Oktoberfest

We were off to Munich last weekend and got to relax and enjoy time at Oktoberfest.  We had so much fun and met up with wonderful friends from the States.  Oktoberfest takes place for three weeks every September (wonder why they don't call it Septemberfest?) in Munich.  It is a great cultural tradition and the Germans take a lot of pride in their Bavarian history and beer drinking. 

We were fortuante to attend the event with some Germans and it was fun learning the "inside scoop" about the festival.  We were there the last weekend, which according to our German friends is the best because most of the tourists are gone by this point.  Tom was dead set on going in proper German dress and getting himself a pair of lederhosen.  He is convinced that he will be wearing them all the time and has big plans to wear them to the Chicago Bears game in Decmeber.  I, on the other hand, wasn't so convinced about the dirndl dress that has a tendency to emphasize one's hips and decolletage...but Tom and our German friends insisted that we must dress the part as well.  So, shortly after our arrival we were off to shop!  We had fun trying on a bunch of different outfits and picking our favorites. 

Then it was off to Oktoberfest for the afternoon and evening.  There are 14 major beer tents at Oktoberfest that each feature a different brewery.  Each tent holds about 10,000 people and in order to get space at a table in the tent you have to make reservations over a year in advance.  Thankfully our German friends saved us again and had table reservations.  Beers at all tents are served by the liter which cost 10 Euro a piece this year.  There is always a live band in each tent playing German folk songs and classic American 80's songs to which everyone sings along.  We had an awesome time enjoying beers and hanging out with friends - new and old.  We also got to enjoy Munich as well.  Another post to come highlighting that part of our trip later this week!

Other fun Oktoberfest observations:

- It is almost impossible to get a waitress job at the beer tents.  The jobs are passed down in families from mother to daughter.  And, rightfully so, as the waitresses earn 15,000 - 20,000 Euro over the three week period.

- The festival is incredibly well run.  There is security everywhere in the beer tents and they don't mess around. 

- There is a big grassy hill behind the tents where a lot of people wind up peeing during the day and then others pass out there at night....yuck!

- I think we saw about 10 different kinds of brats/sausages and Tom tried at least four of them.

- The Germans dislike the English and Italian visitors as they tend to be the"loud and obnoxious ones".  Finally a situation where the Americans aren't considered to be the "loud" ones.  :  )

- A lot of celebrities attend the festival the final weekend.  Apparently, Paris Hilton was there while we were but we never saw her.

- If you aren't up and dancing on the tables at Oktoberfest you aren't fully enjoying yourself!

On the plane to Munich

Best Friends loving life

Yeah!  Kelly and Janice made it from Chicago.

Thanks for the pretzel necklaces Kel!  They came in handy.

How many liter beers can these two drink?  Let's not answer that one!

My handsome hubby!



We're Off...

As you are reading this we are on our way to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.  We are fortunate to be meeting some great friends from Chicago there.  Looking forward to enjoying some beer and taking in the spectacle that is Oktoberfest.  We are looking forward to sharing the details of the weekend when we return.  Prost!



It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

As we experience our time in Poland we are going through various expatriate "rights of passage".  A fairly common one is the departure of friends.  Since most expat assignments are only 2-4 years people are constantly coming and going.  When meeting people Tom and I are always eager to find out how long people are planning to be in Warsaw for.  And we are hopeful that these people are not nearing the end of their assignment in Warsaw.  I am sure we will get used to the "coming and going" over time, but it simply sucks to have to say goodbye to Warsaw friends. 

Our first friends are leaving next weekend and we are sad to see them go.  Monica and Josh have lived across the street from us since we arrived and have been great, supportive friends.  They have an adorable Goldendoodle named Mia, who has become Charlie's great friend and playmate.  People have even asked us if Charlie and Mia are related since they look similar.  We knew from the beginning that Monica and Josh would only be here a short time since they were here on a temporary one year assignment.   But, it still doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye.  I am  not sure who will be more sad about their move - Tom and I or Charlie.  Although we are so sad to see them go, we are happy for Josh, Monica and Mia and wish them nothing but the best back in Houston!  We are fortuante to have met them and now have a great reason to head to Houston in the future.

BFF's

Nothing better in life than napping with your best friend!

Our Going Away Celebration for Monica and Josh!

Having a good time and lots of vodka

It isn't a crazy night out til you are on stage with the band

A Great Video on Poland....

