Places I Did Not Expect to Be 24 Hours Ago:

Peter’s Laptop,

The Desk,

The Pepperland,

The University of Chicago.

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It happened like this:

Rainstorms enwreath Chicago. My plane out of Raleigh sits on the tarmac for a few hours. Babies cry, the women next to me loudly wish for free alcohol, but instead take muscle relaxers. We arrive at O’Hare at 11 pm, and I’ve missed my 10 o’clock flight to Heathrow. Not that this is bothersome. It’s an adventure. I’ll get there.

“We’ve got rooms for you at a reduced rate of $70 at the Marriott in Rolling Hills, and there’s a shuttle that’ll take you there. Or, there are cots set up by gate K.”

“I’ll just stick around here, I guess.”

“Really? Until 5 pm tomorrow?”

Cut to: Calling my parents. Is it okay if I spend that much for a night? 

Answer: Caroline, there is no way you can stay awake until 5 pm tomorrow – and there’s no way you can keep yourself safe and your things safe if you’re asleep.

She has a point.

Retrieve from back of mind a passing thought from a few hours ago: “I’ll be in Chicago, and so is Peter. I owe him a phone call, and it’ll just be a quick – hey, geographical proximity! - of a greeting.”

This evolves into more of a hey, geographical proximity (I’m stranded (save me?)) when the call was made. The hint was picked up! (“Are you sure you’re not in the middle of something?” “No. Yes. I’m sure.”)

Unexpected!

One hour of peoplewatching in the pickup lane later, up comes an ‘84 Oldsmobile (“I’ve got to tell you, it’s the best car ever.” “Okay.”) driven by none other than Peter “Peter Smutko” Smutko, accompanied by Jim Morrison, and we are off.

Cut to: driving to the outskirts of Chicago by accident, what for the distraction of conversation

Cut to: disc golfing around UChicago until 3 in the morning

Cut to: the wonderfully dirty apartment, full of liquor and things nailed to the wall and dirty dishes and the frisbee team.

I am so, so, pleased.

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Scene of the morning:

Nearly falling to my death, getting out of bed, scrounging for a mug and then drinking 4 or 5 cups of Earl Grey, emailing FUBIS and my Gastmutter in broken German about my delay – Entshuldigung, aber ich wird spat sein, wondering the whereabouts of a) the bathroom and b) Peter. The breeze coming in the window, meeting the roommates and learning about how to sneak in to the apartment sans keys.

Leaving a note and going on a walk.

Swedepopophilia and Ultima Thule

This album is killingly good. If the sweet-but-not-too, gentle-but-not-boring, catchy-but-not-obnoxious pop that is the Mark of the Swede could kill, that is.

AND

I believe it no coincidence that swedish bike-cases fit so perfectly into swedish cars.

in which I call Germany for the first time

after several misdials, long, low beeps.

is that… what is that? the phones ring like that?

and then, the voicemail message. All I caught was, “Danke, Tchuss!”

“Hallo… Frau Schnabel… Ich bin Caroline Fryar, deine Gaststudentin…”

what else? say something else!

“Ich wurde mit Ihnen sprechen…”

something else!

“So… ich wird ruf zuruck. an.”

hang up.

“Goddammit Jesus Christ.”

all coming together.

dear alex, i finally spent your gift certificate.

ABGESCHICKT: EIN BREIF

this is what my german family knows about me:

What I look like:

Meine Familienmitglieder / My family members

James Fryar	Vater
Kathleen Gibson	Mütter
Charlotte Fryar	Schwester – 15
Elizabeth Fryar	Schwester – 11

Haben Sie Allergien (auf Haustiere etc.)? / Do you have any allergies (to pets, etc.)? Nein.

Gibt es medizinische Besonderheiten zu beachten? / Do you have any medical concerns? Nein.

Rauchen Sie? / Do you smoke? nein

Wohnen Sie lieber bei Nichtrauchern? Do you prefer to live with non-smokers? ja

Auf welchem Sprachniveau befinden Sie sich? / What is your German level? Mittelstufe 1

Wie würden Sie sich beschreiben? Bitte nennen Sie bis zu 5 Adjektive / Eigenschaften.Please describe yourself? Name up to 5 adjectives / characteristics.

Aktiv, ruhig, frölich, interessiert, intelligent. (Active, Quiet, Happy, Interested, Intelligent)

Was erwarten Sie vom Aufenthalt in einer Gastfamilie? / What do you expect from a stay with a host family?

Ich erwarte normale Dinge: ein Zimmer und Bett, Bad und Essen (velleicht Fruhstück und Abendessen, ich meine?). Ich hoffe meine Gastfamilie können mir mit meinem Deutsch helfen – ich Erwarte meine Sprache wird besser sein. Velleicht wir können spazieren in Berlin gehen, und die Museen und die Garten von Berlin sehen. Ich würde sprechen oft mit meine Gastfamilie, und Zeit zu Hause spenden.

