looking at the stars

Hello all! Chad is in study-mode for law school exams, so I’m taking a turn at the blog this week. So far Chad has finished three exams, and I think they were far less stressful than their US equivalents! It’s a busy time for me as well, although I can relax a little now that I’ve opened Ariadne auf Naxos at the Hamburg Opera! The show was a big success, and I had a fantastic time singing the role of Zerbinetta again (my first time singing the role was in France, back in February of 2011). Sometimes it’s nice to sing a role that doesn’t require me to go crazy and die! I’ve met some wonderful people at the opera house in Hamburg, and am looking forward to my next two performances already! 

I’m actually on the train to Hamburg as I write this. Good thing I like trains, because over the next couple of weeks I’ll be taking a multitude of train rides. I had to go back to Frankfurt on Sunday, because I started rehearsals for the opera Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar) on Monday morning. I’m singing the role of Cleopatra, which means I really need to finally watch the Elizabeth Taylor movie! I saw some drawings of my costumes for the show, and they look pretty spectacular. The whole production is going to be lots of fun, since so many of my friends have roles in it! It’s always nice when that happens. The show opens December 2nd, so we get a lot of time for rehearsal. 

Chad finishes his exams on Friday, and then we’ll go back to Frankfurt together. He gets a week of vacation between sessions, and he seems to actually want to spend his vacation with me! The university in Hamburg is organizing a trip for all the exchange students, but Chad’s opting out. I’ve promised him a trip somewhere special during Christmas, so hopefully that’ll make up for it. 

I’m sorry that there aren’t pictures this week. We kept forgetting the camera. However, I did take this picture with my phone. This is at one of the subway stations in Hamburg, and we have no idea why it’s there, but I really like it! It reminded Chad and I of that Pixar short before the movie Brave.

Well, my train is about to reach Hamburg, so it’s time to pack up! Have a wonderful week!

Tour de Drew

Hey all! It's me again. You know, the guy who has been outsourcing his blog duties on a regular basis. Wasn't last week's entry great? Drew was the first guest contributor to the blog, and I think she did a great job. Drew will have to come visit us in Germany more often so she can make more excellent blog contributions. And speaking of her visit, Brenda and I had a wonderful time with Drew while she was here. Below are a few pictures we took during her visit:

Two Saturdays ago Brenda, Drew and I went with Marlar and her friend, Birgit, to an apple orchard just outside of Frankfurt. We tried some of their food and beverages (the onion cake and apple wine were both hits) and also took a stroll around the turnip fields nearby. I had no idea that turnips got that big! 

The next day Marlar and Florian invited us over for a homemade apple cake (with apples bought the day before) made by Marlar herself. It was delicious. In this picture Brenda and I were entertaining ourselves before the cake was served.

I went up to Hamburg shortly after finishing my apple cake, and Brenda and Drew joined me on Monday. Right after they arrived we had a coffee date with friends of Drew and Brenda's. The coffee date was a surprise, because it just so happened that a couple who Brenda and Drew know from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Appleton were in Germany visiting one of the exchange students (Juliane) that they hosted. Juliane and Brenda have kept in touch since their high school days, and we have seen Juliane several times since moving to Germany.

Us, Juliane and the Calhans

 Drew and Brenda posing for a photo in front of the Binnenalster.

A few days later, Brenda, Drew and I hopped on one of the city ferries and took a ride on the Elbe. It was a great way to see a new part of Hamburg. Actually, I saw a lot of new things in Hamburg while Drew was here. I need more visitors so I can see more of the city!

Drew and me on a boat.

As you may recall from last week's post, Brenda is jumping in at the opera house in Hamburg. It's just fantastic news all around. Brenda is getting to sing a role she loves at a house she's never sung at before, and I get to spend more time with her. Win-win. 

 The Hamburgische Staatsoper

I forgot to mention that Drew made it back home safe and sound, although there was some issue during her layover that forced her to spend the night in Canada. I told her she shouldn't try to take 40 pounds of German gummy candies into the US, but she wouldn't listen. By the way, extra special thanks to Drew, who gets credit for most of the photos in this blog entry.

I hope you all have a great week, and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!

Hamburg, City of Luck?

