Last Christmas I was in Florida, now I'm in Hamburg with Someone Special

Fortunately one of my favorite Christmas songs is also beloved by German radio.
Click here to listen (and watch a cheesy video as an added bonus!).

Happy Holidays!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

There are more than a dozen Weihnachtsmaerkte in Hamburg. Instead of blogging I've been visiting them, sampling the Gluehwein (hot, mulled red wine), Schmalzgebäck (fried dough with powdered sugar), Mandeln (almonds), and Maronen (chestnuts), while freezing my ass off. Good times. Hope you are all getting into the holiday spirit.

More Sites

And we're back to our Egypt programming....with the Temple of Hatshepsut, named after Egypt's only woman pharaoh. The limestone cliffs surrounding the three-terraced structure creates a dramatic view.

We also went to the Valley of the Kings, where King Tut (in addition to other royalty) lies. Tut's tomb was discovered in 1922 and it was only recently (within that last two months or so) that they revealed Tut's mummified body, allowing visitors to see his face and feet. And, yes, we paid the extra few bucks to sneak a peek.

Next up was Medinat Habu, where the engravings were carved noticeably deeper into the stone, compared to what we had seen up to that point.

We were growing tired, but there was more to see....we went to the Colossi of Memnon -- the only things left of an ancient temple. (Note the person between the figures, to get a sense of scale).

After going to these ancient sites, we stopped by a tourist trap, er, i mean, alabaster factory to see how vases and figurines are made.

There was also a "soper" market.

And then there was much welcomed peace and relaxation.

B is for Bettina

Last week I got to see Bettina in her hometown of Vechelde, about 2.5 hours south of Hamburg by trian. It was wonderful spending time with her, meeting her parents, and seeing where she grew up.

We made a quick trip to Braunschweig, where we visited the Weihnachtsmarkt and enjoyed coffee and cake at a new cafe in the recently rebuilt Schloss.

I unfortunately didn't take any photos of the two of us, but here is a nice portrait of the beautiful Bettina herself.

Egypt will be back after these messages...

I can't let too many days pass without mentioning St. Nikolaus Tag, a holiday celebrated on December 6. On the 5th, as tradition requires, I obediently put my shoe by the front door to await a visit from old St. Nick.

I was not disappointed -- my shoe was filled with chocolates, a calling card, and a sweater. (Okay, so the sweater was next to the footwear, not in it.) Sweet. Thanks, Mom....I mean, St. Nick.

Dress Like an Egyptian

After a few hours cruising up the Nile and enjoying drinks on the upper deck, we reached the first of several temples we'd visit during our stay in Egypt.

Named Kom Ombo, this was the only temple we visited at night. A stunning introduction to Egyptian culture, the temple included mummified crocodiles (fitting, since half the temple is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god) and what is considered the first engravings of medical instruments (perfect for the many doctors on the trip).


After the one-hour tour, we headed back to the cruise ship....but not before purchasing some sweet galabayas for the evening's party. Here are Chris and Jad decked out in their finest selections.

And here are the newly-weds surrounded by friends and family. The night's festivities included a belly dancing competition (which, thankfully, I did not have to participate in) and general fun and merriment.

And then it was up early the next morning to visit temple #2 -- the Temple of Horus at Edfu.

Built between 237 and 57 BCE, it stands today as one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. The many engravings tell a rich story of early Egyptian culture, despite the fact many of the figures and inscriptions were defaced by Christians who inhabited the temple hundreds of years later and considered the work pagan.

No more galabayas, but I promise more temples to come...

Highlight Reel Day 3

The next day we were up bright and early to catch a charter flight to Abu Simbel, flying south across the landscape.

You can see here how the Nile's surrounding land benefits from the river's resources before giving way to desert sands.

Then we got to Lake Nassar, which at 500 miles long is the world's largest man-made lake.

The temples at Abu Simbel, originally carved out of the rock in the 13 century BC, overlook this lake, impressing and intimidating visitors who arrive to Egypt from the south.

The archeological site is comprised of two temples -- one as a monument to Pharaoh Ramesses II and the other to his queen Nefertari (though, frankly, Nefertari is completely overshadowed and outnumbered in representation at "her" monument by her husband).

After a few hours and lunch at this site, we hopped back on the plane for a 20-minute trip to Aswan to catch our cruise.

