20 Questions.
Mar 9th, 2007 by B.
1. To say this may well go down in history as one of the worst weeks of my life is probably tempting fate, huh?
2. For all you American Idol fans out there… does it seem to you that even at this very early stage, the winner of AI 6 is practically a foregone conclusion? It does to me.
3. What’s the german term for control top pantyhose?
4. Is there such a thing as beef or chicken broth (or bouillon cubes) in Germany? If so, what’s it called and can I find it in supermarkets? I need it…
5. If I get my hair cut this weekend should I have them go nuts and cut long, swoopy bangs, or would I regret it?
6. Is ’swoopy’ an actual word?
7. Is it ok to freak out when your 14 year-old (who recently acquired a 16 year-old boyfriend) asks if you would freak out if she…
8. Along those lines, does anyone know of a good, all-girl, english speaking boarding school in Germany run by nuns?
9. Is it weird that my favorite person in Dresden is a 64 yr-old Russian woman named Svetlana (everyone calls her Svetie) who doesn’t understand a word I say, but still smiles at me every morning & pats my back?
10. Why can I never find the Adidas Vario Lea Yoga shoes in size 41 that I sooo covet?? I mean, come on, my feet aren’t that big…
11. Without googling, does anyone know which novel this line is from: “To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.”? If I ever found myself in a Fahrenheit 451esque future, without a doubt, this is the one I would commit to memory.
12. Am I a soulless drone for not supporting smaller venues and buying all my books from Amazon / music from Itunes?
13. How do you cook a roast? I’ve had one in my freezer for 3 months now, but have absolutely no idea what to do with it…
14. Back to American Idol… is anyone else annoyed by Melinda Doolittle’s “aww shucks, who me? I’m just a humble backup singer…” shtick?? If you want to be a star- act like one, damn it.
15. What are some fun (kid-friendly) things to do & see in the Frankfurt/Darmstadt area?
16. I just bought my first pair of deutsch glasses… scarlet red… and bold, bold, bold. Big mistake, or ‘quirky’?
17. What is the difference between crème fraîche & saure sahne? They both taste the same to me…
18. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to come up with 20 questions in one go?
19. I’ve been noticing a lot of the music I listen to lately is featured on Grey’s Anatomy (A show I’ve never seen)… does that make me some sort of mainstream media tool? God I hope not…
20. Does it make me a big pussy if, after one year & 40 euro/month, I’m still too scared to park in my stackable parking-garage parking space?
~
p.s. #20 was rhetorical.
On this day..
- Only in Germany... - 2006
You get American Idol in Germany? And what do you mean by #2? You’re saying that the big black girl will win? If so, I say no way to that. She’s just this season’s Mandisa. America votes for good looking or lovable people. I don’t think she’s either.
Nah, I think Melinda Doolittle will win… and we don’t exactly get American Idol in Germany, but I have my sources who get it from England. It’s a big deal there… complete with lame, female Seacrest interviewer chickie.
Yay! A Frankfurt-related question! Random thoughts of fun (or at least touristy) things…
Opel-Zoo: Unusual zoo in the woods of the Taunus mountains. Much better than the Frankfurt zoo downtown. http://www.opel-zoo.de
More Taunus: Nearby the Opel-Zoo is the Saalburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saalburg), the Hessenpark Open-Air museum (http://www.hessenpark.de/english/frame_aboutus.html) and the Lochmühle, a likeable low-key leisure park (http://www.lochmuehle.de/html_en/index.html). Small kids love it, parents do also, but Robyn would go mad.
Now back to Frankfurt:
Ebbelwei-Express: sightseeing in an old tramcar. http://www.ebbelwei-express.com
Main-Tower: The second-highest skyscaper in town has a viewing terrace. http://www.maintower.de
Palmengarten: I really like it today but it’s damn boring for kids, I know from own experience *g* (but the small train rocks) http://www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
Museums: Some nice museums at the Museumsufer of Sachsenhausen for the case of bad weather. The Senckenberg museum of natural research has many dinosaur skeletons if your youngest one is a Night at the Museum fan.
