Flying Solo

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94qogM0z_15MZ1u6bsgRHx46rbk666pNhq69n-o0rXqFQmneN0NKJno2RNTuz6W896OOFcZHaKN3ponyUVzRin33Qev7nmdRoW-GsCjfxJ0sZPoSs5PR-DTAJpNn46TZXK_9R9HOkj0pJ/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94qogM0z_15MZ1u6bsgRHx46rbk666pNhq69n-o0rXqFQmneN0NKJno2RNTuz6W896OOFcZHaKN3ponyUVzRin33Qev7nmdRoW-GsCjfxJ0sZPoSs5PR-DTAJpNn46TZXK_9R9HOkj0pJ/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today was my first trip to Disneyland by myself.  Many people have recommended going to Disneyland alone, and I finally took them up on it!  It was actually pretty fun walking around leisurely, not having to race off to the next line.  Lines aren't fun to stand in, especially when you're by yourself, so I only went on one ride - Buzz Light Year!  I need a little more practice shooting with both hands at the same time, but I think I did fairly well for the first try.  As you can tell in the picture, my right hand is a little stronger than my left hand...

Flying Solo

Today was my first trip to Disneyland by myself.  Many people have recommended going to Disneyland alone, and I finally took them up on it! ...

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Zurück in LA

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jwHiXTSIeKmaVamHfa_d2HXG_Z2Gu1KFchj592lFpD5TtEKyKMDZkkjjSFKu60yknRsALgrC-O_pdReUs20OggGh194A8lzSvcKC_vEz3VIuqMeQXVkzM_QvQDHWmp5wqB-FCxkOuIsL/s1600/P6052063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jwHiXTSIeKmaVamHfa_d2HXG_Z2Gu1KFchj592lFpD5TtEKyKMDZkkjjSFKu60yknRsALgrC-O_pdReUs20OggGh194A8lzSvcKC_vEz3VIuqMeQXVkzM_QvQDHWmp5wqB-FCxkOuIsL/s200/P6052063.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking around the Englischer Garten</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On Sunday, we drove to München to visit the English Gardens before heading to the airport.  The Garden is a huge park in the middle of the city with trees, flowers, lawns, walking/biking paths, and a river.  We walked for about 15 minutes and didn't even make it 1/3 of the way around the park. It seemed like all different types of people enjoy this oasis of München.  The park was bustling with people jogging, bicycling, studying, playing frisbee, walking their dogs, etc.  We even saw people surfing on the river!  (I guess you do what you can when there's no ocean around...)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We ate lunch at the Garden, and I tried a famous Brezn.  It tasted pretty good, if I do say so myself :)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHaeOIxTMLSstMe6i_fen1euC_EHBzs0eePEl9jZ5ApaZfpFqO0GPi8bZzQNl4nIaTR34L0b9URRkxpYjMztPkK1t03KopkkoCq_Y3M0A4Pxb2MzpDAau9iAFTLq1k0e3mu9sSzUDS14V/s1600/P6052066+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHaeOIxTMLSstMe6i_fen1euC_EHBzs0eePEl9jZ5ApaZfpFqO0GPi8bZzQNl4nIaTR34L0b9URRkxpYjMztPkK1t03KopkkoCq_Y3M0A4Pxb2MzpDAau9iAFTLq1k0e3mu9sSzUDS14V/s200/P6052066+-+Version+2.jpg" width="184" /></a>After saying good-bye to my family at the airport, I boarded my Lufthansa flight to Chicago.  The highlight of my flight was the flight attendant who thought I was German.  Because I spoke to her in German to ask for my drink of water, etc., she assumed I was German.  When she came around with the Customs forms to fill out, she asked if I also needed a visa form.  When I told her I was an American, she was really surprised!  The next time she came by with a snack, she paused to look at me, and then said she could just not believe that I spoke German.  I said, "Yes, I speak German, but only a little!"  Then she said that I didn't have an accent!  (Well, my relatives might disagree with that statement...but it was nice to hear anyway).  She heard some slight variation and thought that perhaps I was from Austria or something.  She was really sweet and totally made my day!  (By the way, everything mentioned above was all conversed in German...)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But now I am back in LA and still adjusting to the time.  Last night I fell asleep at 9:20pm.  And this morning I woke up at 5am, then 5:30am, then 6am, and finally got out of bed at 6:15am.  I'm sure I'll adjust soon enough, but for now I'm enjoying waking up early :)</div>