The newly-married couple, along with our group of just under 100, received a warm greeting at the dock -- more dancing, singing, clapping, and music.


And then it was time to set sail!

Highlight Reel, Day 1/2

When in Rome.... Of course I had to smoke some apple-flavored sheesha while meeting up with the beautiful bride the evening before the big day.

And then it was Saturday. Let the festivities begin. The wedding was at the Manyal Palace, which boasted a lavish garden that made for an enchanted setting. My pictures cannot do it justice.

The pre-ceremony reception was in this opulent building.


The remainder of the wedding took place outside. Here is the OHS crew awaiting the arrival of the couple, who would walk down the red carpet to drums, tambourines, belly dancing, clapping, and singing.

And here they are. They were gorgeous and all smiles.


After excitedly following the couple along the red carpet we turned the corner to this:


An amazing setting amongst lit rubber trees and a starry sky. My camera sucks at night shots, so this picture is really bad and can't capture the atmosphere of the evening.

There was dancing (lots of it!) on the humongous dance floor; an awesome DJ rocked the music while a saxophonist sweetened the tunes.

So many people came to Egypt to partake in this wonderful celebration of marriage and it was great to experience such joy and happiness in this magical place.

And so the adventures began.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a delicious Thanksgiving, complete with turkey, stuffing, friends, and football. I was packing on that Thursday for a week of activities in Egypt....little did I know what adventures awaited me in this enchanted land.

I'm back now, after an amazing 8 days filled with wedding festivities, galabayas, temples, hieroglyphics, crazy Cairo traffic, sheesha/shisha, the leisurely Nile, and so much more than I can mention right now. I'll share more about the trip (including photos) soon.

Hope you are well.

Puffy Coat in Full Effect

While I was able to boast about the wonderful long daylight hours during the summer, I can now moan that dusk is around 5pm and it's pitch black by 6. But I guess it's only fair. (And by the way, the fair does not only come around once a year here in Hamburg. They build it up for our enjoyment four times annually. But I digress.)

The days have not only gotten shorter, but also colder, as demonstrated by the resurrection of the puffy coat. I first got the puffy coat back in February and wearing it again reminds me of the passage of time, the seasons beginning once again, and as the Lion King/Elton John would sing, the Circle of Life.

Here I am wearing the puffy coat in Frankfurt with Ajay (who, if I may suggest, was not as equipped for the dropping temperatures :)). But, anyway, we had a good time nonetheless. Hakuna Matata.

Ni hao. Welcome to Germany.

On the train to Frankfurt, after having to kick them out of our seats, we had a nice exchange with a group of Chinese tourists. First we explained the seat reservation system to them, since the group of 13 kept on sitting in reserved seats and then had to move when the passenger with the reservation arrived. (Turns out they even had a reservation -- two cars down. Oh well.) The funniest was when they asked us how Germans spend their Sundays. They noted, "you don't work, the shops are closed, what do you do?" We mentioned a few of our pastimes -- reading, going for a walk, spending time with family -- to which they inquired, "do you climb mountains?" Um, no. We don't climb mountains on Sundays.

Land of Lebkuchen

I spent a lovely weekend in Nuernberg, a city 4.5 hours (via train) south of Hamburg that's famous for its delicious Lebkuchen (similar to gingerbread) and annual Christmas market.


On the way back on Sunday we made a slight detour to Frankfurt, where Ajay had just arrived that morning. We met at the train station in "Mainhatten" -- Frankfurt is nicknamed as such because of its status as Germany's financial capital and for the fact that it is one of only four European cities with a significant number of skyscrapers (and the Main is the river that runs through it). We spent a few hours at local cafes/restaurants, with plenty of time for a cold Hefeweizen and a Wiener Schnitzel.

Cultural Difference No. 39

I was at school when a classmate and teacher asked me if I folded or scrunched up the toilet paper in preparation for its use. Apparently they were discussing some research that indicated while Germans fold their TP, Americans scrunch it up. I am exactly as I should be: German American.

Long Weekend Coming Up?

Budget Travel reports that visiting Hamburg is a real deal in the next coming months, with flight and hotel ringing up at less than $600 for a quick three-night stay. (On my student budget this doesn't seem like something too spectacular, but I draw it to the attention of you big money-making peeps.)