Hm. When I get another ideas, I’ll add them here
Be aware of the japanese Tourists entering the old town on sundays
And broth is Brühe. So watch out for Hühnerbrühe, Rinderbrühe or Gemüsebrühe at your favorite store’s Maggi section. And get well soon!
1. Yup. Just when you think it can’t get worse, it will.
2. No, but only because the voters are a little retarded. Seriously– Sanjaya and Antonella should have been gone already. Also, America loves pretty people, and
Melinda, while attractive, has been dressing like she is in the church choir– not an AI pop/country/rock type star.
3. I wish I knew that one myself– as well as nude knee high. LOL!
4. I use Klare boullion from Maggi…comes in beef, chicken, vegetable. I’m sure there are others, but that is what I use. It is in the aisle with the dried soups in packages.
5. I don’t know what you look like, but I love long swoopy bangs!
6. II don’t think so. LOL!
7. Yes.
8. I don’t think even that can prevent young people from having sex. She’ll just sneak out and meet the boy.
9. Nah… nice people are easy to enjoy.
10. I can look in the Adidas store in Frankfurt if it will help you.
11. Not me.
12. Nah… sometimes you should take the easy way out. It’s one of the benefits of living in the 21st Century.
13. Email me… I have several recipes to offer if you are interested.
14. I’m more annoyed by her wardrobe…and Antonella. That beech is not good and comes off like a complete ditz…and not a funny one like Jessica Simpson.
15. Have lunch/dinner/coffee with me!!! Oh wait– you said kid - friendly. What time of the year are you coming?
16. FUN!!!
17. What is the difference between crème fraîche & saure sahne? They both taste the same to me… I left this ones question up there, because I really don’t know, but I always buy creme fraiche, because that is what I used in France. basically I am accustomed to it. OK, I just cheated and the German Wiki says that creme fraiche has a higher fat content!
18. Yes. It is why I hated playing 20 questions as a kid.
19. Hmm… should I be mean and say yes? LOL!
20. Fine. I won’t answer then!
Sebastian- Thank you! thank you! thank you!! I’m too embarrassed to tell you how long I’ve been looking for bouillon, but as soon as you posted I left for Kaufmarkt & found it right where you said it would be.
Also, thanks for the tips. We were thinking about going to the Frankfurt zoo, but instead we’ll check out Opel & also the Lochmühle. And the other day we’re there we’ll have to make it up to Robyn by taking her on a shopping spree. The Palmengarten looks really cool too.
Maria- We’ll actually be coming next weekend. The primary reason is for me to attend the girlie weekend, but Jim & the girls are coming as well because it’s an area of germany we haven’t seen before. We’re leaving thursday (late afternoon) and as a family doing the touristy thing Friday before I head to Jen’s in the evening. Saturday Jim will kick around Frankfurt with the girls while I do the female bonding thing. You’ll be there too, right? I know you won’t be spending the night (neither will I — we’re staying @ at hotel nearby) because you don’t want to leave the boy, but I thought I read you’d be making an appearance. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to meet then.
I’ll email you soon for the recipes. You’d think by 38 I’d know how to cook, but…. nope.
1.) Definitely.
2.) I don’t even know what ‘American Idol’ is. I know what ‘Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar’ is. Man, I been in Germany too long.
3.) No clue. Haven’t worn a skirt that required hose in forever. I’m immediately ashamed I admitted that.
4.) Brühwurfel or Klare Fleischbrühe. Yes you can find it in supermarkets, on the bottom shelf of the row where the Maggi Fix’s are.
5.) Dunno, but if you do, we want ‘pegs so we can adore you. Or mock you. Whichever is necessary.
6.) Yes.
7.) YES. So fast your butt smokes.
8.) Oh I wish… I’d e-mail you the number… but I’d think anywhere with nuns would be an improvement.
9.) No, that’s very sweet.
10.) Um… because I’m wearing them?
