Family Makes Everything Better

I write this a week after my parents visited for six days. It was so wonderful to have them here--to show them a bit of my world. It's moments like these that make me homesick though--not because I'm having a rotten time here. I'm still having a fabulous time. I'm beginning to realize though that I enjoy this beautiful place and interesting experience most when I share it with the people closest to me. So my parents' visit as well as my friends' visit earlier in the Spring are among my favorite moments in Germany. Here's a picture of my host family and with the parents.

We finished their week with a football win on Sunday and a trip to

Heidelberg on Monday. And then on Tuesday morning, I drove them to the airport and said goodbye. I've posted several pictures from various places The photo above is a castle from our trip down the Rhine River.

Another significant part of my life the last month or so has been my work at Berlitz Language School. It's been a wonderful job so far. Teaching here is rewarding for a few reasons. First, I love seeing the development of students--their comprehension of the English language and their growing confidence to speak. Also, you get to develop good relationships with these people. I teach almost exclusively adults and get to hear their life stories about family, career, etc. Last Friday I went to a Mongolian grill with ten students and a few teachers just to hang out.

Berlitz in Darmstadt is really booming right now with business. On my first day teaching (the day after my Visa arrived), I was scheduled for only an afternoon class. I received a call, however, that morning at 8 am asking if I could hustle into town to teach at 9:45. I was planning on spending the morning preparing for my afternoon lesson, but I hopped into the classroom barely knowing the material and pretending to be prepared. I don't think Berlitz was cruel enough to plan it this way, but I actually learned most quickly and probably most efficiently like this--out of necessity with no time for anxiety.

The other pictures come from the football game (Dad got a free sideline's pass), Heidelberg and the Martin Luther memorial in Worms. What a good looking couple, huh?

Miss all of you. God bless!

Ryan

Quick Post

My parents are currently visiting and I'll tell a fuller story of their visit after they leave and I have some longer moments to write. But in short, it's so refreshing to see them and very funny to see them asking the same questions I asked when first arriving. "Why is all the water carbonated?" "Where can you find ice?" "Do people always drive this crazy?" And to my surprise, I can answer most of their questions--having them around has made me realize how much I've actually learned about the language and culture.

So far we've been to the Gutenberg Museum and the absolutely stunning cathedral in Mainz, a few public parks and historic pedestrian area in Wiesbaden, the castles and vineyards along the Rhine River during our cruise, St. Peter's cathedral and the Martin Luther memorial in Worms, a preserved medeival area in Ladenburg, the Frankenstein castle, and some sights in downtown Darmstadt of course. It seems like a lot as I write it, but our time hasn't felt rushed at all--a relaxed and enjoyable pace. I'll attach some pictures soon.

In football, we dropped our game last weekend against Wiesbaden 20-24. We simply ran out of time. The offense scored everytime we had the ball in the second half, but we only had the ball three times. This also means we only started playing in the second half--down 14-0 at halftime. Hoping to put together a more complete game tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for love, prayers and support. God bless!
Ryan

Pictures from Berlin

Instead of a long post, I thought I would comment on a number of pictures--the most interesting or moving or eye-grabbing of my visit to Berlin. I traveled there to visit Zach, a teammate from Davidson.

Below is the first building that I saw when I stepped out of the train station. As you can see, the top still bears the effect of WWII bombing and one side also has noticeable damage. It was never repaired--to remind the city of the war's devastation. About 90% of the buildings in the city were destroyed!

Here is the main German capital building. It's an impressive structure, famous for its glass dome protruding from the center section. Tourists can walk to the top, but I was a bit to impatient to wait in line. There was more of the city I had to see!

Fortunately, not every building was destroyed during WWII. This beautiful cathedral suffered only minor damage. The affected areas were restored and the cathedral looks as it did before the war--magnificent.

This is one side of the Russian political headquarters used while they occupied East Berlin after the war. The Russians painted this pro-Communist mural when they took over the building. Notice the worker and the authority (politician or boss) are exactly the same height. Universal equality is definitely a Communist ideal. What makes this terribly ironic is that the style closely resembles American realism. So basically the Russians use an American art form to promote communism (I didn't think of all that myself--the tour guide filled us in).

This is the famous Checkpoint Charlie. It was a major American checkpoint on the border of East and West Berlin. I took this picture from right about where the Berlin wall once stood. It's an absolutely fascinating city history and hard to believe that the wall came down only 20 years ago!

Zach and I visited a rebuilt concentration camp and museum in Sachsenhausen, just north of Berlin. It really is a sobering moment to walk through the camp and see pictures of what happened there. It's horribly uncomfortable but necessary to remember this history. I think knowing it is one of the best defenses against Fascism in the future. Let's tell this story so it never happens again!

Here's what remains of the crematory ovens--used to burn thousands of bodies. This was the most moving thing to see for me.