The Max for the Minimum

J-Posh here. I'm on my way to the brand, spanking new TK Maxx. It just opened here in Hamburg about a week ago. It's funny, a few months after I moved here -- tired of shopping at H&M, Zara, and other European stores (yes, it happens that fast!) -- I thought I could use a TJ Maxx, a store that's completely hit or miss, but you're pretty sure you won't see every other person on the street wearing the same thing. And here it is. The Max for the Minimum. Sweet.

I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want

A week ago I was sitting in a hair salon noticing that I actually might look my age (gasp!). I'm also noticing how ridiculous it is that I just showed the stylist a homemade collage of Posh Spice pictures as a show-and-tell of how I would like my hair cut.

Despite my visual cues, I don't think my haircut is exactly Victoria Beckham. Nonetheless, it's not bad.

A few days later I'm at a cafe and the woman who owns it, a family acquaintance, notices my new do and proclaims it so "American." I am not sure what is American about it, but her statement seems to be an open invitation for other customers to comment on my hair. So a woman starts to look. And says..."well, I think it's more British than American. Victoria Beckham is starting this trend." She continues rambling about how America proclaims everything British as their own, but I am just amazed that maybe my haircut is kind of like Posh. Rock on.

Distinctions

The One Who Shall Not Be Named (TOWSNBN) refutes my "undistinctive Hamburg" comments and suggests that the Harbor and the Alster make Hamburg unique, special...and distinctive. When he asked me to name another city that has a lake smack in the middle of it, I fumbled and guessed...Salt Lake City? (Nice try, right? But, sorry, no lake according to Google Maps.) Okay, I give in. TOWSNBN has a point. The Harbor and Alster are incredible. At night the lights at the Harbor spectacularly set the docks aglow. White sail boats punctuate the blue expanse of the two lakes during sunny days.

But I stand by pretentious.

At least for now.

Where Am I?

The Blue Period is over. A new blog has begun.

Arial is being phased out. Say hello to Trebuchet.

More changes to come...when I can find time to do some design work on this thing (right now my creative energies are focused on designing a cookbook, CD covers, and condom packaging, among other things. The blog's design is not widdling its way to the top of my priority list somehow).

Otherwise, I'll still be posting my ever so informative and entertaining posts. Don't go away.

Word

My sister sent me the fantastic book Eat, Pray, Love, and I've been burying my nose in it every chance I've had this past week and a half. Sometimes it's like I'm reading my own thoughts. The rest of the time it just makes me think. Like the part when the author is talking with an Italian friend about how the essence of a city or place can be summed up in one word. The two decide that Rome's word is "sex." They go on to give other cities their words: the Vatican is "power;" New York is "achieve;" Los Angeles is "succeed."

I thought about the places I've lived and what word would best define or describe them. Washington, DC, was easy: "networking." Whether it's someone running for political office, a lobbyist, a fundraiser, a pr professional, or simply a young single person, to me the people in DC are always looking to make connections or meet people.

Richmond could be "charm." It's southern, it's sunny, it's easy, but still has some edge, a good arts scene, and tons of independent shops/restaurants/endeavors. It's got great neighborhoods, river access, and outdoor activities. It's simply a charming place to live.

The word that kept coming up in my mind about Hamburg was "pretentious." Granted, I haven't lived here a long time, but this is how I experience it. It's subtle (which I guess is the opposite of the word's definition). Maybe it's more like "quiet snobbery," but that's two words so doesn't count. There's just something about this city that's, well, pretentious. There's nothing about Hamburg that's particularly distinctive (except maybe the harbor industry), but it's generally tidy, clean, organized (this is Germany, remember?), beautiful, green, cultured, active. It's business and leisure, it's city and state, it has waterfront property (lots of it), it's expensive and it's wealthy. In fact, it's Germany's wealthiest city.

Don't get me wrong, I like Hamburg. It has a lot to offer. I like the waterfront/harbor areas, which are really engaged in city life and not blank voids/dividers like the majority of the Potomac in DC/VA. I love the parks. I enjoy the museums, the food, the cake, the people. But I can't seem to get beyond the word "pretentious." For those of you who have been here, am I totally off? What do you think?

What word do you have for your hometown?

Anja Meet Anja

And so the afternoon began, with Mom Anja meeting the newest addition to the family, little Anja. And in case you are calculating how many months its been since I moved to Germany (ahem...nine)....