Just kidding. We have almost the same size feet, though. This is very encouraging. I thought I was the only one in Europe. While I’m at it, I am SO tired of seeing the only size left on the rack is a 38. Apparently no one here wears a 38 because no one buys them. I don’t see why they even make them anymore. Like a size 4 in jeans, who wears this?? Okay, I’m ranting now in your comments… gotta regain control…
11.) Hm. I’d venture a guess at ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath.
12.) No. You’re a red hot cutting edge partaker of modern consumerism. Like me.
13.) Thaw it. Nuke it on all sides in a hot pan until the outsides are browned. Put it in a roasting pan. Buy some Braten sauce from the supermarket, pour it over the roast then follow the instructions on the package.
14.) Hmph. Still haven’t watched ‘American Idol’ since question 2…
15.) I suggest Googling. Zoos are fun.
16.) Oooo… sexy, baby!
17.) About a Euro.
18.) Yes. You have my sympathy and admiration.
19.) 0_0 What’s Grey’s Anatomy? Does not knowing make me some sort of mainstream media fool?
20.) You have a stackable parking garage in your area?! Dude! I’ve never stacked myself and suddenly that sounds so cool. Oooo, do you know what this means? You’ve never done it in a stackable parking garage. Boldly go where no (wo)man has gone before! Report back and let us know how it went.
Woo hoo!!! I get to meet you live and in person? I will be at the girlie weekend Saturday, but I am unsure how late, because the babysitter has a previously scheduled job. If I can work it out with my husband’s schedule, I will be staying as late as possible… so late that I hope the baby is in bed. OK…that’s not late. He is usually in bed by 20h or so. Good thing I own a breast pump. LOL!
I’ll bring you a special present to the “party” … assuming I remember.
I have to correct myself: Lochmühle won’t open before March 31th this season. Sorry.
For extended shopping tours I recommend the Nordwestzentrum (via underground line U1) as my favourite mall, if the main squares around the Zeil annoy you due to many noisy construction sites… Shopping downtown is currently not very attractive.
1. To say this may well go down in history as one of the worst weeks of my life is probably tempting fate, huh? But who can resist temptation…unless of course its temptation island
2. For all you American Idol fans out there… does it seem to you that even at this very early stage, the winner of AI 6 is practically a foregone conclusion? It does to me. Nah they vote off the good ones early and will leave us with that goofy boy with the silly hair
3. What’s the german term for control top pantyhose? panty hose? They are like the democrats…they irritate the Bush…(can I say bush)
4. Is there such a thing as beef or chicken broth (or bouillon cubes) in Germany? If so, what’s it called and can I find it in supermarkets? I need it… Not into rendering a carcass I take it?
5. If I get my hair cut this weekend should I have them go nuts and cut long, swoopy bangs, or would I regret it? If you have to ask you know the answer
6. Is ‘swoopy’ an actual word? Depends on what region you are in
7. Is it ok to freak out when your 14 year-old (who recently acquired a 16 year-old boyfriend) asks if you would freak out if she told you she was thinking about having sex for the first time? I have boys (whew!)
8. Along those lines, does anyone know of a good, all-girl, english speaking boarding school in Germany run by nuns? Do they sell chastity belts in Germany?
9. Is it weird that my favorite person in Dresden is a 64 yr-old Russian woman named Svetlana (everyone calls her Svetie) who doesn’t understand a word I say, but still smiles at me every morning & pats my back? Nah…everyone needs a good pat on the back every now and again
10. Why can I never find the Adidas Vario Lea Yoga shoes in size 41 that I sooo covet?? I mean, come on, my feet aren’t that big…Have you tried ebay?
11. Without googling, does anyone know which novel this line is from: “To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.”? If I ever found myself in a Fahrenheit 451esque future, without a doubt, this is the one I would commit to memory. umm is that a dr suess book?