Zach and I also went to the Jewish Museum at Berlin. It was not just about the Holocaust but about the full history of the Jewish people. I took many pictures but found this quote particularly moving. It comes from a leading doctor of Hitler's effort in eugenics--killing off or sterilyzing whoever doctors deemed unfit for reproduction.

This weekend we play Weisbaden, the only undefeated team left in our division. With a week's rest, we should be up for the challenge.

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God bless!

Ryan

Gaining some momentum

Since my last post, we've played two games--against probably the best and worst team in our division. Last weekend against the Franken Knights, we started the 4th quarter down 21-0 before our offense finally came alive. We scored two quick touchdowns and got the ball back with two minutes left down 13-21. A high snap and interception on the last play of the game made the final outcome 35-13 but it was much closer game than the score indicates.

And the offensive momentum from the fourth quarter of last week carried over into the game on Saturday. We won 63-0. Let me repeat that in case you missed it. 63-0!! I've never been involved in such a lopsided match. Simply put, everything worked--on offense and defense. And in the rare case when something broke down of offense, we improvised--almost always successfully. It must have been one of the hottest days of the year on Saturday. The burn marks on my arms start right where my jersey ends. It reminds me of my pre-season days in Davidson, baking in the Carolina sun.

One of the unexpected surprises of the season for me is running the football more often. I haven't since my high school days carried the ball myself like I am this year. It's been great. The picture I attached is me crossing the goaline for the first score of the game. Our record is now 3-3 and I continue to be optimistic about the direction of our team. We're healthy with a great defense, a powerful running attack, and an ever improving group of receivers. And we seem to having more fun--playing relaxed and growing more comfortable in our roles.

Some other great news to report: my Visa finally arrived!! So I start teaching English this week. While I've been waiting, I've been reading many books, writing, lifting weights, and trying to learn a bit of German. But I'm very exted to set down my books and start working.

I travel to Berlin next weekend to meet Zach, a teammate from Davidson. He'll show me around a bit of the city. It's been a few weeks without traveling so I'm excited to get out of Darmstadt for the weekend.

My German is picking up too. I probably understand 20-25% of what's said around me. In some contexts (like the football field) it's much higher. I still respond in English though so I speak much less than I understand. It's exciting to see this progress though.

Hope all is well! Please keep in touch--I'd love to hear from you too. God bless!

Ryan

Back to .500

Last weekend, our team got back to its winning ways with a 25-14 victory over Stutgart. Although we left some points on the field, the offense still put up over 20 points for the first time all season!! Yes, we must get better, but I'm still celebrating this improvement. Our record is now 2-2 heading into Saturday's matchup with the Franken Knights, one of the better teams in the division.

My time has slowed down lately. I'm getting more and more used to life here--the people, lifestyle, my own existence. I still feel very much like a foreigner but everything is not so unfamiliar and exciting like it was for the first month or so. My body has found a rhythm in the day to day which is a good thing.

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Last weekend was Darmstadt's annual Scholssgrabenfest. About five different stages were arranged around the downtown area. Live music blasted all night and about a million food tents served food from every nation you could imagine.

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Here are a few pictures from a motorcycle trip I took with Nico and Phillip. I sat behind Phillip on my first ride ever on a bike. We headed to a few places along the Rhine River. The river is only several miles from us but the closest bridge across it is probably around 25 miles away. Countless bridges including many along the Rhine were destroyed in WWII. Some that were close to us haven't been rebuilt and ferries have taken their place.

God Bless,

Ryan

Bavaria

Another bye week for the Diamonds so I travelled with Naso, a teammate, to his hometown of Burghausen in Bavaria. Naso is one of the most interesting guys on the team--a carpenter by trade and a member of the Diamonds for several years now. He lives fully in the present more than anyone I've ever met--the definition of spontaneity. I really like that he positions himself to enjoy life's moments as they come without worrying too much about an agenda. I mention this because it gives some insight into what my days in Bavaria looked like.

We originally intended to see Munich and a famous salt mine in Salzburg among other things, but we abandoned a plan altogether and visited whatever jumped in front of us. We didn't realize it until we arrived, but it turns out that Burghausen had their annual Folks Fest this weekend so we spent Thursday and Friday night with the locals. This was my first experience with these Fests that, from what I hear, make summers in Germany so much fun. Burghausen's Folks Fest was like a carnival and a theme-party rolled into one accompanied by live music and a huge beer tent. Almost everyone was wearing traditional German outfits--lederhosen for the men and dirndl for the women. I tried to sneak a few photos of these outfits. It was impossible for me to take these guys seriously.

On Friday, Naso and I visited the castle in Burghausen which is the largest castle complex in all of Europe. It overlooks the Salzach River which marks the border between Germany and Austria. The interesting thing about this castle is its usefulness today. Many of the castles I've visited in Germany serve no purpose beyond their historical significance and aesthetic qualities. But the castle in Burghausen has shops, restaurants, and even apartments for locals all built into the original structure. I can't think of a cooler place to live. Here is a picture of one end of the castle. It stretches over a kilometer long in the other direction.