Zurück in LA

Walking around the Englischer Garten On Sunday, we drove to München to visit the English Gardens before heading to the airport.  The Gar...

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Dresden Kirchentage

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmGamoVOtBelO235S7XkLbnPB_Out5wPslVOe0Vq-zMFr60j_CELKkwMTUiL2LNhoa3oC56unborNHgEwEyqghUwRuUjJzu5MDEHs1YKEbgux0yW0qH65w6MUnBW_IVKi4hpWjzaacUuB/s1600/P6022042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmGamoVOtBelO235S7XkLbnPB_Out5wPslVOe0Vq-zMFr60j_CELKkwMTUiL2LNhoa3oC56unborNHgEwEyqghUwRuUjJzu5MDEHs1YKEbgux0yW0qH65w6MUnBW_IVKi4hpWjzaacUuB/s200/P6022042.JPG" width="150" /></a>Thursday was a national holiday in Germany, called <i>Christihimmelfahrt</i> - otherwise known as "Christ's Ascension."  As a part of this celebration, the city of Dresden always has a period of 5 days called <i>Kirchentage</i> ("church days").  The Hofer Haas family had never been to this celebration in Dresden before, so we took a 1-1/2 hour drive to this former East-German city, which still has remnants of Soviet influence.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRGTnfsZ5sh5zxKB1nX1xfbXhEKasvoBLADphj-Xtuyf1aK_gU3XPfOP2NXiEIFy9ysJ9ZJdigIQwNE9yha_KQcRyTLtRrhGo9traN9fko1Vs7CTxMBXQyl7Ji0pmsheqNSg1SbiQ3k6X/s1600/P6022044_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRGTnfsZ5sh5zxKB1nX1xfbXhEKasvoBLADphj-Xtuyf1aK_gU3XPfOP2NXiEIFy9ysJ9ZJdigIQwNE9yha_KQcRyTLtRrhGo9traN9fko1Vs7CTxMBXQyl7Ji0pmsheqNSg1SbiQ3k6X/s200/P6022044_2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a traditional Thüringer Rostbratwurst</td></tr> </tbody></table>There were so many people packed into the city, as mostly German tourists came specifically for these "church days."  The focus of the <i>Kirchentage</i> was the old Lutheran church called <i>Frauenkirche.  </i>The church was so full that they had a big screen outside where people could sit and watch the service going on inside.  Helmut and I think that this is a good opportunity every year for the church to reach a lot of people who normally do not attend church.<br /> <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ2SVGo_VPp7WQf4e82D0QXx8jiXYxV3s-4JP7SMU9-Gj9lmdfxsk8NdNaECymOImzqzCNQcYpOMvdAQke5NMYrITbz0reAGV0vmDJH3_7vkJnlJW5Xjx6mFmEFXI1iRGddPVieDVBeos/s1600/P6022058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ2SVGo_VPp7WQf4e82D0QXx8jiXYxV3s-4JP7SMU9-Gj9lmdfxsk8NdNaECymOImzqzCNQcYpOMvdAQke5NMYrITbz0reAGV0vmDJH3_7vkJnlJW5Xjx6mFmEFXI1iRGddPVieDVBeos/s200/P6022058.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frauenkirche</td></tr> </tbody></table>Mostly we just walked around the city, and looked at the different buildings and architecture.  I found it all to be quite fascinating.  As we walked around, we noticed that a lot of people were wearing bright green scarves.  At first we thought they must all be from the same tourist group or something, but as we kept walking, we determined that there were way too many people wearing these scarves to all be from the same group.  We noticed people who had badges, and some without badges, some in couples, some walking alone - all had this same bright green scarf that said "Kirchentage, Dresden, 1.-5. Juni." <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13IevXB3VGMX0lvaJ5YIDTrC9Y5laBvb-XRoixzDRtJfLu8hIPtNZclv388pxuUqItqThdE-MY9A-vtB9WgkWOax_Vk44T0gyFFkOETE7jVP2Tk8goe9QRXYFKtr-HTS70_1tvH5E7_1G/s1600/Foto%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13IevXB3VGMX0lvaJ5YIDTrC9Y5laBvb-XRoixzDRtJfLu8hIPtNZclv388pxuUqItqThdE-MY9A-vtB9WgkWOax_Vk44T0gyFFkOETE7jVP2Tk8goe9QRXYFKtr-HTS70_1tvH5E7_1G/s200/Foto%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finally found the green scarves!</td></tr> </tbody></table>The more we saw, the more we were confused.  It seemed like almost everyone had one of these scarves!  And we did not see anyplace they were being sold!  We began asking people where they got these scarves, and they all said they bought them from someone on the street the day before.  Well, if we were not confused before, we were really stumped now.  Were all these people with scarves really in Dresden the day before?  It just didn't seem logical, and we spent the majority of the day trying to figure it.  Finally, our last chance was a volunteer who told us where a stand was that sold these scarves.  I was skeptical, because we had walked through the entire city and not seen a single place selling them.  But when we got to where she told us, lo and behold, there were the scarves!  So, Sebastian and I both bought one so that we could say we were in Dresden for the Kirchentage in 2011.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Y8nOIwqZr2Y0Dgo4yqegT2dxUzU0Xt7MZu5NVScf1pLSvz_5s1PVufubIle6LSqRz2oqGJT8GCNwyuyOKqgSL2q8-XjNgvzEjRs84laYLrpDM201twdSQXmaavvi3UrppgOehnm1XHA9/s1600/P6022048_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Y8nOIwqZr2Y0Dgo4yqegT2dxUzU0Xt7MZu5NVScf1pLSvz_5s1PVufubIle6LSqRz2oqGJT8GCNwyuyOKqgSL2q8-XjNgvzEjRs84laYLrpDM201twdSQXmaavvi3UrppgOehnm1XHA9/s320/P6022048_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>

