Aka. "Destination Anywhere", "The Boy and Girl from County Bavaria"... After a very intense year in Würzburg (Germany), I'm back in Salamanca. I probably won't have that many experiences to write, but there's always an excuse to post a new entry!

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!! :D

2009 was quite an intense year, and I hope 2010 is just as good - or even better! I'm still sort of worried that I didn't stick to my usual rituals, but let's hope everything turns out right. Some of you might now that I spent the last days of 2009 and the first of 2010 in Germany, which means no Three Wisemen or grapes on New Year's Eve. Nevertheless, I got the chance to see lots of snow (again!) and to experience a tradition I didn't know about.

It's called Bleigießen and it's a way to predict what kind of things await you in the new year. After the countdown and toasting to the new beginning, you light a candle and use it to melt some small figurines made of lead. Once the lead is melted, you throw it to a pot filled with water and see what it transforms into. Each of these forms has a meaning. For instance, a cake would mean that you have to be careful with your weight. Unfortunately, I don't remember what I got anymore, but it sounded quite positive.

Apart from this and "Dinner for One", fireworks are another New Year's Eve classic in Germany. People buy them in the stores and release them in their own gardens around midnight, and those who don't have fireworks of their own, go out to see them. It's really impressive, and they release so many that in the end there's smoke and fog everywhere. What I found kind of funny was that no-one clapped after the fireworks (oh, so it's fine to clap your hands when the plane lands but not then? What the hell?) In any case, I hope it's not the last New Year's Eve I celebrate there ;)

Before I forget it, that "Dinner for One" I was talking about is a British sketch which is the only thing that German television broadcasts in the original language with subtitles. It's about a woman who's celebrating her 90th birthday with her butler and some... how to describe it? Let's say imaginary friends. I tried to find it on You Tube, but none of those I saw was the original.

Write a poem by putting your itunes/mp3 player/whatever you listen to music on on shuffle and writing down the first line from the first 20 songs that pop up. Use the first line from the 21st song as a title.

Sanctus Spiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour

Come as you are, as you were

Years ago, when I was younger

What is love? Baby don't hurt me

G-R-EE-N leaves!

You spin my head right round

Slip inside the eye of your mind

Oh, we are mirrors in the sun

I was young, I was told I should follow my dreams

I wanna run, I want to hide

How can I stay when you are away?

Oh, the wind whistles down

Everytime I think of you

My dream is to fly over the rainbow so high

Master!

I've never had a friend like you

Woke up this morning and bought myself a gun

I don't wanna be the girl who laughs the loudest

See the mirror in your eyes

I'm lying here on the floor where you left me

Here are some pictures of some of the people I mentioned in my last entry.

My choir buddies :)

David and Natalie

Ollie (the keyboard player) and Ross

Andy and Patrick (our director)

The boy and girls from County Amsterdam ;)

Annuska, Cristian and me

Tiia, Annuska, Pilvi and me

Anneleen

My dream flatmate

Albrecht and me

Last time, I also forgot to mention to some important friends of mine from the Internet.

Raquel:

Thanks for following this blog so faithfully... and for forcing me to update XD It's sad that we never got to see each other in Germany, but now we have a whole year in Salamanca to catch up.

Xavi:

You've also been following my blogs since Ireland, and during my time in Würzburg we've become really close, which I really appreciate. It was also a great time with you in Frankfurt (I've been obsessed with Sushi ever since).

Adi:

We met absolutely by chance, but I'm really glad we bumped into each other. You've been very supportive to me since we started writing to each other and we still have great talks about fiction and real life.

Tita:

I don't know whether you'll get to read this, but I know you've been visiting my blog since the old days in Ireland (just like Xavi), and I felt really proud that you even got to overcome your fear for techonology and leave a comment.

And now, last but not least, I'd like to do a little tribute to my tree. Every day I've spent in Würzburg, the first thing I'd see from my bedroom window was this tree.

I don't know what kind of tree it is, but I got to love it. I've seen it changing through every season - yellowing leaves in autumn, leafless and covered in snow in winter, blossoming flowers in spring and green and strong in summer. I just wish I had taken a picture each season...

By the way, if you relate this to the fact that I've been living in the Galgenberg, a hill where they used to hang people centuries ago, I have to think of a certain song. I was planning on posting and translating the lyrics, but as probably no-one will read them, so I'll leave you with this video instead.

It's been ages since I updated for the last time... and it's been over a year since the adventure in Würzburg began. My current adventure is probably not going to be that exciting, so I'll get the chance to tell you some things I didn't have time to tell you about Würzburg and Germany. Now let's get to the point.

What can I say? It was a great year. I can't believe a journey that started so desperate turned into such an amazing time with so many changes and new experiences. I've learnt a lot - and not only German. I can't say it often enough: I strongly recommend going abroad to everyone if they get the chance. It's really worth it. Just like on every special occasion, I'd like to mention some people who have been important during this time.

The choir:

I loved all the songs we sang (even though there were moments when I was starting to hate "Killing me softly"), but the most important thing is that it was great to meet you guys. I just wish I had attended your coffee meetings after the rehearsals a bit more often. Special thanks to David for picking me up every Monday :)

The people in the DSH-course:

If there was an intense time, that was September last year. I can't believe we made it to go out almost every evening and still survive the four-hour intensive course! In the end, we all went separate ways and maybe we should have tried harder to meet after that, but I'd like you to know that you'll still be in my memory. Most of you are probably back home, but wherever you are, I hope you're all doing great :)

Pilvi, Tiia, Cristian and Annuska:

Tananata *nods* tananata *nods* Stupid things aside, our trip to Amsterdam was for sure one of the highlights. Cristian - I'm just sorry that we started to bond most when you already have to leave, but I hope we'll still stay in touch. Tiia - you're a really fun girl full of surprises, I just love your sense of humour! Pilvi - I hope to see you (and Tiia too) in Salamanca soon, you're great company for a night out ;) Annuska - you changed my life in ways you'd never suspect without having a clue, so I guess I should thank you for that. I wish you all the best of luck and hope to see you again - in Amsterdam or elsewhere!

The Germans:

Dominik, Jana, Manuel, Rebekka, Emine, Jakob, Mareike and (last but not least) Albrecht. It's always hard to get in touch with locals when you're abroad, but I'm glad you were able to break up with the stereotype. And Albrecht, all I can say is that you're simply the flatmate of my dreams!

Anneleen:

I loved visiting you in your hometown. You have a great family (do you think your parents would be interested in adopting a fifth child? :P) It's a pity that you could only stay five months, as you were probably one of the people I had most fun with. I'm sorry that the thing with Brussels didn't work in the end, but I hope we meet again soon, whether in Spain, Belgium or Germany again.

Marco:

We haven't had much contact for quite some time, but as I told you the last time we phoned, I just wish you all the best and a lot of happiness.

The cutest cutie in the cutieverse:

There's nothing to say to you other than what I tell you everytime we talk. You're simply wonderful and always make me feel very lucky. Or in just one word... RAKATUKUTUKUKUTUKURUKUTUNTUN!!!

And coming soon... my tree and some pictures of the "suspects" ;)