I put any rumors to rest. Little Anja belongs to my cousin Jenny and she also has a very cute brother, Finn (age 2).

But that doesn't mean I can't push the baby carriage. I can. And my cousin Mimi's son Kyld can give me rabbit ears. It's okay. I don't mind.

The rest of the gang is taking it easy -- cousins Jenny, Eno, and Mimi are sans kids for once. Eno says, please, no pictures. But Ursula strikes a pose.

And cutie-pa-tootie Finn will smile for the camera too.

Awwww!

You mean R&B?

I was in Germany's equivalent to Best Buy browsing the music selection (not that I buy CDs anymore, but I digress) when next to the Pop section and in between the German-Hits category I stumbled upon the area designated for "Black Music." Yes, there was a sign that said "Black Music." I kid you not. That's their way of categorizing together some of my favorite genres: hip hop, rap, and R&B. It definitely surprised me. I'm not sure what to make of it quite yet -- is it culturally insensitive, politically incorrect, or even just plain incorrect? Or is this how German/European shoppers best understand the music and can relate to its heritage, even though the artists are not necessarily African-American?

Odds & Ends

This is my 101th post. The fall season is in fall swing, the leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and my winter coat is back from the dry cleaner and being put to good use. It's freakin' cold here. And because Germans are thrifty, the heat is hardly turned on anywhere. I sleep with three clothing layers, two comforters, and a blanket. I hear in DC it's still in the 80s. Considering I only wore shorts three times this year (one time being in February in Tenerife, which doesn't count), DC sounds like paradise to me right now. A week ago I was talking to Nina and she turned her air conditioning down during our conversation. I was sitting there wrapped in a wool blanket. A few days ago my mom asked me if I was cold because my lips were blue. Yes, mom, I am cold.

Today I went to the gym after a multiple week hiatus and I was warm for about a nanosecond afterwards. I even cracked open the window a bit as I made my way home. The gym is the only place it will ever be hot indoors here in Germany. Apparently they are too thrifty to turn on air conditioning or fans, so there are tons of people working out, with no air circulation. I sweat a lot, so it makes me think I am doing a really strenuous workout. But if I'm honest it's only because the place is 90 degrees. They are also too thrifty to turn on the lights. They've got a late night lounge atmosphere going on, the lights are so dim. They say they are being environmentally conscious and don't want to waste energy, but they are probably skimping on electricity so they can use our 70-100 euros monthly dues for some really good staff parties. Who knows.

On other news, the movie Helvetica was really interesting. But I don't think you guys are really into fonts, so I won't bore you with more details. Oh, but I will say that one of my favorite quotes of the evening was from the guy who lectured beforehand about his 138,000+ font collection -- he said men with hobbies are harmless. I thought about it and I agree.

For some reason, an unusual amount of people are arriving at my blog from searching "i miss you like the deserts miss the rain." Who knew that phrase/song was so intriguing to people.

Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying the fall season -- autumn scents, pumpkins, hiking, oranges/reds/yellows, football, and everything else associated with this time of year.

This Land is Your Land

I just finished reading Bill Bryson's hilarious The Lost Continent, a travelogue of his 38-state journey across America in a creaking Chevette. It's actually packed with educational information (like that the Great Lakes -- equaling about the size of the U.K. -- form the largest expanse of fresh water on Earth), but his anecdotes were what made me laugh out loud...and awakened a sense of nostalgia.

Maybe I liked it so much because I am so far away from home and all that he writes about, but I recommend it nonetheless for anyone who wants a fun, breezy read and some good laughs.

36 Hours

The New York Times has a great "36 Hours" series where they suggest a 36-hour itinerary in a specific city. Thanks for passing along the October 7th article on Hamburg, Jamie. I will have to take them up on their suggestions. And I invite you to do the same!

From The New York Times:

36 Hours in Hamburg
"HAMBURG, the maritime and media center of Germany, is a city of jarring juxtapositions. The industrial waterfront heaves with rusty docks, while its center is filled with emerald parks, blue lakes and cream-colored villas. Sex workers ply their trade along the neon-lit Reeperbahn, while old-money families have made this Baroque port into Germany's richest city. And despite playing second fiddle to the cultural juggernaut that is Berlin, Hamburg breeds its own brand of the cosmopolitan cool — with a large Turkish population, gay enclaves and fashion centers — who mingle at chichi restaurants and steamy underground clubs. Where else but this high-low metropolis can you window-shop for Cartier diamond necklaces during the day and slum it with punk rockers at night?"