Dresden Kirchentage

Thursday was a national holiday in Germany, called Christihimmelfahrt  - otherwise known as "Christ's Ascension."  As a part o...

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A Long Drive

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvDUrWGMXliZCo8Rwc_1Y7EPcSipcFEK3r5DmJxk3EhCWavsINEBwtyBiFRKvLBnGL-M71Ui7AxLuWACDk3FuN43RlOZlOBHxGgmBp8HhldJB5t9GhNSkC7sIUrXP8D_PevDhbudqmdNK/s1600/P5302017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvDUrWGMXliZCo8Rwc_1Y7EPcSipcFEK3r5DmJxk3EhCWavsINEBwtyBiFRKvLBnGL-M71Ui7AxLuWACDk3FuN43RlOZlOBHxGgmBp8HhldJB5t9GhNSkC7sIUrXP8D_PevDhbudqmdNK/s200/P5302017.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My VW Touran rental car</td></tr> </tbody></table>I began my driving excursion on Tuesday morning.  Apparently the car rental place neglected to see that I had requested an <b>automatic</b> transmission, and I was told they did not have any!  This was a problem indeed, because I wanted to feel comfortable driving in a foreign country instead of fumbling with the stick.  Thankfully they did happen to have ONE car with automatic transmission, and it was only 10 Euros more...I think.  Well after all this, my credit card was declined!  (I called the credit card company later that night to find out that there was a hold placed on my account, because they needed to verify a $1.00 transaction from iTunes - unbelievable).  Once I finally got on the road, I missed my turn and ended up out in the middle of nowhere before I was able to turn around and get on track.  I have always hated GPS navigation systems, but I have to say that the GPS in my car saved my behind on this trip!  The GPS automatically knew if there was a traffic jam somewhere and it took me a different route.  And it always showed me the speed limit on the screen, so if I was confused about whether the speed limit was still in effect or not, I could look on the screen.<br /> <br /> After hitting rain and traffic, I finally made it to the city of Münster.  First I stopped at the University to turn in my transcript.  (I had decided to take it personally instead of mailing it, since I would be in the city anyway - wrong decision).  After wandering around for 15 minutes and asking people where the office was, I finally made it to the secretary for Master's applications, only to discover that the office closed at 3pm and I was there at 3:30pm :(  There was an Australian gal there, so we decided to just put our packets underneath the door.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB44-mGxAPsgj62qJDd-I9KbOfCXuigOfuoAH2Qz58SrD06ANZ2pTspP5ppn-TS37jHr-R480Bz1I6NO5pqt-esRfEvpTkY5_aDl5UanT5uxaSUYPBZ0dRFIgfClRC8xTi9gUKKbopfCdQ/s1600/P5312027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB44-mGxAPsgj62qJDd-I9KbOfCXuigOfuoAH2Qz58SrD06ANZ2pTspP5ppn-TS37jHr-R480Bz1I6NO5pqt-esRfEvpTkY5_aDl5UanT5uxaSUYPBZ0dRFIgfClRC8xTi9gUKKbopfCdQ/s320/P5312027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Münster Musikhochschule - it's only one building</td></tr> </tbody></table>Then I raced off to my hotel to check-in and change my clothes before my voice lesson at the Musikhochschule.  The gentleman at the front desk was really nice and even let me borrow his umbrella!  I walked 10 minutes from the hotel to the Musikhochschule, and made it just in time for my 5pm lesson.  The teacher was really nice and it seems like she is interested in me.  She speaks clear German, so I could understand her, but her English is also very good.  