I want to buy a new camera. This would solve a few problems. One, I can't charge the battery on my current camera without buying a transformer; and wouldn't you know it--the BX is fresh out. So, I keep using it and expect soon it will die, since I have used it a LOT. That leads me to another reason: I could transfer the pics to our laptop and (theoretically) post them (as soon as we can get to the library with WiFi 5 miles away). I also want a camera that I can control more. Point and shoot is nice, but I want to control the aperture setting, the F-stop, etc. I want nice night shots too.
Today we visited a castle. It is near Landstuhl called Burg Nanstein. It is about 600 years old. It is so fun to imagine living back then: cooking in the huge kitchen made from stones and the natural rock of the mountain; the small-diameter, 15 foot long passageway for cats that is probably more likely a spy hole of some sort where they could shoot arrows and such; the steep, rounding staircases; and especially the carvings in the stones.
I called a few places today to find somewhere to rent. I usually introduce myself, say I'm American, then ask if they speak English. After a while, I wrote it down for Jeremiah so he could take a turn. He did very well--he is smart, so is picking up German very quickly. It was my turn again. I spoke with the landlord who asked I call the tenant for a time to look at the townhouse. So, I called the tenant and gave my normal introduction, but after my question about speaking English, he said, "nein." CRAP! I stumbled a little, but started speaking German. Those of you who really know me know I took German in high school. That was 1/2 my life ago. The amazing thing was: I said what I needed to say! Now, I don't claim to be fluent, nor was my German "pretty", as I said "uh" and "um" a lot, but I put the sentences together correctly, and somehow old vocabulary I haven't used in years came out. I was in survival mode! So, I'm speaking German and get my point across of what I'm looking for when the tenant interjects in a very American accent, "You speak good German!" "You're mean!" (Yes, I said that). Jeremiah started laughing really loudly when I said this. I started laughing too, and so did the tenant. It actually was funny, and obviously this American was fluent in German as well, but needless to say, that was my last apartment hunting call for the day.
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Somehow the German comes back when you need it. I remember when you were 16 and at the aiport ready to board your flight to go to Germany for a few weeks and they wouldn't let you on the plane because your ticket wasn't paid for. I had to call the travel agent in Germany and tell her that the ticket wasn't paid for. She actually understood my Ger-glish.
Was the long narrow passgeway in the castle sloping down? I remember going to a castle and seeing one of those and being told that that was the sewage disposal conduit. Hate to be standing down below. :(
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