Design in Hamburg

Hamburg's second design festival starts tomorrow, with a week of exhibitions, open houses, lectures, seminars, and other events, on all things design (fashion, furniture, product design, communication design, architecture, etc.). Our classes have been cancelled for a few days so that we can participate in the various activities and I promise to do at least one thing (the ambitious person that I am). Next week I'm going to a screening of Helvetica, a documentary that uses a single typeface as a springboard to explore the past 50 years of graphic design and our "global visual culture." I'm really looking forward to it, as I've been itching to see this film for a while.

In case you are wondering, Helvetica is a sans-serif font similar to Arial (the typeface I use for the body text of my blog) that grew immensely popular in the 1960s. You have probably seen it numerous times today -- on everyday signs that say No Loitering, Push/Pull, Exit, Ladies/Men, etc.. Otherwise, think of Toyota, Panasonic, the Gap, or Lufthansa -- these companies all use Helvetica to represent their brands. The font is either praised for its clean, crisp lines and modern aesthetic or blasted for being "bland, unadventurous, and unambitious" (ueberfamous graphic designer Neville Brody).

Okay, because I should know that a picture is worth a thousand words, why don't I just show you.

Subway sign in New York City:

Poster for the film:

Now that you know more than you ever wanted to about Helvetica, what say you? Universally appealing or standardly boring?

Promoting Stereotypes

I found the list below on Facebook (which I am now mildly addicted to, thanks a lot!). The items in bold I find particularly funny and/or true.

--

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GERMAN IF....

You separate your trash into more than five different bins.
Your front door has a sign with your family name made from salt dough.
You carry a "4You" backpack.
You eat a cold dinner at 6pm.
You call your cell phone "handy" and a projector "beamer".
You have no problems with nude beaches and saunas.
You have asked your Asian-American friend, "No, but where are you *really* from?"
You have gotten splinters from environmentally friendly toiled paper.
You call an afternoon stroll "Nordic Walking".
You are shocked when you have to pay for dental care.
You own a pair of jeans in a color other than blue.
People start talking about Hitler and Hofbräuhaus when you tell them where you're from.
Tenth grade was all about dancing lessons.
You work 40 hour weeks and have 6 weeks of vacation a year, but complain about hard times.
Your childhood diet consisted of Alete and Zwieback. Your college diet consisted of Miracoli and Döner.
You were educated about sex by Dr. Sommer.
You yell at people for jaywalking.
You grew up watching "Löwenzahn" and "Die Sendung mit der Maus". And Baywatch.
You think college tuition is an outrage. [JN note: they just instituted a 500 euro/per semester tuition fee last year or something and indeed people are outraged. 500 euro. that might buy you one credit of a three-credit course at a private university in the States.]
You routinely go 100mph on the highway and tailgate heavily.
On your last day of high school you made your teachers sing Karaoke and jump through hoops.
You wear brown leather shoes.
Your first audio tape was Benjamin Blümchen and Bibi Blocksberg.
You have ended an English sentence with "..., or?".
You can tell at least one Manta joke.
You're a college student in your 11th year.
Your first sexual experience was on Sat1, Saturday night at 11pm.
You spent hours in school learning to pronounce "th".
You expect chocolate in your shoes on December 6th.
You complain that in other countries everything is dirty.

October 3rd

Tomorrow, October 3, is the "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" -- the national holiday celebrating Germany's reunification in 1990.

Brief background from wikipedia:

"An alternative choice [for the day of German unity] would have been the day the Berlin Wall came down, namely November 9, 1989, which coincided with the anniversary of the founding of the first real German Republic in 1918 and the defeat of Hitler's first coup in 1923; however November 9 was also the anniversary of the first large-scale Nazi-led pogroms against Jews in 1938 (so called Kristallnacht), and the day was thus considered inappropriate as a national holiday. [Um, yeah.] Therefore, October 3, 1990, the day of formal reunion was chosen instead.

