Penpal and Chicken Tikka Masala

I have a new penpal in Germany!!! I signed up via www.mylanguageexchange.com and didn't hear anything for a few weeks...then a wonderful e-mail popped into my inbox.

"Hey Scott,
wie geht es dir?
I have just seen your profile and wanted to leave a note."

OMG, can you imagine the look on my face as I pounded out work at the bank??? She is from Hamburg, 30, and just started at an international company. She wants to learn more business english, I want to learn basic and business german, and we've had several days of fun e-mails. It takes me about 1 hour to write to her...I write in German, read her corrections and suggestions, correct her English and teach her new idioms, and we talk back and forth about culture.

She lived in the US for 12 months and loves US culture and wants to return for a visit but is afraid because it might hurt her...

I said: "I guess the grass is always greener on the other side (which means that we always want what we don't have...but once we get it sometimes it's not as super as we thought) because I want to live in Germany so bad! We are taught to be isolated from the rest of the world, to be in charge and cocky - but I don't like that, I want to meet other people and fit into any culture. Sometimes I'm not proud to be an American because of our awful president and some of our stupid politicians. I look at Germany and the pride everyone has...and the traditions...ahhh, everything is so much smarter there! People in the US have too much attitude and are so fake."

She replied, "Ich musste ein paar mal wirklich schmunzeln als ich deine mail las. (I had to smirk a few times while reading your mail.) Your views about Germans or Germany are so twee." (Editors Note: I don't know that word...I suggested to her that she might use "a bit naive instead.)

She went on to explain that there is little pride, mostly because their political history caused German Pride to be used against them by other countries. I meant the pride of traditions is what I'm most interested in -- and she agreed. Another line I love from her: "Die Wirtschaft hat ein Hoch und die Deutschen sind wieder glücklicher als in den letzten Jahren. Aber viele hier haben auch den Traum vom Ausland, von einem besseren Land, einem einfacheren Leben. Included me."

It means that "the economy is on a high and over the past year, the Germans are more happy. But, many here have the dream of going outside of Germany, to a better land, and a more true life."

How fun. OK, back to food news...I made Chicken Tikka Masala last night...I've dreamed of it since Ryan and I both had it at a british pub in Santa Monica. (We had it at separate times...) It turned out soo good. I've never broiled chicken skewers in the oven but it worked out sooo well!







I also watched a fantastic French film on Pay-Per-View. IFC has some amazing selections...this was a 1994 coming-of-age tale in early 1960s rural france, during the French-Algerian conflict. Les Roseaux Sauvages (Wild Reeds).

Off to reheat my leftover Tikka Masala and plop down for either Olympics or another movie. Oh, I also arranged some flowers...I suck at it but I guess it's kinda pretty.



Tschüß!!!