We met for about 1/2 an hour and she didn't even charge me, because she says the first lesson is free.<br /> <br /> However, there was some miscommunication with my application, because apparently the University has record of my application, but the Musikhochschule does not...and the auditions are next week, when I am back in LA :(  Also, the Master's program in Münster is only a year long, so she said it is very stressful for the students.  I talked to her about the possibility of studying with her for a year before enrolling in the Master's program at Münster, and she said that she would like to do that for my personal benefit, and to help prepare me for the program.<br /> <br /> The only problem with Münster, is that I do not like the city.  There was so much going on - busy streets, busy people, no parking, bicycles everywhere, students everywhere.  Not my idyllic vision of Germany...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jFval2DglCTvESU6Bq0Hll0OCiT2Ob_cmS0WrS_thcmG6re2BeGw8oVMTb7axsTJw_Gc3SBRH77rrnK6yCfGsg7_VuI7Z3hBDbF0XdaRuOm9gJnVTbZC8wA4Nrg0PS0Z4YCNB5Yy0a_X/s1600/P6012037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jFval2DglCTvESU6Bq0Hll0OCiT2Ob_cmS0WrS_thcmG6re2BeGw8oVMTb7axsTJw_Gc3SBRH77rrnK6yCfGsg7_VuI7Z3hBDbF0XdaRuOm9gJnVTbZC8wA4Nrg0PS0Z4YCNB5Yy0a_X/s320/P6012037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hochschule für Musik Detmold -Main building</td></tr> </tbody></table>On Wednesday morning I was off to Detmold, about a 2-hour drive from Münster, but somewhat on my route back to Hof.  I arrived in Detmold at about 1:30pm and immediately loved the town.  It was much smaller than Münster, but bigger than Hof.  It reminded me of Bayreuth and had a similar feel.  After eating my lunch, I took a walk around the town, and I like it a lot better than Münster.  I had a lesson with a professor (an American) there in Detmold at 3:45pm.  She was very helpful and gave me some good advice regarding my voice, as well as some song suggestions to take a look at.  She does not think I am ready for the Master's program yet at Detmold.  (What I'm discovering is that because the German University system is different than the US, most of the singers applying for the the Master's programs here are older, so their voices are more developed.)  She recommended going to Münster to study with the professor there for a year, and then trying to audition at Detmold next year.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gNKmNhpYaZcnTpYxSbRrEct_S-bhjw9fE5VseHS4vs-j518uiL8BO2INeaSs_bP8_G0P0q7OlU04CeXFsY-Tv-AW_Bs3orhkUtvpJz6NqipVHS6UW5rHSzOiPkwd1qzpshFSJz6nEVUY/s1600/P6012036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gNKmNhpYaZcnTpYxSbRrEct_S-bhjw9fE5VseHS4vs-j518uiL8BO2INeaSs_bP8_G0P0q7OlU04CeXFsY-Tv-AW_Bs3orhkUtvpJz6NqipVHS6UW5rHSzOiPkwd1qzpshFSJz6nEVUY/s200/P6012036.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk in Detmold</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> So, I'm not quite sure what to do here.  I feel like I'm back at Square One.  I thought that this trip to Germany would make things clear, but now I just feel more confused.  I really like the professor in Münster, but I don't like the city.  I liked the town of Detmold, but there's no chance for me there right now.  And in either case, both places are a 5+ hour drive from Hof, and I'm starting to think that I would like to be closer to them.  Any suggestions, advice, or encouragement at this time would be greatly appreciated...

