The near impossible goodbye.

For Agustina ‘Gusti’ Cora,

Everybody on this [relatively] green planet is aware that at some point in time, they’ll lose a person dear to them, whether by death, moving overseas, or an incredibly messy breakup.
I myself have come to this point in my life at numerous occasions, all unfortunately in relation to the big D. However, recently I had to say goodbye to one of my dearest friends here on exchange, someone who’s been on my side for the past year and who became a sister to me.

Last thursday I met up with her a few hours before her flight and had some lunch at her house (her host mum’s an amazing cook by the way). Afterwards, her, her host parents and I, all drove to München Flughafen (Munich Airport) and waited out the long check-in process,  the heavy amount of tears between her and other exchange students who wished to see her off, and the countdown before she should head through security, not to be seen again for a horribly long period of time.

I vowed to stay strong and didn’t cry whilst waiting on her exit home to Argentina. It wasn’t until she passed through security and we had to part ways that my heart decided to finally show a bit emotion and I bawled my eyes out like a school child. Saying goodbye brings out the worst in people. But it also brings out the best… because after sobbing to myself for twenty minutes I realised how much I cared for this person… and in that way it was hardly a goodbye at all.

In theory and in length of time etc, it may be a while before I can even afford a plane trip to Buenos Aires, but the one thing I can say I feel ok about now is that it wasn’t a goodbye, because it wasn’t permanent. It was just a good ‘ol “see ya later mate” with waterworks involved. She’ll be in my heart forever. :] She won’t be gone that long though!

Best not to think about it as goodbye. We’ll get our catch up time soon enough.

Here’s hoping that flight costs don’t inflate any time soon.
Will never ever forget you, sis. ;]
And neither will Augsburg, Bayern and Augustus Beer.

Lots of love,
Ryan
x

The second Christmas Dinner

Legit. I didn’t realise how big christmas was in Germany until Christmas dinner… well, the second one at least. Last night I visited my former host family in Zusmarshausen and we nibbled on a delicious goose with traditional Bavarian cuisine such as blaukraut (red cabbage), knödel (potato dumplings) and even a christmas salad as entrée. It was a delicious [second] feast…. it was surely worth a couple of photos. ;]

An amazing Christmas was to be had! I hope everyone feels the same way. :]
Ryan
x

The feast begins…

It’s not every day that a family sits around the table and gorges over a hot stone….
So is the tradition in my lovely current host family… we devoured the most delectable treats grill-able, ranging from salmon, prawns, beef, calf and lamb, to capsicum, mushrooms and beans.

Not to forget the other bowls of food which required no grilling whatsoever… ;]

Here are just a few shots of our evening (it did start off rather traditionally by attending church at St. Ulrich’s).

Even more joyful Christmas love to come.
Ryan
x

P.S. My Christmas adventures (much like those fine moments in my every day exchange life have inspired recent sketches for the ANIMAILS collection).

A Feast for Fourty? No, six. [Animails #8]

One part of my year on exchange in Germany that I’ll never be able to forget is Christmas Dinner. With lashings of food decorating the dining table, I believed we’d be accompanied by a bunch of guests… I was wrong.

It’s something else that I find quite humorous. :]

This picture is highly inaccurate; double the amount of food on the table for an estimate of the amount food that was splayed out before me on Christmas Eve.

Ryan
x

Feuerzange…what?

Celebrating Christmas with a traditional Feuerzangenbowle….
you’ve got to love Germany. ;]

Many thanks to my amazing host family for showing me the spirit of the festive season so far. :]

Ryan

 

“Relax, It’ll be ok”; a letter to a slightly younger me.

Inspired by a Freshly Pressed post, I felt highly encouraged to write myself a letter… to myself. So here it goes, a letter to a chubbier, pimplier, and more enigmatic 11 year old me.

 

I’d love to read any letters to yourselves. :]
Send me an email.
ryanaubersonwalsh[at]hotmail.com

Looking forward to Weihnachten (Xmas)
Ryan
x

Meet some friends. [Animails #2]

Thanks to Kim’s crafty skills (and access to a scanner), we’re underway with the Animails project. So here’s an introduction to our three characters up close… with a little hint to what they’re all about and what adventures they’ll be illustrating. :]

Nice work though Kim.

