German is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Globally, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and by about 80 million non-native speakers. Standard German is taught widely in schools and universities worldwide.
Mark Twain's thoughts on the German language.
Useful German words:
THANK YOU - DANKE SCHON
GOOD MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING - GUTEN MORGEN/TAG/ABEND
GOODBYE - AUF WIEDERSEHEN
DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? - SPRECHEN SIE ENGLISCH?
I DON'T SPEAK GERMAN - ICH SPRECHE KEIN DEUTSCH
I NEED A BEER - ICH BRAUCHE EIN BIER
BURG - FORTRESS
BERG - MOUNTAIN
SCHLOSS - CASTLE
PALAST - PALACE
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Home
Harley
We made it home safely, and Harley was doing well. She was a little mad at me at first.
I slept on the floor next to her all night. She gets up quite a few times, but other than that, it was fine.
When I came downstairs to do laundry in the morning, I didn't close the gate, and she came tumbling down the stairs after me. She ran over to her toy box and excitedly started taking her toys out. She brought me one and was throwing it around even though she hardly could.
Then, she went int he bedroom and was resting on her bed. I think she really misses being able to go downstairs. She grabbed one of my socks out of the laundry just like old times!
Swaying
I still can feel the sway of the boat. I hope it goes away soon!
We made it home safely, and Harley was doing well. She was a little mad at me at first.
I slept on the floor next to her all night. She gets up quite a few times, but other than that, it was fine.
When I came downstairs to do laundry in the morning, I didn't close the gate, and she came tumbling down the stairs after me. She ran over to her toy box and excitedly started taking her toys out. She brought me one and was throwing it around even though she hardly could.
Then, she went int he bedroom and was resting on her bed. I think she really misses being able to go downstairs. She grabbed one of my socks out of the laundry just like old times!
Swaying
I still can feel the sway of the boat. I hope it goes away soon!
November 26 - Departure Day
We woke up at 5:45 a.m. because breakfast began at 6:00 a.m. and our pick up was at 7:15 a.m. We had to have our luggage out 30 minutes early.
Breakfast
We ordered waffles on our last day. They came out with some raspberry sauce and sprinkles on the whipped cream. We were talking to one of the waiters who said that the ship has only one more saling for this year.
Departure
Christian, our Cruise Director, said "goodbye" to us. He had us show him our luggage, and we were off to the bus! It was only us and the 6 people from Hawaii on our bus. Their trip will be 24 hours long!
The bus driver dropped us all of at terminal one and we had to go to terminal 3! You should have seen mom trying to drag her luggage all the way there! We ordered her a wheel chair, but in Amsterdam, they make you sit in this waiting area until it's time to board, then they bring you through. So, we decided to walk. The lady let us through the line though, so that was quick. When we got near the gate, there was bar with smokers! Gross! So, I could not sit there. We walked back to the shopping, but there wasn't anything that we wanted or needed. We went upstairs to McDonald's and sat and had a Diet Coke. While we were sitting there, I realized that I left my pills in the nightstand. Mom wanted to send a taxi to pick them up. How crazy is that? I wasn't that worried 'cuz I figrued that I would just call and explain that I left them and they would re-fill them for me. When I called Target Pharmacy after we landed, they told me that they had one waiting for me. How lucky was I? I thought it was my last re-fill. I filled out the customs form, and then when we went back, the security line was finally open.
Body Scanners
I don't see what the big deal is at all. They have body scanners and very good security in Amsterdam. It's for our protection, so people shouldn't be getting so upset about it.
Once we were inside the gate area, there was no washroom. Uggh! Had to wait till we got on the plane.
Flight
We were sitting towards the back of the plane because it was the only seats that had two next to each other by the window. We had a long delay (about an hour and a half) on the runway due to fog. The Pilots said they would make most of it up in the sky. We had a lot of crazy turbulence while we were up there! They were trying to fly above or below it.
I watched "Beezus and Ramona," which was cute and some other very stupid cop show with Michael Keaton and Will Ferrell.
Pick-Up
Syd and Dad picked us up. Syd was so happy to see my mom. She was very anxious to see her souvenirs.
Sam thought that the Lego Advent calendar mom bought him was the coolest present ever! I told him that he has 4 days to open the first window (and then, the pieces create a village) and that it counts down the days till Christmas. I hope they don't just let him open the whole thing and play with it.
Black Friday
Sydney is getting so big. She knew that there were "Black Friday" sales and she wanted to go shopping for jeans and boots. She is more picky than my mother. Everything was "too dark," "too sparkly," etc. I told her that she's not a Designer and she'll have to choose something that is already made whether it's perfect or not. The sparkly jeans looked so great on her, but she did not care. And, if she doesn't like them, she will never wear them. She didn't end up with boots either because she didn't want to spend all of her dog-sitting money on one pair of boots.
Breakfast
We ordered waffles on our last day. They came out with some raspberry sauce and sprinkles on the whipped cream. We were talking to one of the waiters who said that the ship has only one more saling for this year.
