more crazy fans
smaller stadium by normal standards, and totally sold-out
after game victory walk with exchanged jerseys

flag ceremony
Kevin Kuranyi after his shot on goal went wide
run Forrest run!
Germany's #1 Goalie- Jens Lehmann
that is more like it...

Die-hard scary fan.
coming onto the field for warm-up We are so hapeeeeeeeee to be here.
national flags, and players on jumbo screen as they enter field
National Anthems

Abenteurs

I have been receiving harassing emails because I have not updated in awhile. For those guilty people - you know who you are- there are laws against that, you know. I have been operating (apparently mistakenly) according to the theory that nobody reads the blog because there are never any comments on it. Oops. tut mir leid.

I also apologize to the person who was upset(you know who you are) that I did not buy a disposable camera when I was in Vienna, because I had forgotten my digital one. So I don't have any pics to share from Vienna, sorry! It is pretty there, but come see for yourself.

Life has not been dull. I have had some interesting episodes i.e. like a bat getting into my bedroom one evening and waking me up because it was well... fluttering around me. Can we say ick? I would like to say that I handled the situation calmly and coolly. But actually I ran into my bathroom grabbing the phone on the way and hid in there until a friend came to pick me up. It was 2 in the morning. Oh yeah..I called my mom too. pathetic. That led to another episode with a rabies scare which I will spare you from reading. I still open closet doors and jump back really fast just in case Dracula is lurking in there.

I have also learned over the last few weeks while I have been hopping around the continent (yes, LOTS of it was work related ok?!?) that I am not made for one of those jobs where you have to travel a lot. I love living overseas, LIVING being the key word here, not traveling all the time. But please forgive me for sounding like I am complaining. It has been really tiring spending one night in Belgium, one night at home, the next night in Koeln, and the next five in Vienna, and so on. But there is not anywhere else in the world that I would rather be then where I am at now. Go God. Thanks for letting me be here.

Last weekend Miss Smith and I trained to Nurnberg for a National Mannschaft spiel. The German National football (soccer) team was playing a Euro 2008 qualifying game against a small island named San Marino. The available A-Mannschaft (the best players) who are uninjured were playing and that is not an opportunity to pass up. These guys play for some of the best football (soccer) teams in the world.

It was fun, except for the creepy hotel room experience, and it helped me to be ok with the fact that the new Bundesliga (german football (soccer) league) season doesn't start again until August 10th - that and I can watch re-runs of the games on Arena) We were expected to win against San Marino, which we did -6:0 which is a massacre by football (soccer) standards. Unfortunately I was so wrapped up in the game that I did not get many good shots during the game, I will have to raid Miss Smith's camera for that. The pictures are kindove out of sequential order. I haven't posted in so long I forgot how to post pictures right. :-)

Driving in Deutschland

In pursuing obtaining my German drivers license (why now after 2 years you ask? Good question, I don't know either, it just seems like the right thing to do) the nice people at the driving schools provide you with a manual and a practice test with over 1000 (YES that is right 1000) questions in it. Keep in mind you might actually answer 50-100 of these questions on the actual test, but as Germans like to be prepared for any and all circumstances- including every possible scenario you might encounter while driving, and anything associated with it- you get a practice test with over 1000 questions.

The nature of these questions and sometimes the vocabulary used in them is what makes this such a humorous cultural "exercise" Let me share a few of them, and maybe after reading you too, will be prepared for this driving exam, and thus life on the potentially hazardous but normally orderly = roads of Deutschland:
(see bottom of post for the answers)

1.) Immediately before setting off you have felt very angry and you are furious. What is right?
a.) you set off and get rid of your anger while driving.

b.) you should not drive while you are furious.


2.) Just 1 drop of oil can contaminate up to how much water?
a.) 1 liter

b.) 50 liters

c.) 600 liters

3.) While driving down a tree lined street in the middle of winter, what must you be prepared to reckon with? (yes, they use the word reckon).

a.) snow, black ice, and fallen leaves making the road slippery.

b.) cobbled streets which when wet make it difficult to control a car when it slides.

c. Not a. The trees will protect the road from getting too icy or snowy.

So there you have it. After going through the other 997+ questions, I hope I have a chance of passing this test. I am not just being fecitious either. Some of the more challenging questions include having to memorize the exact distance needed to stop when pulling a trailer carrying a weight of more than 2 tons, and driving at 80/kmh. There is apparently a formula involved in calculating stopping distance that I need to learn. Seeing as how there are at least 30 questions on the practice test related to this exact thing. oi.
(answers: 1.b 2.c 3. both a and b.)

Ich blute Schwarz, Rot, und Gelb

Ich vermisse meine Sommermaerchen... Die Nationalmannschaft ist zuruck! Morgen abend: Deutschland gegen die Schweiz ab 20:00 Uhr. Sie spielen in meiner Stadt (Duesseldorf)! Whoo hoo!!

Home!

I wish I could remember what I was thinking in this pic.



I flew home for Christmas, and surprised my parents. And boy, were they! Speaking of boys-or rather boys who masquerade in the daylight hours as men, but when surrounded by the right people reveal their true selves-I have a few pics from my trip home. I am unfortunately a bit of a dork and did not take nearly as many pictures as I had hoped too. Here are a few...

