Hey Guys! Ronnie here. We're starting to get acclimated to Germany. It's definitely an interesting transition. We were so focused on trying to get packed and loaded, getting to the airport, and saying farewell to Paris that we didn't really stop and mentally prepare ourselves for our new home. We were so used to saying Pardon, Bonjour, Merci, etc. that when we started out on the streets here we almost started saying stuff in French. We forgot to brush up on some simple German phrases, so instead we hardly said anything.

The first night was interesting, we did not reload on our Euros and few places take credit cards - we couldn't find an ATM that was not locked up in a bank lobby. I later read that you have to swipe your cash card to get in to lobbies when the banks are closed, I'm not sure if my debit card will work or not. Needless to say we were counting our pennies to survive until Monday. So in our fridge currently are 1 package of sliced ham and a package of cheese, 1 water and bread. There are also some restaurants that only take cash. So Sat night we found a place to eat sushi called “Sushi + Soul” – Jesika was happy.

On Sundays, it is a ghost town here. No grocery stores are open, no shops, etc. For lunch we went to a restaurant that is closest to our apartment. I think we were spoiled the night before with the sushi, because our previous waiter spoke perfect English and had an English menu with lots of photos.... not the case at lunch. The guy didn't speak English, no English menu, and no photos. In addition they didn't serve traditional German food so you couldn't find Schnitzel or anything you might recognize. In France you could make out a lot of common words and get by a lot easier, but looking at a menu in all German is a lot tougher. Jesika made out the word for salad, and tomato and went with that. I on the other hand randomly picked something from the menu. Our waiter at least knew the word for water and coke. We were a little surprised when our food came... Jesika ended up with a bowl of chopped tomatoes (about 85% of the dish), cucumbers, onions and jalapeño’s with nothing else. I got 4 fried cheese triangles served on lettuce (no dressing). Oh yeah, the cokes came warm with no ice in a shot glass (at about $4.50 each) and the water was the carbonated kind (like Seltzer). In all our lunch was about $45 and we were still starving after. Yikes! After lunch, we decided to walk to my office which is about 10-15 minutes away. We stumbled on to a Starbucks and had to have a taste of home. :) The office appears to be in the touristy area. There are lots of big shops, clothing, street performers, and tons of people walking around. Still though, everything was closed except a few restaurants. The good news is that Jesika and Alexis will be able to meet me for lunch and there's a lot for them to do during the day.

A few interesting tidbits about where we live...The area is very artsy/trendy with cool shops, restaurants and bars (at least from what we've seen through the windows). It is known as the “Gay district” of Munich. There are a lot of modern décor, photography and internet companies around. The area reminds me of Addison Circle, Uptown Dallas, or Oaklawn, but times a 1000! Lots of people look like clubbers/party people in their upper 20’s and 30’s. You also hear Techno music everywhere (makes Jesika real sad – yea right). Behind our apartment is a very large cemetery that looks exactly like something you would see in a movie (Jesika thinks it is spooky). The gravestones are about 10-12 feet tall and are mostly from the 1700 and 1800's with a lot of growth on them. I'm sure Jesika will take a lot of photos and send them to you guys. The interesting thing is that most people treat it like a park. It has a jogging trail through it and there's a lot of people strolling their kids around and walking through it.

One other tidbit, and then I need to get to some sleep for work tomorrow. Apparently the apartment we're staying in is not typically a rental property. The family that owns it is visiting the US in California until December and decided to rent it out while they are gone. So it's a little strange to be staying in someone’s apartment, but it's very nice.

Currently it is storming real badly – a lot of lightning and loud thunder (hope Alexis stays asleep tonight).

Photos and more blogging from Jesika to come soon! Good night from Germany!