Hallo from Hamburg! This blog seems to be having an identity crisis, for this week, the author is Drew (aka twin #2!). I felt it was a pretty big honor to be trusted with this task, but the joyous look on both Brenda and Chad's faces inspires a bit of skepticism. Regardless, I am happy to be in charge of sharing the past week's excitement!

I'm going to report our most current events leading backwards to where Chad left you loyal blog followers last week. That way, I can share the very exciting news Brenda got today! While Chad, Brenda, and I were getting ready for the day at the apartment in Hamburg, Brenda got a call from her company in Frankfurt about a jump-in role at the Hamburg Opera! Brenda will start rehearsing on Thursday, with her first of three performances happening a week from Saturday. So our Frankfurt return plans have changed slightly and we are all staying in Hamburg until Friday! Chad is nice enough to share his Dachgeschoss until we all hop the train back to Frankfurt in time for me to pack my suitcase and fly to Minneapolis on Saturday.

After the initial excitement we all shared for Brenda (and after she got all the logistical details worked out), Chad went to class while Brenda and I explored Hamburg. Though I have had the pleasure of visiting Germany many times before, this is actually my first time in Hamburg! It is a beautiful city and I'm quite glad I get to stay an additional two nights to take in the sights. The weather was fickle today (pouring rain while the sun was shining, you know the deal), so while Chad was on a break between classes, we all enjoyed some coffee while looking out at Binnenalster, a lake originally made as a reservoir for a mill in the center of the city. The mill is long gone, but the view is great! The weather started behaving, so Chad led us back to his school, where I got a quick tour of the beautiful grounds and one of his classrooms, which Brenda and I left him at so he could continue to fill his head with knowledge (though I'm not sure that's a good idea - I've gone hat shopping with the guy, it's a full head, if you ask me!). Brenda and I took a wonderful stroll through Planten un Blomen, a vast park filled with many different gardens.

Fall colors were plentiful in Planten un Blomen and I couldn't be happier!

By the time Chad was done with class for the day, we had all worked up quite the appetite. Brenda and Chad had been telling me about the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, which is a very traditional Bavarian brewpub and restaurant, and it just so happens that there is one in Hamburg! We went and had a very filling meal complete with live polka music and large beers. It was great fun, though we couldn't help but feel that this place might be comparable to the Hard Rock Cafe in the States...

Chad is always trying new things...

The big glass (ein Mas, one liter!) held Dunkelbier, which Brenda and Chad both had. The middle one is half  a liter,  which held my alcohol-free beer (does the size-alcohol ratio really make sense?). And what was in the small glass? It held silverware, of course.

Before arriving in Hamburg, Brenda and I (and Chad over the weekend) had been spending lots of quality time together in Frankfurt. Chad was my date to the opera last Friday where we got to see Brenda sing Musetta in La Bohemè. Brenda, Chad and I spent the rest of the night with Ariane, a friend of theirs that I had met on previous trips. It was a fun night (see picture below)!

This picture made the blog cut because my photo loading capabilities were left in Frankfurt! Flattering, eh?

I still have a few nights left in Germany, so I'm sure Chad or Brenda will fill you in next week about the new adventures! It's been a pleasure sharing my Germany visit with you all! Let it be known that Brenda and Chad are the most fantastic hosts EVER!

I'll leave you with one of the many reasons I love Germany:

A tiny, three wheeled truck. I think I'll take it on the plane home as my carry-on!

Wo bin ich?

Greetings from Hamburg! Or am I in Frankfurt? The angled ceilings and cozy bed/living/office/kitchen room point to me being in Hamburg. And since Brenda isn't here I must not be in Frankfurt. It's going to be difficult to keep track of what city I'm in over the coming months because I will be taking so many trips to Frankfurt. In fact, I just got back to Hamburg on Sunday and will be heading to Frankfurt again on Thursday. I've been enjoying my time on trains; it's perfect for studying, and Germany has some beautiful countryside. I'm especially looking forward to going to Frankfurt this weekend because Brenda's sister arrived there yesterday. I know that she and Brenda are already having a great time together.