Before reunification, in Western Germany the "Day of German Unity" was June 17; this was an interpretation of a failed 1953 revolt staged by East German workers mainly against a raise in work quotas. The revolt was crushed with Soviet aid; the exact number of fatalities is unknown, but estimated at somewhat above 100. In East Germany, the national holiday was October 7, being called Day of the Republic (Tag der Republik)."

So, yeah, we get the day off. Wohoo!

Go Ladies!

Since Germany's men's team didn't win the World Cup soccer title, Germany's women's team did. ;) They beat Brazil 2 to 0 today, defending their title. For all you across the ocean, at least America won third. :)

Strange Phenomenon

Yesterday during class we practiced elevator pitches, an exercise in persuasion in which we had to sell our creative idea to a fictitious CEO of an advertising agency.

In several instances, I played the CEO. Interestingly, the first time I did, I pictured myself as a man. In my head I was playing a male CEO. It was so strange. I didn't notice it until I sat down and thought, wait, why was I imagining myself as a man? The funny thing is that Jessie, who was pitching her idea to me, imagined me as a man, as well. In her mind, she was selling her idea to a guy.

It certainly surprised me that my mind worked in this way, as I of course think women are fully capable of holding top positions. I guess it shows how much society shapes my thinking. I poked around a bit and found that in 2006 there were only 13 women CEOs among Fortune 500 companies; 20 in the top 1000. If I am not seeing or hearing about women in executive positions (and movies and tv series certainly underscore this reality), maybe it's no wonder that I'm less inclined to picture a woman in the top, managing role. And, in this case, less likely to even play one myself.

The Tribe Has Spoken

Enough about 'high art,' this is about Survivor. You know, the show that was popular back in 2000 (sorry, J-Ho). Germany isn't afraid to copy. I was flipping through the channels last night and got caught on the German version which is called, coincidentally, Survivor.

And is exactly the same. Even the host is Jeff Probst-esque.

Speciman A:


Specimen B:

Call me Slacker

So I haven't written in a while...but not because I'm slacking....but because I have a busy schedule this semester. In an effort to save some time and money (because, let's face it, I'm not a young sprout any longer and my money tree is growing at a slower rate than usual), I am trying to complete the second and third semester curricula simultaneously. I hope I can hammer it out. It's only until February, so that light at the end of the tunnel should keep me going.

So, otherwise....I wanted to follow up on the Documenta. I intentionally posted the pictures without any explanation (I told you I'm not slacking!), as it mirrored our experience of the gigantic, five-building exhibition. All of the objects were shown without labels and it wasn't until we bought the catalogue -- basically the label text -- for 35 euros that we got a better understanding of the work's and the artist's intentions/meanings. In the late afternoon we participated in an exhibition tour of one space, which greatly increased the value of the experience. Because, seriously, without commentary it was extremely difficult to fully appreciate the works outside of their aesthetic appeal or form...even for someone with a minor in art history who has worked in the museum field and regularly visits museums. And, yes, that would be me.

I will write more about each individual photo later (with the excpetion of photo one which is obviously just me standing in front of a documenta sign...though the signs would be worth commenting on...they were easily transportable (light) and really cheaply made. The fact that they weren't afraid to show their cheapness contributed to their success, in my opinion.) -- because now I really am slacking.

Peace out.

Documenting Documenta

Map Quest

When I couldn't accurately recall the state capital of America's sunshine state -- Florida -- I decided it was time I start studying my geography again.

This now accompanies me on my metro rides:


A few minutes here and there really help.

Documenta in Kassel

This weekend we're heading to documenta 12, supposedly regarded as the most important exhibition of contemporary art in the world. It only comes around every five years -- always in Kassel, Germany -- so I figured I wouldn't wait until 2012 since I'm here in Germany now.

Questions this year's installment poses for art and its public:

Is humanity able to recognize a common horizon beyond all differences? Is art the medium for this knowledge?

What constitutes life, when everything is subtracted which does not belong essentially to life? Does art help us to penetrate to what is essential?

What is to be done, what do we have to learn in order to cope intellectually and spiritually with globalisation? Is that a question of aesthetic education and cultivation?

Interesting stuff. I'll let you know of any answers we discover.

Say Cheese!

Posing for the camera.

Okay, let's be serious.

Back to Miniatur Wunderland (they wanted to go!!!).

Feeding the elephants.

Go HSV! (Final score: Hamburg 4, Budapest 0).