A Long Drive

My VW Touran rental car I began my driving excursion on Tuesday morning.  Apparently the car rental place neglected to see that I had req...

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Weekend in Germany

Every year on May 28th, we celebrate 2 birthdays in my family - my aunt Sally (Happy Birthday, Aunt Sally!) and my cousin's husband Helmut.  This year I happen to be in Germany to celebrate with Helmut.  Apparently they do not sing to people here on their birthday, but I sang to Helmut.  He said it was the first time anyone had ever sung to him on his birthday!<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG7U0Hk7eFQ3vEELWDjT_-WJuTx5I4BIOqH1k0wnmT5VsOJd2ZTDovzDmePwj_OYxrtH8JscqDdpR11twh-dGZlHUpmBkEcoNCkFIauHQfzSzEu6Tk7fnkRJNDQ3IsYIOlEKIqO1mmh-i/s1600/P5271981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG7U0Hk7eFQ3vEELWDjT_-WJuTx5I4BIOqH1k0wnmT5VsOJd2ZTDovzDmePwj_OYxrtH8JscqDdpR11twh-dGZlHUpmBkEcoNCkFIauHQfzSzEu6Tk7fnkRJNDQ3IsYIOlEKIqO1mmh-i/s200/P5271981.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeanette preparing the potatoes</td></tr> </tbody></table>My cousin Jeanette prepared lots of delicious food for the party - a German potato pie of some sort, a salad with carrots and a yogurt dressing, a cucumber/tomato/feta salad, and a special meat/vegetable wrap.  For dessert we had a delicious cheery cake coated in chocolate.  I think out of all the party guests (10 of us total), I probably had the most fun.  Why? you might ask...because for 4 hours, there was no English spoken.  All the party guests - Helmut's sister, brother-in-law, niece, and Jeanette's mother and friend - do not speak English at all.  Hence, I got to speak in German the whole time!  I was so proud of myself that I was able to actually have conversations in German, even though I speak poorly.  At least I was able to communicate with people and we could laugh and have a good time together.  Even when I spoke with my relatives (who speak English quite well), I spoke in German and they reciprocated.  So, it was nice to know that all the work I have put into learning this language for the past 3 years has not gone to waste.  I have a long way to go, but it seems like my German has improved immensely just from being here for a week!<br /> <br /> This morning I went to church and met Helmut's sister/brother-in-law/niece there.  The <i>Pfarrerin</i> spoke slow and clear throughout the whole service, so I was able to understand the sermon, for the most part.  It fit right into where I am at in life right now.  She said that God wants us to pray to Him, and that this is a gift.  God gives us hope through our prayers, so why not go for it?  Everyone needs to have hope in their lives.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDBxm0B7Hs5hTHSHnoNhqdZIn43WEKjvPhRivuPGDBzV2XJZs07xOMkUj-Tj6BoOZE9xt4s7idouurqYJSuRZYwAuj9oRiGoNrNE36gQ7WgciNtjBP3qDyHuyoLhlEeio2t9MVtEVvsWh/s1600/P5292002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDBxm0B7Hs5hTHSHnoNhqdZIn43WEKjvPhRivuPGDBzV2XJZs07xOMkUj-Tj6BoOZE9xt4s7idouurqYJSuRZYwAuj9oRiGoNrNE36gQ7WgciNtjBP3qDyHuyoLhlEeio2t9MVtEVvsWh/s320/P5292002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helmut and I inside the watchtower</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> This afternoon Helmut, Jeanette and I visited a small town about 20 minutes away from Hof, called Mödlareuth.  