Departure
Christian, our Cruise Director, said "goodbye" to us. He had us show him our luggage, and we were off to the bus! It was only us and the 6 people from Hawaii on our bus. Their trip will be 24 hours long!
The bus driver dropped us all of at terminal one and we had to go to terminal 3! You should have seen mom trying to drag her luggage all the way there! We ordered her a wheel chair, but in Amsterdam, they make you sit in this waiting area until it's time to board, then they bring you through. So, we decided to walk. The lady let us through the line though, so that was quick. When we got near the gate, there was bar with smokers! Gross! So, I could not sit there. We walked back to the shopping, but there wasn't anything that we wanted or needed. We went upstairs to McDonald's and sat and had a Diet Coke. While we were sitting there, I realized that I left my pills in the nightstand. Mom wanted to send a taxi to pick them up. How crazy is that? I wasn't that worried 'cuz I figrued that I would just call and explain that I left them and they would re-fill them for me. When I called Target Pharmacy after we landed, they told me that they had one waiting for me. How lucky was I? I thought it was my last re-fill. I filled out the customs form, and then when we went back, the security line was finally open.
Body Scanners
I don't see what the big deal is at all. They have body scanners and very good security in Amsterdam. It's for our protection, so people shouldn't be getting so upset about it.
Once we were inside the gate area, there was no washroom. Uggh! Had to wait till we got on the plane.
Flight
We were sitting towards the back of the plane because it was the only seats that had two next to each other by the window. We had a long delay (about an hour and a half) on the runway due to fog. The Pilots said they would make most of it up in the sky. We had a lot of crazy turbulence while we were up there! They were trying to fly above or below it.
I watched "Beezus and Ramona," which was cute and some other very stupid cop show with Michael Keaton and Will Ferrell.
Pick-Up
Syd and Dad picked us up. Syd was so happy to see my mom. She was very anxious to see her souvenirs.
Sam thought that the Lego Advent calendar mom bought him was the coolest present ever! I told him that he has 4 days to open the first window (and then, the pieces create a village) and that it counts down the days till Christmas. I hope they don't just let him open the whole thing and play with it.
Black Friday
Sydney is getting so big. She knew that there were "Black Friday" sales and she wanted to go shopping for jeans and boots. She is more picky than my mother. Everything was "too dark," "too sparkly," etc. I told her that she's not a Designer and she'll have to choose something that is already made whether it's perfect or not. The sparkly jeans looked so great on her, but she did not care. And, if she doesn't like them, she will never wear them. She didn't end up with boots either because she didn't want to spend all of her dog-sitting money on one pair of boots.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Photos of Amsterdam
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| Bridge on our canal tour |
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| Riding the canal in Amsterdam |
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| One of the only windmills in Amsterdam |
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| Royal Heineken (letters in blue) owned by Heineken family (not green letters) |
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| Another canal |
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| Tulip bulbs at the flower market |
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| Beautiful flowers at the flower market |
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| Canal near the flower market |
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| Shopping area |
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| Main means of transportation in overcrowded Amsterdam |
November 25th - Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known as the Venice of the North because of its many canals encircling the city center. It is the capital of The Netherlands. The seat of government is located in The Hague. Dutch is the official language. The Netherlands is famous for its windmills. Cogs became another icon of the Netherlands. They are made out of wood. Being a very compact city, it is easiest to get around by "tram," bicycle, or on foot. There are bicycle lanes on every street, and bicycles have the right of way, so you have to be very careful. Amsterdam's top attractions are the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh museum, and the Red Light district. Coffee Shops are actually places where people go to have pot. A Coffee House is where you go to have a cup of coffee! The main shopping street is known as the Kalverstraat, which runs together with the street called Nieuwendijk. Both streets are pedestrian streets and are intersected by the main square, the "Dam Square."
Today is Thanksgiving. They only celebrate it in certain parts of The Netherlands, however, so not sure if we'll be enjoying a turkey dinner tonight.
The thing that I am most thankful for this year is that Harley is still here, and is waiting for me to come home. I can't wait to see her! And, thanks to my dad for taking care of her while I was gone.
Breakfast
Breakfast was uneventful. It was good, but we ate and went to the room until it was time for our tour.
Weather
The weather was sunny and brisk, but very nice.
Amsterdam Tour
Canal Cruise
First, we began our tour with a canal cruise. I made a grand entrance and fell right in the boat, scraping my face on the handle, and landing on my right knee! As I was walking in, I was about to warn everyone to be careful, and what did I do?!!! I think Gina jinxed me because she said she was looking for funny stories.
It's amazing how many canals they have. It's actually kind of scary having been there because I feel like the whole city can sink in. There were actually some houses that were crooked (I took pictures).
Bus Tour
We had a bus highlights tour that took us to the important sights in Amsterdam (including the Red Light district). We saw the prostitutes dancing in the windows. Lovely!
Flower Market
We stopped and had some time at the flower market and there were also many other shops in the area. It's a really great area for shopping. The flower market had some beautiful flowers and they were very reasonable.
