Damiani Family!
So i made it safe and sound into my new home- in Altusried, Germany. The Damiani family has 3 children, Max (19), Lisa (17), and Teresa (11). Max is now in the Bundeswehr, or army (which is a requirement for every German boy after completing highschool), so does not live with them right now. I do have two host sisters though, which is quite nice as I started to get used to that from the beginning of the year. Neither go to the same school as me, Lisa is at a specialty school where she is learning to become a Carpenter (so wood work), and Teresa (the Italian spelling, not the German spelling with a tHeresa) goes to another 'Gymnasium' called Hildegardis in Kempten. We all take the bus together to school each morning at 6.51, leave the house at quarter to 7, and (usually) come home at about 1.30. Lunch here is at about 1.30 or 2. Barbara is my host mother, a very sweet woman and a wonderful cook. I finally got to have some Asian cooking last week that she made, a Spanish chili dish with Octopus in it last night (Tintenfisch), and lots and lots of noodles. This family has forefathers, or earlier grandparents, that are Italian. I definitely realized that the first day I was here. We eat a lot of really great cheese, grapes, bread (because we are still German of course), and noodles. Im hoping to make some Gado Gado for them in the near future. If they love noodles this much (especially Lisa), I figured they wouldnt think peanut noodles would be too out of the ordinary. Barbara works at the town hall giving building permits out, as well as at the city theater selling tickets. She works from 8-12 for 3 days a week. For Germany, she has a fairly steady job and is a 'working' mother. Their work day is normally from about 8-1, which I find a little crazy. Im not entirely sure how they get so much done, given our norm of 8-4.00 days. The men, of course, always work a little longer though. Manfred is a painter, doing outsides and interiors for hire of his 'M.Damiani' business, and is already sitting at his desk at 10min after 6.00 in the morning, and usually comes home at about 6.30 in the evening, depending on if he has other functions to go to or not. Manfred is also my Rotary counselor, soon to be the Rotary Club Kempten's president in July. Lisa loves shopping and hanging out with her friends, Theresa is full of energy and wants to know everything I can tell her as her attention span lasts about America. She also loves to read. The whole family is very sweet and super giving, and I feel blessed to be in their presence. They plan to go skiing a lot this winter (on Christmas Eve Day will be my first time here!), and although I was sad to leave Büchters, I am happy to be here. We are planning to have an American Christmas tree this year, with Candy canes as ornaments. I thought that was very exciting. Below are a few pictures of the house and some dinners we'd had together. Happy Holidays!
My current family (the Damianis), minus Lisa because she's taking the picture and plus Manfred's sister (on the right).
So i made it safe and sound into my new home- in Altusried, Germany. The Damiani family has 3 children, Max (19), Lisa (17), and Teresa (11). Max is now in the Bundeswehr, or army (which is a requirement for every German boy after completing highschool), so does not live with them right now. I do have two host sisters though, which is quite nice as I started to get used to that from the beginning of the year. Neither go to the same school as me, Lisa is at a specialty school where she is learning to become a Carpenter (so wood work), and Teresa (the Italian spelling, not the German spelling with a tHeresa) goes to another 'Gymnasium' called Hildegardis in Kempten. We all take the bus together to school each morning at 6.51, leave the house at quarter to 7, and (usually) come home at about 1.30. Lunch here is at about 1.30 or 2. Barbara is my host mother, a very sweet woman and a wonderful cook. I finally got to have some Asian cooking last week that she made, a Spanish chili dish with Octopus in it last night (Tintenfisch), and lots and lots of noodles. This family has forefathers, or earlier grandparents, that are Italian. I definitely realized that the first day I was here. We eat a lot of really great cheese, grapes, bread (because we are still German of course), and noodles. Im hoping to make some Gado Gado for them in the near future. If they love noodles this much (especially Lisa), I figured they wouldnt think peanut noodles would be too out of the ordinary. Barbara works at the town hall giving building permits out, as well as at the city theater selling tickets. She works from 8-12 for 3 days a week. For Germany, she has a fairly steady job and is a 'working' mother. Their work day is normally from about 8-1, which I find a little crazy. Im not entirely sure how they get so much done, given our norm of 8-4.00 days. The men, of course, always work a little longer though. Manfred is a painter, doing outsides and interiors for hire of his 'M.Damiani' business, and is already sitting at his desk at 10min after 6.00 in the morning, and usually comes home at about 6.30 in the evening, depending on if he has other functions to go to or not. Manfred is also my Rotary counselor, soon to be the Rotary Club Kempten's president in July. Lisa loves shopping and hanging out with her friends, Theresa is full of energy and wants to know everything I can tell her as her attention span lasts about America. She also loves to read. The whole family is very sweet and super giving, and I feel blessed to be in their presence. They plan to go skiing a lot this winter (on Christmas Eve Day will be my first time here!), and although I was sad to leave Büchters, I am happy to be here. We are planning to have an American Christmas tree this year, with Candy canes as ornaments. I thought that was very exciting. Below are a few pictures of the house and some dinners we'd had together. Happy Holidays!
