Weekend Adventures

Well, I've been trying to blog every day or every other day, but again the past few days have been busy and I was tired! But I have tonight off and so can report on the last few days.

On Sunday, we went to Leipzig, and I fell in love with the town. I am one of the drivers for the two mini-vans our program rented, so I got to drive on the Autobahn. And I learned something. I always thought (silly me!) there was ONE road called the Autobahn that had no speed limit. Not so. The Autobahn is just the German version of an American interstate or highway. Any highway is called the Autobahn, and between towns, there is no speed limit. But (fortunately for me!) not everyone drives unreasonably fast. I, of course, drive like a grandmother, even though the minivan (sadly!) actually accelerates better than my car at home. I went around 65 or 70, about the same speed I would drive on 81 at home. But I still passed some other vehicles, especially tractor trailers and trucks. One time I approached a truck that was driving slowly and wanted to pass. I checked the left lane and saw no cars at all--none approaching, none in my sight (yes, Dad, I checked my blind spot too). So I changed lanes and started to pass--accelerating slowly, as I would at home. Suddenly I heard a horn, and checking my rear view mirror, I saw a car directly behind me--really on my bumper. They had come up so quickly that I didn't have time to pass the truck before they were on top of me. I accelerated past the truck as quickly as I could and got into the right lane so the crazy impatient German driver could pass me.

Even if there's no speed limit, I think tailgating should still be illegal!

Other than that, however, my driving on the Autobahn was fairly uneventful. The GPS got us safely and quickly to Leipzig, which is an incredible town. We found a parking space in a large, open lot--not too close to the center of town, so it wasn't crowded--and walked to the Thomaskirche (Thomas Church).

This is a church where J.S. Bach was the choir master for many years, and his grave was moved there in the 1900's (and is there now). Martin Luther also preached there when he brought the message of the Reformation to Leipzig. Many of Bach's compositions were written for this church and performed there first. When Bach's music was re-discovered and became popular again after his death, it was performed first at the Thomakirche.

Of course the church has been renovated many times and in many ways, but it was incredibly moving to be in a place where so much history--both musical and religious--occurred. I have always been a fan of Martin Luther, and I walked down the aisle to a Bach cantata at my wedding. Standing on stones where these men walked, seeing the pulpit where Luther preached, the baptismal font where 11 of Bach's 13 children were baptized, and paying my respects to Bach's grave--I found myself weeping for joy and beauty and gratitude. That was what I felt more than anything: gratitude. These men lived so long ago, and yet their legacy is part of my life and has helped shape me into the person I am today. When I stood by Bach's grave, I whispered, "Danke," (thank you). I think he may have paused over the music he's writing still and responded--"Bitte." 

The rest of the day was a little less uplifting, however. We had come to Leipzig in two groups because half the group had a performance in the morning. Those of us who didn't have a performance wanted to go to Leipzig earlier so we could spend some more time there. In the afternoon, we had planned to see an operetta (tickets covered by the program!). However, on our way back to OUR van, we ran into the other group--in a tiny parking lot filled with cars parked where they should not have been. (I cannot emphasize this enough: people were parked in imaginary spaces, and no-one seemed to care.) My friend Leah and I decided we should go get our van so we could meet with the other two vehicles (the other mini-van and a car) and carpool together to the theater. So we did. When we got back, the other two had left without us, leaving the students from our vehicle waiting for us. But I didn't realize this until after I had pulled into the tiny, crowded parking lot. (Do you have a guess at where this story is going yet?) Everyone got in the car and I tried to pull OUT of the lot so we could go to the theater. But I couldn't squeeze through the tiny space left for the exit. Yes, that's right: I hit a parked car.

And apparently in Germany this is a big deal. It's not enough to leave a note with your number. You must call the police for any kind of collision. So...we did. We also knew, then, that we were not going to the theater. At least I wasn't. The others in my van could have gone if they wanted to, but as it turned out, everyone was more interested in spending more time seeing Leipzig. So we waited for the police, and while we were waiting, the owner of the car I had hit showed up. Fortunately, she spoke excellent English. Then the cops came, and one of them spoke English as well. Sadly, although she was parked practically across the exit, I was still at fault. Fortunately, her car was barely scratched--although of course she seemed to think there might be severe damage. Apparently Germans are very picky about their cars. But when I spoke to the program director, she was not terribly concerned. The program has insurance and it's not a big deal. Kein problem! (No problem!)

So, an hour later, we had more time to see Leipzig. I and a few others got a tour from Sarah, an American singer who lives in Leipzig now and is singing a role in our program. So that was great fun, and the drive home (much later) was mostly uneventful except that the GPS was very insistent about trying to take us on the road that was closed for construction. What I wouldn't give for a sense of direction...

Another funny thing on Sunday was that Andrew, one of the student pianists in our group, told me he thought I should go on the TV show "Amazing Race." He said he thought I could win. Obviously I would need a partner, but I think Phil and I together could very possibly win. He would do anything requiring physical courage or skill (like climbing, rappelling, or sports of any kind), but I could do anything requiring nerdy problem-solving skills, talking to people who don't speak English, or a Damsel in Distress routine (I have had a LOT of practice at this).

This weekend is a long one because tomorrow is Mannerstag--Men's Day. Apparently March 8 is International Women's Day, but the US doesn't observe it (shame on us!). From what I understood of our German teacher's sign language, on Women's Day you give your girlfriend or wife chocolate and flowers (got that Phil? It's like another Valentine's Day :) ). However, tomorrow, June 2, is Men's Day. It's also a religious holiday--I think forty days after Ascension--or else it IS Ascension and that's forty days after Easter. But apparently Men's Day is also an international holiday celebrated by men young, old, single, and married by (1) not working, and (2) drinking beer.

And that seems very German to me.

However, although we won't have German class tomorrow or Friday because of Men's Day, we will have all-day rehearsals tomorrow for Suor Angelica and The Beggar's Opera instead. I'm in Suor Angelica, of course, so it will be a pretty long day. On Friday, though, I might be going to Dresden (if I don't have rehearsal) because my aunt Sally, who lives in California and whom I rarely see, will be there! (Sally, if you're reading this...email me!)