12. Am I a soulless drone for not supporting smaller venues and buying all my books from Amazon / music from Itunes? No. it makes you a media tool
13. How do you cook a roast? I’ve had one in my freezer for 3 months now, but have absolutely no idea what to do with it…stick it in the crock pot with some lipton onion soup mix add potatos and carrots
14. Back to American Idol… is anyone else annoyed by Melinda Doolittle’s “aww shucks, who me? I’m just a humble backup singer…” shtick?? If you want to be a star- act like one, damn it. her attitude doesn’t bother me as much as the fact that she HAS NO NECK!!!!
15. What are some fun (kid-friendly) things to do & see in the Frankfurt/Darmstadt area? Chastity belt shopping?
16. I just bought my first pair of deutsch glasses… scarlet red… and bold, bold, bold. Big mistake, or ‘quirky’? In a Lisa Loeb sorta way
17. What is the difference between crème fraîche & saure sahne? They both taste the same to me…Dont ask….really. You dont want to know
18. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to come up with 20 questions in one go? As hard as coming up with 20 answers?
19. I’ve been noticing a lot of the music I listen to lately is featured on Grey’s Anatomy (A show I’ve never seen)… does that make me some sort of mainstream media tool? God I hope not…No. It means you have been inundated with mainstream media….sorta like piping popcorn smell into movie theaters
20. Does it make me a big pussy if, after one year & 40 euro/month, I’m still too scared to park in my stackable parking-garage parking space? Cant be worse that parallel parking can it?
4. Not sure. But my german friends used to use consume as a substitute…Its hard to get good stuff here in Japan too. I tend to use consume, but it is not as good!
6. Not sure if swoopy is a word, but is it strange that I know exactley what you meant?
7. Definitely Ok to freak out. Fact is though the age of kids having sex is getting younger and younger. Scary but true. Hope it works out!
8. Not sure. But even if you found one, it might not be a cure to the above problem. Do they have family planning in germany. Take her there and make her watch a video of a grusome birth. That would be enough for me to stay away from sex….Maybe…
16. I love the sound of the glasses!
18. I don`t know. But I might give it a go!
19. You should watch greys anatomy! You might discover more music you like!
Make sure you really want bangs, because once they are ct, it’s spo hard to go back.
Lisa- I would kill to wear a size 38! But that\’s about as likely as finding my Adidas Vario Lea Yoga shoes in 41. Sigh.
Also, what the hell is braten sauce??
Maria- That\’s great… I\’ll be looking forward to meeting you!
Sebastian- Thanks again for all the great trips. And Robyn especially thanks you for recommending a decent mall!
Cant- Even on ebay I can\’t find the stinkin shoes! Also, no lipton onion soup mix in deutschland.
Oh, and search for parking garage in the search box of my blog & check out the pictures. YES, YES, YES, the parking garage is far worse than parallel parking. You\’ll have nightmares…
Lulu- At least she\’s willing to talk to me about the whole sex thing… which is good for her, but (in ways) bad for me because now I\’ll worry constantly.
I\’ve already got the first season of Grey\’s Anatomy & half of the second… everyone seems to love it, I just need to dig in soon. And hey, at least I\’ll recognize the music.
Maribeth- Amen. I told them I wanted them about as long as my mouth, but they ended up being cheekbone level. I got home, had a bad case of buyers remorse, and then decided I\’d just wear hats for the next 3-6 months. At least I can still tuck them behind my ears…
If you really want Lipton, you can find it in Frankfurt. I just need to remember which store– I believe it is rewe at the Nordwestzentrum, but it might have been the kaufhof or Karstadt on the Zeil.
‘Braten sauce’ is my way of taking the German language and morphing it into something that is no longer the German language, thereby stubbornly maintaining my identity and disabling this country’s ability to turn me upside down, spit in my bottom then swallow me whole.
(Or better said - take that you vinegar lovin’ wankers! Braten sauce - braten sauce - braten sauce! You’ll never get me with yer VHS’s!)
Anyway… it’s the brown sauce you roast the big pieces of cow in. And in case you’ve been here too long like me, cow is the tiny selection of red meat stuck waaaaaay over in the corner that no one here buys or knows how to fix.