Unfortunately, Brenda and Drew have to share the apartment with guests that don't pay rent. Somehow wasps are getting into our apartment even though all of our windows are shut tight. We've been averaging 3-4 wasps per day, but so far today Brenda has had to "evict" 8 wasps. Luckily the wasps are slow moving, presumably because of the weather, and the eviction process hasn't been too difficult. Of course, it would be nice to be able to walk into our kitchen for a cup of coffee without fear of being attacked by slow moving squatters that sting. Brenda called the landlord (thanks Brenda!) and we are waiting to hear from him regarding possible solutions.

I began week 4 of my study abroad program yesterday, and three of my classes have already finished. I started a new class today that will finish in week 6. I've been enjoying the program so far, and I've really been enjoying seeing so much of Brenda. Tomorrow we get the day off because it is a German holiday (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). I will be celebrating by writing a paper for one of my classes. 

Next Tuesday Brenda and Drew will probably be in Hamburg visiting moi. I will be quite busy that day because I will be starting yet another class, so you may get another one of Brenda's great blog entries. Until then, have a great week!

Now including boats!

Pigs apparently DO fly, because Brenda is writing the blog for a second consecutive week! This time I'm writing out of pure selfishness, I must admit. A computer game that Chad and I play together released a new expansion today, and when he gets back from class, I don't want any excuses from him to not play! So without further ado, let me tell you about the lovely week we had!

As I mentioned last week, we went to to Copenhagen this past weekend to visit our friend Florian. While I took a boring old plane, Chad's form of transportation was a bit more creative. There's a train from Hamburg that goes directly to Copenhagen, which confused us in the beginning, because Copenhagen is on an island. Is there a really big bridge you ask? No. The train drives ONTO A BOAT. A train! On a boat! It docks on the other side and the train continues on its way. I don't know about you, but I think that is pretty darn cool. 

The boat that housed the train (and Chad) for about 45 minutes.

While on the boat, Chad had the opportunity to change money into the Danish currency. During the transaction however, he realized he didn't know exactly what the currency was, which led to a charming "Please change these euros into... Whatever it is they use for currency in Denmark!" It turns out they use kroner (crowns). We've been spoiled in our travels up until now, since all the countries we've visited recently have used the euro. Conversion is hard! 300 kroner sounds so much worse than 40 euro... 

Chad arrived a couple of days before I did, and had a chance to walk around the city with Florian and his sweet parents, who were also in town to see Florian's performance. The city is full of bridges and ships, and is a beautiful combination of charming old buildings as well as some stunning modern architecture. The Danish language is baffling (in an awesome way) but they seem to know that and literally everyone we met spoke brilliant English! They don't even bat an eye when you speak English to them! 

A view of Nyhavn.

On Saturday I joined in on the fun, and attended Florian's performance of the Messiah. Normally this piece is done as a concert, but it was presented as a staged opera in this case. I've heard this piece many times before, and it was interesting how the staging made certain parts of the music really come alive, and move me in ways the piece had never done before. Florian really gave a fantastic performance, and we were all very proud of our Frankfurter abroad!

A view of the stage, as well as part of the audience. 

The house itself is incredibly beautiful, 

complete with a big chandelier! 

After the show, Florian took us to his favorite English pub, and I was shocked to discover how much it actually smelled like a pub in England! Of course it brought back a wave of good memories from our time in Glyndebourne. How funny to be in an English pub in Denmark, visiting our German friend. My, aren't we international!

Friends reunited!

Chenda, always happy to be together!

Now I'm back in Hamburg until Thursday, but Chad's able to come back with me to Frankfurt for the weekend. I'm hoping he'll help me clean the apartment in preparation for my twin Drew's arrival on Monday! It's been two and a half years since she's visited Germany, and I'm so excited for her to be here for almost two weeks! We'll even get a chance to come to Hamburg together to visit Chad. It promises to be a wonderful trip!

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

Copenhagen has pink pigeons?? Well, at least one!

Planes, trains, and automobiles (taxis count, right?)

Hello all! This week Brenda's coming at you with a blog entry! Since school has started up again for Chad, I figured I should be a good wife and help out. We'll see how often that actually happens... 

