Christmas Break!

Yesssssssss! It's finally Christmas Break! I'm so happy to have a couple weeks without going to class! Though it's definitely not to say I don't have plenty of class work to do, but at least I can veg out a bit before stressing about school again. Here's a list of things I want to accomplish during the holidays:
1. Eat lots of sweets. It's Christmas, and it's Germany. What other reason is there? Right
2. Go hiking in the forest again, we went last year in October and it was really nice, but it's always good to revisit in different times of the year.
3. Find a job for the next few months. Part time/student jobs, or anything where I can use my English skillz.
4. Head start on some projects, to make my life in January a bit less hectic.
5. Bratwursts.

Oh, have I mentioned how excellent the bratwursts are here? Lawdy thems tasty! On Saturday Erika and I have plans to go to the Weihnachtsmarkt again to celebrate the end of her thesis nightmare, and I've heard there is a stand with foot long bratwursts. It's gonna be awesome.

Wish me luck on my checklist!

It's official!

Yay! I've successfully navigated my way through the German bureaucracy! Thanks to all those who've helped, especially Erika for coming to my appointment and making sure I have all the documents ready.  Here is my official German Residency Permit (Aufenthaltstitel) which permits me to stay in Germany for a full 12 months! I'll have to register again next year, but for now I'm happy that I made it.

This is a photo of me from last year. Now I have a new haircut that I self-styled with a little help from Erika. 

Yep it's a selfie, but I wanted to show how well I'm blending in to the Euro culture. There's a few odd spots around the back, but pretty good for a $0 haircut

December Holidays

I always enjoy the Christmas season at home, the cold fresh air is still new and exciting enough to keep you hoping for the first snow, decorations begin to appear, for better or worse depending on the displayer's tackiness, and people are generally in a bit better mood, trying to be fun and friendly in the wind up for Christmas Day. But it's a pretty different story here in the land of Saint Nicklaus. Yes the air is crisp, the decorations are up, but it seems the whole city has changed to welcome the holidays. And O Sweet Baby Jesus do the Germans love their Christmas season! The German Weihnachtsmarkt is a pretty common display in most German towns and cities, and in Erfurt they do it with gusto. Bringing in enormous evergreen trees to plant in the city center, constructing stand after stand that peddle all kinds of sweets, drinks, clothes, decorations, and more.  I think I'll just let some of the pictures do all the talking for now.

Main entrance of the Domplatz market

Massive Weihnachtspiramid

Carousel in the city center

The shopping center is called Anger. Here it is nicely decorated with little wooden stands leading up to the entrance

Other shops selling hot Glühwein at the Rathaus (city hall)

Langos is a delicious Hungarian food that was pretty popular at the Christmas market. It's almost like a really puffy naan dough smeared with garlic cream sauce and cheese. Can also add sausage to it, naturally.

Pretty excited about Glühwein and a funnel of candied almonds. Glühwein is definitely the best way to stay warm at the market. Dozens of places to buy it from, and there are an assortment of mugs to drink from. I liked this one the best.

Yup, it's an open carriage Ferris Wheel at 8pm in December

There were all kinds of games and things for the kiddies, including Bumper Cars and a train ride through the forest.

View from the cathedral steps

Definitely the place to be on a Friday night

This is the big Christmas market, but there are little stand set up all around the city, and another smaller, more traditional market set up a few hundred meters away at the Krämerbrucke. Traditional as in, people dress in medival costumes, serve different foods, and have live bagpipers for some reason. It's a pretty amazing spectacle and I wish there were more things like this in the US, but I think strict drinking laws would prevent the masses from coming and enjoying the hot Glühwein.