!

This is taller (16 inches) than normal, holding 1.5 liters.  (Small steins hold typically 0.5L, and large ones 1L.)
The text is in German, and it's made in Germany.  It just doesn't seem very German to put Bible verses on a stein.

The Catholic Bavarians and southern Germans generally don't quote the Bible much, preferring symbols and images.  So I checked -- the producer is in northern Germany (albeit southeast of Cologne, a very Catholic city too).

Maybe marketing knows something we don't?  This is not cheap either, at $115!  Not sure what to say... prosit?

Back to fussball

It's been a packed summer of sports, with the European Football Championship (Poland/Ukraine) and Summer Olympics (London).  Now it's back to basics as the Budesliga fussball season gets underway.

In that spirit, you need to see this video of German soccer fans after a World Cup game in 2010, "cheering" on a woman as she tries to park her car.  It's OK to laugh at this, right?

Bored guys put underwater camera in beer

One could probably fill an encyclopedia of YouTube videos created by bored guys.

I found this one because I'm looking into getting a "tough" compact camera -- waterproof to 10m, drop-proof, freeze-proof, etc.  (There seem to be some decent models by Panasonic, Olympus, and Canon.)

In this video, they take the Olympus TG-1, turn on the video recording, and dunk it in a pitcher of lager:

I'm wondering two things...

1)  Where did they film this?  It looks like a chemistry lab from 1920.

2)  Did they drink the beer afterwards?