Later on Friday, we saw the Chiemsee also known as the Bavarian Sea. The Alps standing at one end make it a beautiful sight but also cause unpredictable and often violent weather. We missed the worst part of it, but a huge hailstorm leveled the area minutes before we arrived. Here's a sample of the hail I'm talking about. It smashed a few car windows around us. But after such a storm, the skies left us with this picture.

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The weather eventually allowed for a great day at the lake. Naso's mother joined us and we took a ferry to a small island in the sea. We walked the island and had dinner before returning to Burghausen and the Folks Fest that night. Here's a shot from the island with the Alps in the background. There's still a bit of snow on the peaks.

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We play again this Saturday and should get a much needed win. I'm still waiting for my Visa to arrive so I can begin teaching. In the meantime, I'm reading, exercising, and still trying to explore different parts of the country.

God bless!

Football, Friends, Fellowship

We've played two more games since my last post. We split them so our record is now 1-2. The defense continues to play well but the offense has not been able to play consistently. It's always difficult to be the quarterback on a struggling offense. Eyes turn first to him for answers as they should. I'm used to the quarterback being accountable for much of the offense's production, but I think it's even more accentuated here. I'm the only American on the team and supposed to possess superior knowledge and skills of the game. So the expectations are quite high. I invite the challenge though and look forward to a winning streak that should start soon. I remember too that football is pure joy to play. I try to work hard and be prepared and after that, just have fun. Attached is a picture of the coin toss before the game. Notice the "A" that all Americans must have sewn on their jerseys.

The highlight of this last week was having Mandy, Phil, and Ashley, three good friends from Davidson, visit for four days (more about the visit later). I was especially blessed to have them here because my Grandma Jean passed away on Mother's Day. Just their presence here provided a connection with home that I desperately needed at that time.

Grandma Jean had been declining for the last two months. Although she's been on my mind quite a bit, I've felt so removed from her suffering and its effects on home. I didn't make it back for the funeral but I think I'm still learning how to healthily celebrate life and mourn death. I've spent much time reflecting on her life and what she meant to my family. She was a strong, independent, hard-working woman, and she carried an irrepressible pride for her children and grandchildren. I'll remember the big pots of chili she would make for our family and the US bonds that me and my brothers would receive every birthday and holiday. I don't consider my relationship with her especially close but I loved her dearly and always felt certain of hers in return. She will be missed.

I'll try to capture my visitors' experience in two paragraphs and a few pictures. We started Sunday morning when they arrived in Frankfurt. In what must have been the longest day of their lives, we visited castles and courtyards in a few towns in the south and then came back to Griesheim for a late BBQ with my host family. The first picture comes from Heidelburg, a simply beautiful city. Its cathedrals, downtown area, and of course the castle that you can see in the background make it a popular stop for tourists. The second picture comes from a castle/courtyard in Schwetzinger. We spent a few

hours walking just half of the courtyard. It was very beautiful with its statues, bird sanctuaries, fountains, streams, and the greenery all around. Here is a sample of what it looked like. Monday was in Darmstadt, Tuesday in Frankfurt, and Wednesday back on the road to see a remodeled Roman fort. In its original existence, it stood along the Northern border of the Roman Empire. This was as far north as the Romans came and the fort was clearly built for military purposes. Its positioning on high ground, the moat around it and its high walls made it a difficult place to attack I'm sure.

Highlights of the trip. First, while walking in Darmstadt, I suggested stopping to eat some döner, a Turkish sandwich that's very popular here. Phil, thinking I said "doughnuts," agreed and was very confused when he saw the Turkish menu with only Kebaps and Pizza on it. Second, on our first dinner out at a beer garden, we resolved to only speak to the waiter in German, trying to conceal that we were Americans. We were all very excited when he gave us our menus and we replied with "danke" (thank you) without him noticing. When we tried to pronounce our dinner choices, however, I didn't get out the first syllable of "putenschnitzel" before he smiled and asked, "English, Irish? Where are you from?" We laughed and enjoyed some great German cuisine. Third, while walking in Darmstadt, it dawned on us that we couldn't possibly look anymore like tourists. It was raining and a little cold. We were the only people on the streets with shorts (yes, all 4 of us), without umbrellas, and with a giant map of the city I had to pull out at every intersection. Fourth, hearing Phil and Mandy try to pronounce every German word written on signs and advertisements throughout the city. Hilarious.

I will be more regular with my posts. I've been very busy catching the train every morning to Frankfurt. I just finished training to become a Berlitz instructor. As soon as I get my working Visa, I'll be teaching in the classroom and hopefully taking a few German lessons.

Take care and God bless!