The American nickname for this village is "Little Berlin."  When the Wall was erected to separate East Germany (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) from West Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland), this poor town was divided in half.  They could not even wave to each other over the Wall!  Of course, the west side of the Wall only had a couple of military people patrolling it - Americans and West Germans together.  However, the east side of the Wall was heavily guarded, with a "no man's land," huge searchlights and another fence. <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqp7a3_t-gZT2oAxyArQv_IOd0uMnOmTMCkMiinSMYeFDI_RKYt-yLp0RrEGFivSNUKMveGSbo7UjJRQkO7MUG8l2M2GeDiIW8e67p2Fw1gR0h1ae21VuPHQW1VPlJO0s9IGGvqgEwlG6/s1600/P5291987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqp7a3_t-gZT2oAxyArQv_IOd0uMnOmTMCkMiinSMYeFDI_RKYt-yLp0RrEGFivSNUKMveGSbo7UjJRQkO7MUG8l2M2GeDiIW8e67p2Fw1gR0h1ae21VuPHQW1VPlJO0s9IGGvqgEwlG6/s200/P5291987.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the DDR - 1960s</td></tr> </tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74vtgE_LchGJIqCXCKK3IOSDTjVzl3EgO5VRd7nSXEpgW1gp8_vkadRE5XBZlOww_iXK-FRwlqJ5tBCcfauMsSzFdorF_DJFueQxXY3kX6cjAL8Xkaq8A_MvtVVUbqtGDgUjoccEbIJzY/s1600/P5291989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74vtgE_LchGJIqCXCKK3IOSDTjVzl3EgO5VRd7nSXEpgW1gp8_vkadRE5XBZlOww_iXK-FRwlqJ5tBCcfauMsSzFdorF_DJFueQxXY3kX6cjAL8Xkaq8A_MvtVVUbqtGDgUjoccEbIJzY/s200/P5291989.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same view today</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoygJcmEkEFmXx6RLCxQHpknm3at5rAlXqiQtuMnTcDwf6idCgyZJ9VkRjrN2bkZ7QUKSSs5zDLSasEm1Icds3-uPla5MV2mC-ABTPzUspi13lMSWa9iGlTeHaBALKqc_jZe7E4hiyyJQ4/s1600/P5292008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoygJcmEkEFmXx6RLCxQHpknm3at5rAlXqiQtuMnTcDwf6idCgyZJ9VkRjrN2bkZ7QUKSSs5zDLSasEm1Icds3-uPla5MV2mC-ABTPzUspi13lMSWa9iGlTeHaBALKqc_jZe7E4hiyyJQ4/s200/P5292008.jpg" width="200" /></a>We watched a video about the effect of the Wall on this particular village, and the joy they had when it was opened and they could celebrate together again.  I cannot imagine growing up in a small village, losing half my friends, co-workers, and church family for 20+ years, and then being re-united with them after having to pretend they did not exist for so long!  It was a very interesting place to visit, and see the effect of the Occupation on this small village of only 250 people.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivT9G93z8Ss3UIYEXULVqwKznjz8clT52ghb1c2_GH19DYHt7N8kUuo0JFixc0xcXYnUYKbRjCHq-3pFX2mh1GCNTtpJq8_p2dAo-x2qgcZX0ZhM6VYhXdUsh4pbfjIFwqmRJmtjvJ8aqk/s1600/P5292010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivT9G93z8Ss3UIYEXULVqwKznjz8clT52ghb1c2_GH19DYHt7N8kUuo0JFixc0xcXYnUYKbRjCHq-3pFX2mh1GCNTtpJq8_p2dAo-x2qgcZX0ZhM6VYhXdUsh4pbfjIFwqmRJmtjvJ8aqk/s400/P5292010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing in "no man's land" on east side</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>