This week is also a good week for me to blog, since I took a trip to NYC last week! I hadn't been there in a year (which was hard to believe - the past year went by so fast!), so I had lots of friends to catch up with, as well as take a voice lesson every day! It was a whirlwind trip (only 4 nights!) but really quite wonderful. Plus, the weather was beautiful! I snapped this picture of the Flatiron Building while I was waiting for my lunch date in that neighborhood. It's a bit too artsy to see any detail, but you can see the US flag! Proof I was stateside!

One of the friends I got to see included my friend Patrick, who I know from my one year at Lawrence University. I ended up eating two of my favorite things while with him: Mexican food, and tea and scones at Alice's Tea Cup! Great company and great food. Who could ask for more?

Patrick and me outside of Alice's. Yummm...

When I got home from my trip, I was a bit perplexed by some new friends I found on our kitchen floor. Three yellow jacket wasps!! I didn't have any windows open, so I was a little disturbed by that... Then, as I was cooking breakfast the next morning, I heard a buzzing behind me and there was ANOTHER wasp inside! Same story, no open windows. Now, I generally don't like killing bugs, but I had to draw the line at this one, since he was in my house, and well, I didn't have anything that needed pollenating. So I called Chad for moral support, and whacked him good with a newspaper. I just knew those free newspapers would come in handy for something!

The mysterious three.

I'm happy to report that Chad seems to be comfortable and happy in Hamburg. He went out with a big group of friends last Friday night and ended up going for a walk on Sunday with a friend as well -- though the addition of a friend to the walk was due to a chance meeting! Something that cracked me up about the walk was that his friend seemed bewildered that Chad was simply out walking. Do typical college age people not go on walks? Of course I then had to tease Chad some more about being "the old guy" in law school. Really, my Grandpa went on walks all the time! Maybe it is an old person thing. I guess I'll know when I catch up to Chad's age in 3 years. I kid, I kid!! I'm already old, and love going on walks. ;-)

Chad's friend Jordan. She's from Seattle and actually

loves opera. How cool is that??

 After my performance in Frankfurt on Sunday, I hopped on a train the next morning to Hamburg. I'll be here with Chad until Thursday, since I have another show on Friday. But we'll be meeting up again this weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark to see our friend Florian! We're both very excited, not only to see Florian, but also to add another country to the list! I hear it's a gorgeous city. Read all about it in next week's blog! Until then, have a great week!

Just thought I should add a picture of us, since Chad

seemed worried that my parents would be upset to see him 

with another woman. HA!

year two is underway

Hey all! I just finished doing the reading for my White Collar Crime class. Usually the first thing people say after I tell them the title of the class is, "Is it a class on how to commit white collar crimes?" I'm sorry to say that it is not. In fact, our Professor specifically said yesterday that it was not a "how-to" class. Darn it. The first lecture was interesting nonetheless. 

As you can tell I've survived my first couple days of class. I've had classes for three different subjects so far (4 if you count my German language class) and they all seem interesting. One thing has been standing out as different from my law classes at Iowa; the mood in the classroom is pretty relaxed. At Iowa the professors might call on us at any moment and grill us in front of the class about the reading assignment. It creates this constant tension in the classroom (who knew that fear was a useful learning tool?). The professors here have been really friendly and haven't been calling on people randomly (let's hope that trend continues). If I remember what they said during orientation correctly, there are students from 29 different countries studying at Bucerius this fall. Apparently Bucerius doesn't want any of the international students to return to their home universities emotionally scarred. We like emotional scarring in Iowa; it builds character.

Brenda is in NYC at the moment on one of her several-day study trips. She seems to be having a great time taking lessons and meeting up with friends. She comes back to Hamburg on Monday.

 Hamburg's City Hall (aka Rathaus)

One of the many canals in Hamburg.

As I mentioned in a previous post, our friend Florian is in Copenhagen this season. Florian told me that it was just a Katzensprung (cat jump) from Hamburg to Copenhagen and that I needed to visit him. Well, next week I'm making the jump, and Brenda is going to fly up from Frankfurt to join us (it's technically like two cat jumps from there).  Brenda and I are both really looking forward to the trip.

I think I will call it a night and do a little cat jump into bed. That sounds dangerous actually. Anyway, I hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!