It's about 10 minutes long, but definitely worth watching it! 

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Yesterday marked our "anniversary" of arriving in Warsaw.  Seven months ago yesterday we arrived here tired, confused and uneasy.....not sure what to expect and what our life was going to look like. 

It's amazing all that we have learned and discovered in the past months...a lot about Warsaw and the Polish people, but even more about ourselves and about each other!  We are really happy here and enjoying our experience.  Of course, we still miss our amazing family and friends back in the states so very much.  But we are grateful for Skype so we can talk to them on a regular basis.  And we will be seeing them in just about three months when we embark on our first trip back for the holidays! 

When people ask if we had to make this decision again would we have still come...I think we would both respond with an enthusiastic "yes".  This move has taught us a lot, but I think its not all about being abroad and more about change.  For someone who has always had trouble coping with changes I have come to the realization that change can be a truly wonderful thing at times...it opens your eyes, gives you a new perspective, changes your routine and allows you to see the world a bit differently.  While first encountering change can be a really scary thing I have learned that you need to jump into it and embrace it.  Thank you Poland for continuing to open our eyes and allow us to grow as individuals and as a family.  I am so grateful to be sharing this experience with my best friend and "best" dog!  

Here's to hoping that the rest of our time in Poland is just as great as the first seven months...

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #14

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #14:  Beets

Tom and I have a new love.....we love beets!  Prior to moving to Warsaw I liked beets and I am pretty sure Tom had never even tried them.  We started eating them in Warsaw at a bunch of different restaurants since they are definitely a staple of Polish cooking.  After enjoying them at restaurants, we were eager to make them at home.  So we headed to the market to buy a few.  We got them home and were a bit perplexed...how do you get these rock hard roots to turn into gorgeous, soft burgundy deliciousness?  We did some quick online research and we roasted our own beets!  We now make them all the time and always have some roasted ones in our fridge.  Our favorite way to eat them is on a salad with some feta cheese and walnuts.  And, I am always on the hunt for new beet recipes.  If you have a good one, please pass it along.  Supposedly beets are a nutrition "super" food...just another bonus for our new love. 

Now, you might be questioning if beets really qualify as something we could "love" about living in Europe since beets can be found in just about any part of the world.  But, it is our living in Europe that has made us discover and fall in love with these delicious vegetables.  Living in a new environment has definitely opened our eyes to new things or things that our "new" to us.  And it's been super fun to take in all of these new experiences!

Work Hard, Play Hard.....

Work Hard, Play Hard has definitely summed up Tom's life lately!  I could not be prouder of my husband and how hard he has been working to make the Warsaw office a success.  Change is happening little by little (not as fast as my type-A husband would like....but its teaching him a good lesson in patience) and I am happy that he can start to see the results of all of his hard work.  After a few grueling weeks at work Tom went to the southwest region of Poland last weekend for a team building outing with his entire team.  They were also joined by the team's from CH Robinson Wroclaw and CH Robinson Budapest.  They had the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous Visla mountain region of Poland and spend time together outdoors.  One of the things Tom enjoyed most was hangliding.  He got to go up in the hanglider and fly over the mountains.  I am glad I heard about it after he was safely back on the ground.  ; )

Tom prepping for his big flight

Uh oh...he's getting nervous!

The Hanglider that he flew in

While Tom was away....Charlie and I played too!

  I am not sure if it's been mentioned in previous posts, but Tom and I live in the neighborhood that was the Old Jewish area.  Wealthy Jewish people lived here prior to WWII and once the war started our neighborhood was the central location of the Warsaw Ghetto, where all of the Jews were forced to live.  It is crazy cool to think of all of the history and people that have passed through our neighborhood in the past 60 years!  This past weekend there was a great Jewish theater and music festival in our "front yard".  All weekend long we could here awesome music in our apartment from the festival.  Charlie and I spent Saturday afternoon walking around the festival and checking out the music, the people, the vendors and more!  We had a great time and Charlie especially enjoyed the love and affection he got from various Poles at the festival.  A big thanks to our friend Monica for the photos....we were enjoying ourselves so much that we didn't take any!

The Festival View from our apartment

The only two original Jewish apartment buildings left from before the war. 
They are currently in the process of restoring them to condos!

The only pre-war Synogauge that survived WWII.

The Festival at Night!