My current family (the Damianis), minus Lisa because she's taking the picture and plus Manfred's sister (on the right).
Manfred & Barbara making dinner.
I had to take a picture, because this family LOVES to cook. Im talking gourmet. This evening, Manfred made Perch, where he took the entire fish, cut of the head, and covered the entire thing in sea salt and spices. He then baked it, and the sea salt covering, when pulled off, also took the skin and the bones with it. Very yummy.
The final product.
Teresa's plate (who doesnt like fish).
A traditional "Allgäuerisch" food, sort of a noodle dough rolled with either saurkraut and ham or apples and cinnamon, then fried in the pan like this. SUPER yummy.
Damiani's Advent Candles
Germans are a little bit more extreme with the celebration of Advent than we at home are (whether you're Catholic or Evangelical or not). Damianis have two Advent Wreaths with candles (one upstairs and one downstairs), and I personally have two Advent Calendars, which means I get at least two yummy pieces of German chocolate each day. Its quite yummy, but I dont think Im German-chocolate-extreme yet. Ive never eaten so much candy in my entire life time (ok, maybe at Halloween - but thats in one sitting) before I came here. At Christmastime, there's something new each day. The celebration of Advent (lighting one of four candles each Sunday before Christmas) is really nice though, because it means people start to get into a 'Weihnachts Stimmer", or Chrismtas mood, a lot earlier than back home. They dont celebrate Thanksgiving, so Christmas starts in November. For such a wonderful season, I am perfectly ok with that.
Teresa's room
Upstairs looking at the 'reading nook'
Upstairs in the Damiani house (we sometimes eat dinner up here). The rest of the family (Lisa, Teresa, and Barbara & Manfred) have their rooms upstairs.
The view outside (with just a sprinkling of snow) from the dining room.
The view outside my room (with a little more snow, rain, and a window in the way).
The Dining room, a small living room with tv behind me.
The kitchen (or a part of the kitchen)
Sauna! in the house. It wasnt heated up however when I took this picture.
My new bedroom at Damianis
(It used to be the older girl, Lisa's bedroom, so still has palm tree decorations in it, a tv, a computer, and a phone. Its quite nice having all of these accomidations, but given the only computer they have is in my room, it is not entirely the most private place. It can also be fairly cold, given the door leads right to outside and a large window as well. )
The 'toilet' room on the main floor (the one I use)
The Bathroom that Lisa and I share (The toilet and bathroom are separated, which sounds practical in some ways but is extremely annoying in others. Her stool is the far one by the wall, mine closer in the picture [with just towels on it]. )
Me with 2 of the 'Knack Ubrichs' , or bad St. Nikolaus that whips you as you try to run away from them (in my new small town of Altusried).
As you can see, they look fairly evil with their horns and furs and everything.
