Follow the Dotted Line
Baby Hillstoph: Currently 5.7 lbs. and of coarse fully loaded with plenty of hair as seen on today's ultrasound, and being a child of Christoph is completely expected.
Hillary: Sleeping less, and noticing more and more lovely body changes. 'It's for a good cause' is what I constantly keep telling myself.
Christoph: Stress level high not only because he is moving across the world tomorrow and has spent the last 3 weeks preparing for it, but because he has to travel with our dear cat Velvie with a five hour layover in Washington.
Velvie: Doesn't realize yet she has to hold in her poop and pee for about 30 hours.
Life has definitely changed a bit in the past month. I would say for moving across the world in one month, we have handled things pretty well. I have been able to observe the live out loud American culture since being back and little did I know it would be once again another culture shock from what I have been experiencing in Germany the past year and a half. From having a southern woman interrogate me about my baby on the flight over, to an elderly black man wearing sunglasses in the airport telling me, "That baby has overtaken your body sweetheart! Your giving birth to a miracle! Keep smiling pretty girl!" was not only a culture shock realization, but a realization that you wouldn't catch a German dead saying or asking those things, let alone even talking to you. Experiencing both cultures in many different ways has enabled me to come to a pretty good assessment of the two, and being married to a German has also aided in the process. Realizing that my cultural observations have only been in Germany, I can only imagine what cultural shocks would be experienced if a German or American were to move to Africa, or Asia... or visa versa. The way I see it, my cultural change trying as it was, was only an ounce of change compared to people who have gone from eating things like macaroni and cheese and pizza to boiled chicken feet, and fried frog legs. Fortunately my colon only had to adjust to things like delicious bread, pastries and schnitzel. I never got around to liverwurst though. No thanks.
That being said, I have found pleasure in observing the two, taking what I like and what I don't like on either side. Not that there is a side, but rather a dotted line so to speak. When it comes down to it we are all people created by God, we all have insecurities and are determined to be accepted in some way shape or form, so finding common ground can easily be discovered between the spaces. I was talking to a dear friend of mine the other day who delights in everything about Germany. We were discussing the fact of relationships and interactions with both Germans and Americans. She thoughtfully explained that Americans are soft on the outside (meaning easy to get along with at first) and hard on the inside (later will you experience their true colors and be able to determine on whether they become sincere friends who will stick around or just another aquantence). Germans on the other hand are hard on the outside making it difficult to really get to know them at first, later melting with no tricks hidden under the belt and become life long friends. They are who they are. Now of coarse this is a generalization and I am not one for generalizations, but I would have to agree that this is the case probably 90% of the time, surface speaking of coarse. Dig a little deeper and you will find that every person is different and unique in and of themselves and any form of culture or labels is no match for determining who they really are.
I just ate four chocolate chip peanut butter cookies and I am not feeling so well so I am going to go take a little nap to let the sugar settle.
I miss writing in my blog but have found my mind continuously leaning toward having a baby and not so much on explaining to everyone what is going on in my heart or life. Little baby is on my heart and literally in my life I guess you could say, which is probably the way it should be. I am going easy on myself knowing that not too many things can be accomplished right now, not just physically but also emotionally and socially. So who knows when the next blog will be. I have to be in the perfect mood to do such things.
Thank you to all the people who are thinking about us and praying for us through all of this. It means so much to know we have such wonderful people who love and support us.
Hillary: Sleeping less, and noticing more and more lovely body changes. 'It's for a good cause' is what I constantly keep telling myself.
Christoph: Stress level high not only because he is moving across the world tomorrow and has spent the last 3 weeks preparing for it, but because he has to travel with our dear cat Velvie with a five hour layover in Washington.
Velvie: Doesn't realize yet she has to hold in her poop and pee for about 30 hours.
Life has definitely changed a bit in the past month. I would say for moving across the world in one month, we have handled things pretty well. I have been able to observe the live out loud American culture since being back and little did I know it would be once again another culture shock from what I have been experiencing in Germany the past year and a half. From having a southern woman interrogate me about my baby on the flight over, to an elderly black man wearing sunglasses in the airport telling me, "That baby has overtaken your body sweetheart! Your giving birth to a miracle! Keep smiling pretty girl!" was not only a culture shock realization, but a realization that you wouldn't catch a German dead saying or asking those things, let alone even talking to you. Experiencing both cultures in many different ways has enabled me to come to a pretty good assessment of the two, and being married to a German has also aided in the process. Realizing that my cultural observations have only been in Germany, I can only imagine what cultural shocks would be experienced if a German or American were to move to Africa, or Asia... or visa versa. The way I see it, my cultural change trying as it was, was only an ounce of change compared to people who have gone from eating things like macaroni and cheese and pizza to boiled chicken feet, and fried frog legs. Fortunately my colon only had to adjust to things like delicious bread, pastries and schnitzel. I never got around to liverwurst though. No thanks.
That being said, I have found pleasure in observing the two, taking what I like and what I don't like on either side. Not that there is a side, but rather a dotted line so to speak. When it comes down to it we are all people created by God, we all have insecurities and are determined to be accepted in some way shape or form, so finding common ground can easily be discovered between the spaces. I was talking to a dear friend of mine the other day who delights in everything about Germany. We were discussing the fact of relationships and interactions with both Germans and Americans. She thoughtfully explained that Americans are soft on the outside (meaning easy to get along with at first) and hard on the inside (later will you experience their true colors and be able to determine on whether they become sincere friends who will stick around or just another aquantence). Germans on the other hand are hard on the outside making it difficult to really get to know them at first, later melting with no tricks hidden under the belt and become life long friends. They are who they are. Now of coarse this is a generalization and I am not one for generalizations, but I would have to agree that this is the case probably 90% of the time, surface speaking of coarse. Dig a little deeper and you will find that every person is different and unique in and of themselves and any form of culture or labels is no match for determining who they really are.
I just ate four chocolate chip peanut butter cookies and I am not feeling so well so I am going to go take a little nap to let the sugar settle.
I miss writing in my blog but have found my mind continuously leaning toward having a baby and not so much on explaining to everyone what is going on in my heart or life. Little baby is on my heart and literally in my life I guess you could say, which is probably the way it should be. I am going easy on myself knowing that not too many things can be accomplished right now, not just physically but also emotionally and socially. So who knows when the next blog will be. I have to be in the perfect mood to do such things.
Thank you to all the people who are thinking about us and praying for us through all of this. It means so much to know we have such wonderful people who love and support us.
Comments