(I expect normal things: a room and bed, bath and food (perhaps breakfast and dinner, I guess?). I hope my host family can help me with my German – I expect my speaking will be better. Perhaps we can go walking in Berlin, and see the Museums and Gardens of Berlin. I would speak often with my host family, and spend time at home.)

Stellen Sie sich Ihrer Gastfamilie auf dieser Seite vor (Hobbys, Interessen, Familie, Herkunft, etc.). Schreiben Sie so viele Sätze wie möglich in deutscher Sprache. On the page below, please write a letter introducing yourself to your host family. Please use as much German as possible (hobbies, interests, family, origin, etc.).

Hallo neue Gastfamilie!
Danke, am ersten, für meine Gastfamilie sein. Ich hoffe ich wird ein guter Gast sein.

(Hello new host family! Thank you, first of all, for being my host family. I hope I will be a good guest.)

Ich heiße Caroline Fryar. Ich bin 19 Jahre alt, aber ich werde 20 in Juli, und so wird einen Deutsche Geburtstag haben.

Es gibt 5 Personen in meine Familie – meine Eltern und zwei kleine Schwestern. Jeder Tochter hat eine Katze, auch. Meine Mütter, Kathleen, ist eine Arztin, und mein Vater, James, arbeitet mit Computern (Informatiker?). Meine Schwestern und ich sind musikalisch – ich spiele die Geige, Charlotte spielt den Cello, und Elizabeth spielt die Klavier. (Die Katzen spielen mit Vogeln).

(I am named Caroline Fryar. I am 19 years old, but I will be 20 in July, and so will have a German birthday. There are 5 people in my family – my parents and two little sisters. Every daughter has a Cat, also. My mother, Kathleen, is a Doctor, and my father, James, works with computers (Computer Scientist?). My sisters and I are musical – I play the violin, Charlotte plays the Cello, and Elizabeth plays the piano. (The cats play with birds.).

Ich wohne in Chapel Hill, und war da geboren. Es ist eine kleine Stadt – die Universität ist der größten Teil der Stadt. Die Stadt ist im Süden – so es ist heiß, und regent jeden Tag im Sommer.

(I live in Chapel Hill, and was born there. It is a small city – the University is the biggest part of the town. The city is in the South – so it is hot, and rains every day in the summer).

Ich interessiere mich für Geschichte und Literatur, und mein Hauptfach ist Klassik. Ich läufe und schwimme gern, aber ich liebe meinen Fahrrad am meisten. Ich denke ich wird es zu Deutschland bringen mit. Ich stricke und koche gern, auch (Hoffentlich ich kann deutsche Essen zu kochen lernen). Ich gehe spazieren gern und oft, und freue mich auf in Berlin sein.
Danke weider, Und ich wird Sie in Berlin sehen,
Caroline

(I am interested in History and Literature, and my major is Classics. I like to run and swim, but I love my bicycle the most. I think I will bring it with me to Germany. I like to knit and cook, also (hopefully I can learn to cook german food). I like to go walking and do it often, and am looking forward to being in Berlin. Thanks again, and I will see you in Berlin, Caroline).

______________________________________

I hope they like me.

RESERVIERT: EIN ZIMMER IN WEIN

This is where I’ll be, from July 28th to August 2nd. It’s owned by Wake Forest, which allows employees, alumni, and students to visit. Lucky for me.

and at $80 a night, that’s $300 cheaper than anywhere else in Vienna.

The trick, of course, will be getting there. And getting back.

ALSO, new sweater.

the best part are the unmatching sparkle-buttons:

Nice nice nice.

dispatches from the morning drive

1) the unfortunate choice: to hit an opossum, or a school bus? I chose the opossum, but, still.

2) the emotionally restorative power of mid-nineties lesbian folk-rock on the adult “cool music for your work day” contemporary station. Julie Goldman was right about that.

3) my name is only one letter different from “caroling,” an activity I never have done.

4) I’ve been listening to this song more than I ought to admit.

5) Am making this blanket for my German host family. The thinking is, “I need a thanks-for-keeping-me gift (not really a hostess gift, at this point), Germany is cold, I love knitting, everyone in the world likes a warm blanket.”

“Ich habe fur sie eine Decke gestrickt!”

Today is yarn-shopping day.

important things.

1) the Chevy pickup truck I drove behind, yesterday, with the license plate GENLEE3. Does that mean General Lee the Third? Are the Second and First sitting at home in the driveway?

2) Irma Goldberg, Elizabeth’s piano teacher: “Standards have relaxed too much.” pause. “But people who mean business still adhere to the old standards.” If ever there was a stare that could transfix, it was hers.

adventures in domesticity

This amazing wild-rice-and-mushroom soup was the name of the game, yesterday.

Whereas today, it’s been all about finishing the sweater.

I’m pretty proud.

in love so hard.

this sweater:

Stripes! Green! The most beautiful yarn in the world!

I want to make 10.