See some more info about Animails in the navigation bar. ;]

Love Ryan :]
x

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

It’s finally that time of the year where people begin their never-ending singing of christmas carols and stuff their faces with delectable tooth-rotting sweets…. Christmas.

And what does every town in Bavaria do at least a month before the big day when Santa convinces his reindeer to lift his heavy slay around the world? They open their christmas markets, complete with a brightly lit Tannenbaum (Christmas Tree). :]

I was lucky enough to see the opening ceremony, complete with townsfolk dressed as angels and a ridiculous amount of Augsburger’s.

Throughout the evening, I nibbled on such traditional foods as a Feuerteufel (a spicy sausage aptly named the ‘Fire Devil’), Glühwein (a warm berry flavoured wine), a Heiße Oma (a creamy christmas drink called ‘hot grandma’) and a bunch of chocolate! ;]
I even bought a Lebkuchenherz, a type of gingerbread heart.

At one point in the evening, Agustina (an Argentinian exchange student) and I, were allowed to go the top of the pyramid (the windmill shaped hut) and have a look over the market… all based on the reasoning we were exchange students going home relatively soon…. :/ But it worked nonetheless, so no need to get sad.

I’ll also admit that I cried a little when they turned the christmas tree lights on… My first real christmas tree.

Here are some photos from the beautiful evening…

Hope you all have a kick-ass Chrissy, wherever in the world you are! :]
Ryan
x

Picnicking… simply the best.

Seriously is one of my favourite things to do… as is eating…
Especially in a country as beautiful (and delicious) as Germany. :]

Didn’t eat much on Sunday though, because we all completely forgot that the shops were closed! :p

Here’s two shots… stuffing my face with a german doughnut and enjoying taking pictures of myself…. and my shoes. ;]

Keep chilled people.
Ryan
x

Mamma Mia! I’m in Italia!

People, people, people. It’s hard to believe isn’t it? I’ve hit another European superpower… and lived to tell about it. :] But first…

…here’s your opportunity for two things. ;]

1. Let out all the anger I may have caused you in delaying this post for such a lengthy amount of time.
2. Get over it and read this to the end, enjoying all the lovely photos I’ve uploaded specifically for your enjoyment. :] mmk?

Anyway, the last time I left you wondering about my adventures in Italy, I’d just finished speaking about London, Albania and Croatia. Finally I’ve gotten around to the big one, so enjoy the photos below!

Arriving in Bari on Italy’s Eastern coast, we had our first overnight in an odd little hostel (thankfully with air conditioning) and the next morning picked up our hire car (a sexy Ford Fiesta) and drove west, just as the Village People first suggested in 1979. We were headed to Sorrento, on the furthermost tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula. One problem though, we had to drive across the country in a day (literally) and the last strip would turn out to be the worst… four hours along the infamous Amalfi coast; beautiful but deadly… for driving. The entire journey as we weaved along the narrow cliffside road, dodging buses and other cars by centimetres, with mopeds ducking in and out of the traffic at top speeds, I was scared. In fact, I remember saying something along the lines of “I’m frightened for my life”, whilst clenching the front seat with all my might.

Thankfully we made it there, and I was rather impressed with Sorrento, particularly after having seen so much of it on account of our non-functioning GPS not being able to get us to the camping ground we’d call home for the next three nights. By night, the camping ground would come alive, filled with Italians traveling from far and wide, as well as numerous German, Spanish and Australian tourists, all flocking to the bar that was served well with some delightful Karaoke music. Have you ever seen a fifteen-year old Italian sing Karaoke? Don’t. It might ruin your opinion of Italy.

The first day we visited the town that was ruined after nearby Mt. Vesuvius erupted and its gases suffocated the townsfolk. Pompeii was truly fascinating. We saw how the old Roman world functioned, from the collecting of water, to satisfying the sexual appetites of city officials. (There’s a famous brothel, noted for its erotic murals). Being a large city (see map below) with absolutely no shade whatsoever, the 40 degree (celsius) sun certainly had a bite. Sunburn was imminent and no matter how much sunscreen I applied, my skin couldn’t help getting sunburnt. Thanks pastiness, you’ve done it again. When the day was out and we’d done all the wandering our feet could manage, we headed back to the campsite and dined out… again. Italian food, I have to say, is the real deal. :]