Lunch
After the tour, the bus dropped us back off at the boat. I had a Minute Steak for lunch with Cream of Mustard soup and for an appetizer, they had mini Reubens, which were really good. They also had herring, and that sort of thing, but I don't eat that. I ate a piece of cheese and I thought I was going to be sick. It was the most disgusting thing I ever put in my mouth, and I had no choice but to swallow it.
Blog
I tried to blog again, but the computer would not cooperate, so I went back to the room and read a little bit then took a nap (which mom was already doing).
Dinner
Just before dinner, there was a very brief sleet storm.
We went to the lounge before dinner. We had to settle our tab and pay gratuities, etc. Mom's bar bill for the entire trip was $16.00 and mine was $0.00.
We ate with Kathleen and her mother-in-law Carol again as well as the two ex-sister-in-laws. We all got a turkey dinner, but not your traditional Thanksgiving meal. The best part was the dessert, which was a sundae with bananas and chocolate with rum. Almost forgot to mention that mom ordered the Shrimp cocktail, but almost died when it came out with eyes and all! LOL Kathleen told us that they were going to go home on thee 26th instead of staying over in Amsterdam because Duncan didn't really enjoy the trip. It was too structured for him.
Kathleen gave us blessed St. Christopher medals, which was very nice of her to do.
Everyone exchanged "goodbyes"and e-mails again if they didn't last night. It's sad to see the trip come to an end. We covered a lot of territory. Mom finally got to return to Europe.
Update on My Knee
My knee just has a couple of scrapes on it. It does hurt when I go up and down the stairs, like it's bruised though.
Blog
I went to update the blog again, and people were having issues logging on. Some smarty pants set the home page to some Bikini home page. Luckily, I'm the trouble-shooter and was able to work around it. I let everyone check their e-mails and print off their boarding passes before me.
Then, time to finish packing!
Today is Thanksgiving. They only celebrate it in certain parts of The Netherlands, however, so not sure if we'll be enjoying a turkey dinner tonight.
The thing that I am most thankful for this year is that Harley is still here, and is waiting for me to come home. I can't wait to see her! And, thanks to my dad for taking care of her while I was gone.
Breakfast
Breakfast was uneventful. It was good, but we ate and went to the room until it was time for our tour.
Weather
The weather was sunny and brisk, but very nice.
Amsterdam Tour
Canal Cruise
First, we began our tour with a canal cruise. I made a grand entrance and fell right in the boat, scraping my face on the handle, and landing on my right knee! As I was walking in, I was about to warn everyone to be careful, and what did I do?!!! I think Gina jinxed me because she said she was looking for funny stories.
It's amazing how many canals they have. It's actually kind of scary having been there because I feel like the whole city can sink in. There were actually some houses that were crooked (I took pictures).
Bus Tour
We had a bus highlights tour that took us to the important sights in Amsterdam (including the Red Light district). We saw the prostitutes dancing in the windows. Lovely!
Flower Market
We stopped and had some time at the flower market and there were also many other shops in the area. It's a really great area for shopping. The flower market had some beautiful flowers and they were very reasonable.
Lunch
After the tour, the bus dropped us back off at the boat. I had a Minute Steak for lunch with Cream of Mustard soup and for an appetizer, they had mini Reubens, which were really good. They also had herring, and that sort of thing, but I don't eat that. I ate a piece of cheese and I thought I was going to be sick. It was the most disgusting thing I ever put in my mouth, and I had no choice but to swallow it.
Blog
I tried to blog again, but the computer would not cooperate, so I went back to the room and read a little bit then took a nap (which mom was already doing).
Dinner
Just before dinner, there was a very brief sleet storm.
We went to the lounge before dinner. We had to settle our tab and pay gratuities, etc. Mom's bar bill for the entire trip was $16.00 and mine was $0.00.
We ate with Kathleen and her mother-in-law Carol again as well as the two ex-sister-in-laws. We all got a turkey dinner, but not your traditional Thanksgiving meal. The best part was the dessert, which was a sundae with bananas and chocolate with rum. Almost forgot to mention that mom ordered the Shrimp cocktail, but almost died when it came out with eyes and all! LOL Kathleen told us that they were going to go home on thee 26th instead of staying over in Amsterdam because Duncan didn't really enjoy the trip. It was too structured for him.
Kathleen gave us blessed St. Christopher medals, which was very nice of her to do.
Everyone exchanged "goodbyes"and e-mails again if they didn't last night. It's sad to see the trip come to an end. We covered a lot of territory. Mom finally got to return to Europe.
Update on My Knee
My knee just has a couple of scrapes on it. It does hurt when I go up and down the stairs, like it's bruised though.
Blog
I went to update the blog again, and people were having issues logging on. Some smarty pants set the home page to some Bikini home page. Luckily, I'm the trouble-shooter and was able to work around it. I let everyone check their e-mails and print off their boarding passes before me.
Then, time to finish packing!
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