A long quote from a book I am reading

"I was raised to believe that the quality of a man's life would greatly increase, not with the gain of status or success, not by his heart's knowing romance or by prosperity in industry or academia, but by his nearness to God. It confuses me that Christian living is not simpler. The gospel, the very good news, is simple, but this is the gate, the trailhead. Ironing out faithless creases is toilsome labor. God bestows three blessings on man: to feed him like birds, dress him like flowers, and befriend him as a confidant. Too many take the first two and neglect the last. Sooner or later you figure out life is constructed specifically and brilliantly to squeeze a man into association with the Owner of heaven. It is a struggle, with labor pains and thorny landscape, bloody hands and a sweaty brow, head in hands, moments of severe loneliness and questioning, moments of ache and desire. All this leads to God, I think. Perhaps this is what is on the other side of the curtain behind which the Wizard of Oz pulls his levers. Matter and thought are a canvas on which God paints, a painting with tragedy and delivery, with sin and redemption. Life is a dance toward God, I begin to think. And the dance is not so graceful as we might want. While we glide and swing our practiced sway, God crowds our feet, bumps our toes, and scuffs our shoes. So we learn to dance with the One who made us. And it is a difficult dance to learn, because its steps are foreign. -Donald Miller "Through Painted Deserts"

GEORGIAN ESSEN UND LAGAAN

A few nights ago about 15 people descended on my apartment turning it into something resembling a war zone (I have pics to prove it). A real Georgian from Georgia (that would be the Russian country not the American state) fixed us real Georgian food, and it was yummy. Then we watched a few movies, one in German and one in Hindi. Watching the guys watch the singing and dancing in the Hindi movie was actually more entertaining than the movie itself (see picture 4 from the top). I would include their attempts to recreate the beautiful combination of music and dance, but...ahem...this is not that kindove blog. Don't want to scare the kiddies.

Jogging in Germany

I have taken up jogging again lately. It has been such a fantastic stress reliever as well as it seems to be helping me take weight off as well. However I realized last evening as I was running, just how much I must stand out to the other joggers here in Germany. Is it ok to label oneself as a "low-maintenance" jogger? It is a bit scary out there sometimes. Here I am in my sweatshirt and warm up pants with a huge rip in the knee (I think of it as ventilation) because of a bike wreck , and I am surrounded by spandexy, wind breaker people who wear green reflective vests, WITH reflective tape on top, blinking red arm bands, and those cool lights that fit around your head. (kindove like what miners wear). I can sortove relate to the "deer" caught in the headlights now. Not too mention those lights bobbing toward you kindove messes with your depth perception. Did you know that they even hold classes for proper jogging technique. I got a good laugh at the instructor herding a gaggle of about 10 joggers very slowly around the pond I was running at. They were all practicing the latest technique of jogging on the balls of their feet. They looked like they were tip-toeing. It was sortove sweet.

A few things about me

Got these from a friends blog..

1. FIRST NAME? Rainie

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Does the weather count as anyone?

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Sunday. There was a marathon in my city and the very end of it was right by my apartment, so I had a great vantage point by my window and was cheering them on. The very last lady (out of thousands of people) wouldn't give up, and she received the most cheers from everyone in the crowd. It made me cry.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I am pretty ambivalent about it.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHEON MEAT? Black Forest Ham and cheese

6. WHAT IS YOU FAVORITE MOVIE STYLE? epics and historical movies

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Absolutely.

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes, but the better question is if I write in it.

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? it depends on who I am around.

10. HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup.

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Yes

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Capn Crunch with Crunch Berries

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? not usually, unless I am wearing my Converses.

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? It depends.

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Half Baked (Ben & Jerry's) or Cake Batter (Cold Stone Creamery)

16. SHOE SIZE? 6.5

17. RED OR PINK? Pink

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? Like I would tell the whole world wide web...

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my friends in Oregon

20. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? I am still in my pajamas, so fleece Care Bear pants, and Care Bear socks. (that is a total coincidence by the way)

21. LAST THING YOU ATE? a spoonful of peanut butter

22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? By Heart-Exit Signs

23. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? burnt orange

24. FAVORITE SMELL? Vanilla Bean Noel, or Warm Vanilla Sugar.

25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Yesim

26. FAVORITE DRINK? Dr. Pepper

27. FAVORITE SPORT? Football (referred to as Soccer in the states) Favorite team: Borrusia Dortmund

28. EYE COLOR? Blue

29. HAT SIZE? No idea

30. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes.

31. FAVORITE FOOD? Mexican Food.

32. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Can't you like scary movies with happy endings?

33. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIES? Perfume: Story of a Murderer. (it was the most horrible movie ever PLEASE do NOT watch it!)

34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? tye-dyed t-shirt, and blue zip up hoodie. (what do I HAVE to match my pants while I am sleeping?)

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses (is that a trick question?)

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? New York Cheesecake, or anything chocolate.

38. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? This isn't that type of questionnaire.

39. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring,
9 Parts of Desire, and Der Kleine Prinz

40. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have a mouse pad.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I didn't watch tv last night.

42. FAVORITE SOUNDS? my best friend leading worship, and acoustic guitar, and passionate piano playing

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Probably the Beatles, but not really a huge fan of either.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bangalore, India

46. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? June. Cottage Grove, Oregon.

47. ARE YOU A FIRST, MIDDLE, OR LAST CHILD IN YOUR FAMILY? Last

48. NICKNAME AND WHY? Rains, Rain Drop, and Nitro. Why? Because they felt like it.

49. Dogs or Cats? Dogs, always. I want a BIG dog!

50. What's your favorite song? You Are So Good to Me by 100 Portraits/Waterdeep

51. What's the most adventurous thing you've done? Skydiving, India was pretty adventerous though.