As Requested...

The Top Ten Reasons Why Goetheallee 19* Rocked:
Eckberg Castle from kitchen window
10. We could see three castles from our kitchen and wintergarden!
winter sunset
9. Every morning I had to check to make sure the neighbors weren't in the common hall that seperated my room from the other half of our apartment before my dash to the bathroom in my pjs.
cherry buds
8. There is a HUGE cherry tree in the garden that we could eat from.
our buzzer
7. It was our first place to live in with super high ceilings--even small areas look big!
my old room
6. Taking out the trash or falling over on our bikes right outside our gate became so much more--the tour buses that drove by regularily with old people gawking made us feel like true ambassadors of the city in all its glory.
Elbe Meadow
5. We heard the sound of a piano most every morning and now that it's in the past, it doesn't matter so much that it was before 8am (and sometimes as early as 6).
Waldpark in Autumn
4. The Elbe meadow and Waldpark were ridiculously close and just beautiful.
Waldpark in Winter
3. Not everyone wonders if this time when they knock on their landlord's door he might greet them in his underwear, again.
rose in Autumn garden
2. There is a beautiful flower garden kept up by the elderly couple who lived above us.
broken knife (look close)
1. Because when you live with someone you can have fun with, everything rocks! (and especially when it's in EUROPE!)
eating pizza

*Amy's and my apartment for almost two years

Dresden's Top Tens

The top ten most commonly seen things when out and about around Dresden:
10. People out shopping with their dogs
9. Really old women who still go out every day to get their groceries for that day
8. Unusual and bold hair colors (ie. bright red, fuschia, stark blue, etc)
7. A ton of people walking to where they need to go
6. A ton of people biking to where they need to go
5. Bakeries on every corner
4. Naked children playing in the fountains on hot days
3. Someone running to catch a tram
2. People carrying duffel bags instead of backpacks
1. BMWs, Audis, VWs and Mercedes EVERYWHERE

The top ten hardest to find foods in Dresden (or most expensive if found):
10. Tortillas
9. Cheddar cheese
8. Cream of Tartar (for baking)
7. Baking Soda
6. Peanut Butter
5. Pre-chilled still water (whereas coke and mineral water are found in abundance)
4. Any pre-chilled beverage (larger than 0.5L)
3. Condensed canned soups
2. Plain tortilla chips
1. Root Beer

The top ten commonly found groceries in Dresden but not (at least easily, that I know of) in North America:
10. Schmalz (pig fat)
9. Muesli (cereal)
8. Mineral Water (and the choice of Classic or Medium)
7. 101 varieties of cheese
6. Realllly good bread (in many varieties too)
5. Salad dressing spice packets
4. Many many different kinds of liver pates (ie. leberwurst, teewurst, etc)
3. Rucola (bitter salad leaf)
2. A sandwich topping that consists of potentially many different things, including eggs, carrots, and meat, held together by a kind of thick jelly and thinly sliced
1. Quark (cross between sour cream and cream cheese)

The top ten things I love about Dresden:
10. The history of everything! The building I live in is older than the U.S.!
9. How easy it is to get anywhere--by foot, bike, tram
8. The goooood blueberry cake at the bakery across the street
7. Hearing the church bells at 6 and 7pm every night
6. The awesome, thick and creamy ice cream!
5. That I can walk to the grocery store, get enough to carry home, and easily go back tomorrow if I need something else
4. That most people live in apartments--people seem to be content with the space they need and not always seeking for something bigger or better
3. Seeing old men ride their bikes
2. The intricate beauty of so many "normal" buildings, and realizing the time some craftsman must have spent on it
1. The respect people have in general for each other and the sense of community that somehow comes through--probably a reminant of the old GDR times

Good One

Have I blogged this joke before? If not it is well overdue! (joke provided courtesy of Myra Nickerson via Amy Nickerson)

Frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.

"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday." Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.

Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.

The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed. Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.

She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral."

She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"

The bank manager looks back at her and says...

"It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."

Waving Wal-Mart Goodbye

So it turns out that the great qualities that set Wal-Mart apart from the rest in North America just didn't fly here. Who would have thought cashiers smiling at customers (which Germans find much too socially forward), baggers bagging the customer's goods (why waste all that plastic when you can bring your old or cloth bags from home?), and banning inter-employee romances (common in this culture) would backfire as they did? After reading a few articles on the subject, it's interesting to learn that such a seeming discount retail giant could fail in a country because it didn't have its usual perks to back it up, perks like being open 24 hours (there are laws here governing how long stores can be open), finding everything you need in one place (which turned out to not be such a necessity here, especially because the stores are all located on the outskirts of the cities), and offering the cheapest goods on the market (but in Germany the smaller but more numerous stores of Aldi, Lidl, Wreesman, and Plus have always offered such value and are much more conveniently located). But for me, it's one less taste of what seemed like a bit of familiarity, and although I didn't make it out there often, it will be sad to know in a few months it will no longer even be an option.

Auf Wiedersehen Wal-Mart...I'll see you next time I visit North America!

articles:
World's Biggest Retailer Wal-Mart Closes Up Shop in Germany
Retail Giant Humbled: Wal-Mart Admits German Defeat

This One's For You, Amy

Well it's official, I miss you!

I mean I have thus far, but now it's for real! We all do really. I think the kicker was when I was helping Marion prepare sandwiches on Monday night and she said, "Ok, who is still to come tonight? Amy? Lynnette?" Man, if only!

Pirates of the Caribbean 2 is out in English this week too and I had to wait until tonight to go see it with people who "had time" unlike if you were here and we could fit it in asap! With a jumbo gemisched popcorn and crispy M&Ms dazu!

There's lots more I could say on the subject, but for now I'll leave it at that.

Just know it's not the same without you-!