Weekend in Germany

Every year on May 28th, we celebrate 2 birthdays in my family - my aunt Sally (Happy Birthday, Aunt Sally!) and my cousin's husband Helm...

Read more »

Weimar Audition

Well, friends...I can honestly say my audition went well!  I arrived about an hour and a half before my scheduled audition time and checked-in.  There were current students who were in charge of the whole process, and they were really nice and spoke clearly to me.  After checking-in, I had to wait a few minutes, and then they took me to a practice room to warm-up.  After 1/2 an hour (which was not quite enough time for me...), they brought me to another room where I had about 15 minutes to practice with the accompanist.<br /> <br /> The accompanist was <u>very</u> German.  I think she is a professor there at the conservatory, and she spoke quickly and not very clearly.  I could understand her for the most part, but there were times when I couldn't understand her.  When that happened, instead of speaking slower and calmer...she spoke louder and looked at me like I was stupid!  That's the only time so far that has happened to me this trip, thank goodness.<br /> <br /> After that, Herr Gohritz (the professor I have been in contact with via e-mail) came to meet me and take me to the theater where the audition was held.  He explained very clearly the procedure: go on stage, introduce myself, introduce my song, sing, leave the room.  After that the professors would talk to each other and determine if they wanted to hear another one.  He said it was not normal to hear another song, because they didn't have enough time (I had spoken to a girl in the waiting room who only sang one song in her audition too).<br /> <br /> So, I went onstage, introduced myself in German, introduced my aria and sang it.  My voice was not working <i>quite</i> as well today as it has the past 2 days, but I was still able to hit the high notes just fine and I think I expressed the aria well (although, one can always use more expression).  After that, I left the theater and waited in the lobby.  Herr Gohritz then came out and told me that they did not think my technique is ready for a Master's program, mostly because I did not express the different emotions of the aria as well as they wanted.  I thanked him for everything and then went on my way.<br /> <br /> Honestly, I think I did quite well...at least for me.  There is only one thing about the whole process that I was disappointed with - I only sang <b><u>one</u> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">aria!  I didn't even get to say my German monologue that I worked so hard on :(  I just don't understand why they wanted me to prepare 4 arias, 4 art songs, and a monologue, if they were only intending to listen to one song.  I worked so hard the last month to prepare for this!  A couple of weeks ago I was told that I would sing one aria, one art song, and then they would choose one or two more to hear.  But, no...just one song.</span></b><br /> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /> </span></b><br /> Well, had I not come to the audition, I would have never known if I had made it or not.  And, now I know that I am quite capable of entering a foreign setting with people who do not speak my language, and exiting without any problems communicating...for the most part :)<br /> <br /> The next school I'm looking at is all the way up in the north-west part of Germany, a town called Münster.  I have a lesson/quasi audition with a professor there who seems very happy to meet me.  So, keep the prayers coming, because I'm trusting that God will still do something great while I am here in Germany!

