VOILA, THE TOUR!

The few spoons and plates we own get lost in our kitchen - we have never had so much storage room.

Marko calls this "the American dream". ;-) (Please note the hand-made (!) bed from Erica's brother! Who of you can make a bed? I know I can't.)

Our self-made vestibule

Living room - find the keep-sake from the green election campaign!
Cross your fingers - here some very smart things will have to be done (and I don't mean only blogging, chatting, youtubing...)

Giant closets! We need to go shopping - uaa! :-(

AND OF COURSE WE NEEDED TO CELEBRATE THIS!

Alcohol laws are rather strict here, public drinking is a no-go. Very tough for an Austrian (not so much for the Finn). Luckily, salespeople in the liquor stores here provide the solution along with the problem: Paper bags to hide the bottles - what a beautiful way to circumvent the law!

MOVING IN!

Yes, we did it! We moved to our new home! People here have been so incredibly friendly and given us so much stuff, that all we needed to buy was a desk, two chairs and a bookshelf. Everything else (and I mean everything else - including a couch, a bed, a microwave, a knife-set ...) was given to us by Erica and her family and friends. THANK YOU! We love our place!!

ST. PAUL

is the actual capital and said to be more laid-back and quiet than Minneapolis. Of course there is rivalry between the twins. Thank God we are foreigners - we get to love both of them!
View from the City Mills Museum on the stone arch bridge, which is only open to peds and bikers. Nice!


The City Mills Museum offers a different view on the city.

Omnipresent - Miss Issippi, our dear friend.

Truly the state capital - and proud of it.

More pictures of the cool parts (Downtown, Dinkytown) coming up!

ORIENTATE THE DISORIENTATED 2

Driven to discover!

Another lesson I learned: Identifying with your U / college / department is NOT embarrassing! You are expected to wear the U of M sweatshirts, cheer for the U's baseball / football teams and show your college pride by honoring the mascot Goldy the Gopher (who is by the way not a gopher - yep, take a moment to make fun of this, please!)

As I said, they walk backwards.

ORIENTATE THE DISORIENTATED

All these years as a teacher made me forget how much I enjoy being a student - being mentored, guided, walked around. I like!!! And since the U of M wants us to be "driven to discover" (the motto) they drove us around the Twincities to discover them. Unfortunately pictures taken from buses generally suck - especially those taken with a f... hp camera. I apologize.

So the thing about guides here is they walk backwards - and I mean all the time! Fun - and dangerous!

Sweet Rubia from China documented everything - bet she got better pics than me...

Minnehaha Park. Here is its story: Minnehaha (her name means "waterfall") is the lover of Hiawatha from W. H. Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, basically a Native American version of Romeo and Juliet. (Two Native American Tribes, both alike in dignity ... you get the idea ...) Since the poem turned out to be a big hit in the States, people felt the need for a place to set the story - voila, Minnehaha park. It's really, really beautiful.

She is everywhere and makes me feel so good: Miss Issippi. I cross this fat girl every day - and every day it lifts me up.

HOME STORIES

While Oprah taught the nation how to overcome the obstacles of life ...

...Nelson overcame a huge one: the stairs! Bravo!

IMPRESSIONS FROM OUR PLACE

bathroom

kitchen

living room

our first mail - thanks so much, Mädi, we loved it!

IMPRESSIONS FROM "THE U"

The (here not quite so mighty) Mississippi flowing through campus

A teacher with a vision

A student with a student card

Hanna and her grad school

REUNION

@ Parhamers: J says hi!


He also came to say hi to Jenna - and was fascinated by nachos...;-)

WE PROUDLY PRESENT

... THE U of M CAMPUS - STUNNING!

Coffee (note the huge cups!) in front of Hanna's department


... OUR FUTURE HOME (and its keys)! It's still unfurnished, but already cosy - and really close to campus! YAY!

OUR HOSTFAMILY

... are these three wonderful people! Thanks for having us!

Nelson helps Marko load the dishwasher (or the other way round?)

Nelson loves unpacking (our) stuff!

The family at Nelson's baptism

Proud to be your godparents, Mr. Nelson!