Coming soon to a blog near you
So Christmas has come and gone and the new year is quickly approaching and this blog has remained the same. I've just put up a few quick posts and this is a final post of the day to say that I will be updating again soon. I've got a few posts in mind. I've been here just long enough to start commenting a bit on real cultural differences I've been experiencing. I'll also tell you a bit about my Christmas and the gym we've joined. I'm sorry about this place holder post, but I figure if I put the promise of more posts out there into cyber space, there's a better chance I'll actually follow through. So stay with me.
Look what Santa left under our "tree"
Now H finally has a quick way to get to work!
Day 4
No this is not a black and white photo. It's the view from one of our windows out into the blizzard.
When we first arrived here it seemed like it was never going to stop raining. Now I'm not sure it will ever stop snowing. It hasn't stopped snowing for more than a few hours since Monday.
The second photo is a view from the other side of our apartment. Did I mention we've got a great location?
Who wants a pig for Christmas?
WARNING: Tara and anyone else who loves cute little piggies or has a weak stomach please do not scroll down or don't hold me responsible for what happens if you do since I know you all will. Behold a major difference between European and American super markets:
I may do a whole post at some point on all of the interesting goodies and ingredients I've found at the grocery store. Wait...who am I kidding? That would be the most boring post ever so I may think twice about that. In the mean time, look at what I found in an egg today.
Okay...so I know it's not that impressive but I can't personally remember the last time I witnessed this particular phenomenon. I also thought it would be fun to be both offensive and boring all at once. Can you tell I'm really getting into the holiday spirit? It's clearly past my bed time. Ciao for now!
oops
This is what happens when you don't have a dresser and you pile all of your clothes on one little shelf:
This is what happens when you J-walk in front of a cop who has a quota to fill (for the record, it wasn't me):
And this is what happens when the hand shower goes crazy and sprays the medicine cabinet (and everything else in the entire bathroom):
So how's your weekend been?
Catching up
It's amazing how busy I am for having nothing to do. I'm starting to understand how people who don't work can still claim to be so busy. I'll try to keep posting every few days though.
This weekend, we headed up to a castle and a little town near the northern most border of Croatia. H's parents wanted to do something special for his birthday, and this had always been one of his favorite castles as a kid. Although I always have a good time I find it kind of tiring to spend a lot of time with my inlaws. They want to communicate with me so badly, but none of us can really say what we want to. So days with them are inevitably filled with quite a bit of frustration. But overall we had a really nice time and a great dinner with enough wine to ease any lingering anxieties.
Sunday I finally got to make Kremsnite (crame-shnita) which is my all time favorite Croatian dessert. It's really not that difficult to make, but it is a bit time consuming. Basically you make a standard custard, fold whipped egg whites in, spread that over a puff pastry base, and then top it with whipped cream and another puff pastry layer and lots of powdered sugar. I can't think of anything remotely like this in the states. Maybe I'll have to start a little Kremsnite bakery someday so you can all see what you're missing.
Today I attended the monthly International Women's Club meeting and got roped into joining. It's not that I didn't want to join, it's that I was under the impression that it would cost $6 and it actually ended up costing $60 so I've decided that instead of being annoyed by this I'll just have to make sure I get my money's worth. Being an introvert in a foreign country where you don't speak the language is a potentially depressing combination so hopefully this will force me to get out there and do things. The whole thing seemed a little Junior League-ish so I'm unsure if these women are really my kind of people but it can't hurt to attend a few meeting and activities.
So throughout all of my busy days I'll try to keep finding time to post new adventures, but I'm sure this picture will keep you all entertained until next time (whenever that may be):
Lunch
Today for lunch we walked to the main square and got some sausage and hot wine. They have these giant round sausage cookers where they cook at least 7 types of sausage at a time. The rolls are loaves of French bread cut in half and then toasted. When they're toasty and warm they jam them onto big metal spikes to make a hole for the sausage and then squirt a bunch of mustard or ketchup in the hole and shove a sausage in it. As a perfect accompaniment they serve hot spiced wine. And let me tell you...if you think NYC street dogs are good you have no idea what you're missing. Maybe I'll go back again tomorrow.
Landed
We're here! In Croatia that is. All is well and we're adjusting quickly to our new surroundings. Our little apartment is apparently pretty nice considering it's size and location. We still need to do a little decorating but I think it'll be perfect for the time we're here.
B's service is turning out to be a bit of a joke so he may look for other work to keep himself busy. I think I'll be just fine spending my days learning the language.
Before we left I had convinced myself that the first week or two would feel like a vacation and after that the holidays would keep us busy and then by the time that was all done I'd have a decent handle on some basic language skills and would be able to get my self wherever I wanted to go and do whatever I wanted to do. And afterall the last time I lived in Europe I can't remember the transition being particularly difficult.
By the time we hit JFK all of those delusions started to melt away. When I lived in Europe before we were given a daily schedule the minute we arrived. We were also in a group of 20 Americans who could get by just fine without learning any new language because we had eachother. And the idea that this would feel like a vacation? What was I thinking? As soon as we got here we had to move into a new place, get me a visa, apply for healthcare, register with the U.S. embassy, learn a new city, a new language, a new family, new friends.
So it hasn't exactly been an easy few days, but I'm really not complaining. We have gotten to sleep a lot and eat great food and visit with family and friends. I'm still petrified of the whole language thing, but I'm studying every day and today I even went to the market by myself. Of course the whole way there I was rehearsing in my head how to say "I'm sorry, I don't understand. I only speak a little Croatian" And when I actually got there I made as little eye contact as possible and only said "thank you" to the cashier before dashing out without a receipt. But I did understand what she said when she told me my total and I didn't even look at the screen. By the way, my total for a head of lettuce and an onion was 3.50 kunas which is less than $.60 US. Did I mention that food is cheap here? No? Well food is freaking cheap here! Oh and it's ALL organic!
So that's where we are in this journey. We're starting to feel at home in our new place. I'm trying my hardest to get over my language fears and shortcomings, and we're just hoping the sun will come out one of these days.
Of course there are more details and more stories but it's time to cook up some dinner. So until the next time check out our new place here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbbenko/