Weimar Audition

Well, friends...I can honestly say my audition went well!  I arrived about an hour and a half before my scheduled audition time and checked-...

Read more »

Viele Grüße aus Deutschland!

Greetings from Germany!  My travels to arrive here included sitting next to a old British smoker hacking stuff up for 10 hours, a 3-hour layover in London, a delayed Lufthansa flight (due to the ash from the Iceland volcano) and 2 more hours of sitting next to a German man with ear-piercing coughs.  But, I made it!  I arrived in München on Tuesday evening, met my relatives there and drive back to Hof.<br /> <br /> Yesterday, my cousin's son Sebastian and I walked to the grocery store to purchase a few items, and then I practiced for a couple of hours.  The practicing went really well, considering it had been a couple of days since my last session and my body had gone through a lot of stress in the past 36 hours or so.  After that, the majority of my day was spent trying to nail down details for the lesson I was supposed to have tonight with a professor at the school in Weimar (where my audition is tomorrow).  However, he could only meet at 6pm tonight, and 1) my relatives cannot drive me there tonight, 2) it's a 3-hour train ride, even though it only takes 1 1/2 hours by car, and 3) the train does not come back to Hof that late in the evening!  So, after much e-mailing back and forth in German, we decided not to have a lesson tonight.  Personally, I think it's a good thing, because that way he won't change anything I'm used to in my voice right before my audition.<br /> <br /> However, the professor I have been in correspondence with changed my audition time to 11am tomorrow instead of 2pm, because he wants to be present for my audition, and to hear me sing.  As that will be 2am in California, just <u>pray for me before you all go to sleep</u>!<br /> <br /> This morning I was home alone, so I took a little adventure to the "Marktkauf" in town - it's like the nicer, German version of Wal-Mart (they sell everything!).  My cousin Jeanette had a couple of items she needed from there, but she did not seem very confident that I would be able to find the correct items.  Well, obviously that made me determined to prove her wrong!  I was able to find the flour she wanted easy enough.  Then I went to the liquor aisle to get a small bottle of <i>Kirschwasser</i>, some type of German alcohol, I guess.  I didn't see it immediately, so I asked the store worker, "Haben Sie Kirschwasser?"  She took me to the large bottles, so I simply said, "Haben Sie eine kleine Flasche?" - to which she showed me the small bottles  I said, "Dankeschön," and proceeded to the check-out line.  Easy enough - it's the small victories that count!<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI10TvdNMS-YylMZQEJILfoRaewndu7zP0Po88mLsVnOm1_QbV_d6B4QO7Ai4k8YIVrT_mKsBpDpw6DHxS10LdyDh8BI-OArnC4ZZrbPn8ip7Fq6jygoN3fqgkv2eqmOT4BI3CrmafZ9TW/s1600/Photo+on+2011-05-26+at+05.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI10TvdNMS-YylMZQEJILfoRaewndu7zP0Po88mLsVnOm1_QbV_d6B4QO7Ai4k8YIVrT_mKsBpDpw6DHxS10LdyDh8BI-OArnC4ZZrbPn8ip7Fq6jygoN3fqgkv2eqmOT4BI3CrmafZ9TW/s200/Photo+on+2011-05-26+at+05.31.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /> After walking back to the house, I spent a couple of hours practicing, and today's session went even better than yesterday's!  So, I am anticipating a wonderful audition tomorrow morning.  All I have left to do is practice my monologue and introducing myself in German :)<br /> <br /> Bis bald!  Tschüß!

Viele Grüße aus Deutschland!

Greetings from Germany!  My travels to arrive here included sitting next to a old British smoker hacking stuff up for 10 hours, a 3-hour lay...

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