Das gross Hugel

So we both agreed that we love the terrain here that is much like where we lived in PA. It is cold already like in PA as well, although we hope that may change before the winter actually comes! Kusel is in a valley between steep hills like the little town of Clarks Summit where the summit is like here, and over looks our little city. It is beautiful to see all the streets, church steeples, etc.

The dialect here is actually going to be a bit of a "hill" itself to get over, as it is different than the hoch Deutch that we've learned most of from the north. We've been told to ask people to speak this hoch or "high" German with us, so that we don't learn what they may not be able to understand, in the whole of Germany. To add to that twist, my friend I went shopping with last night actually speaks mostly fluent Russian and then knows German also, so we taught one another as we shopped because neither of us speaks even close to fluent of one another's language- it was so much fun! I applaud her for teaching me a language she dosn't even speak much, and told her I'm going to be speaking Russian on accident if I learn some of that from her as well!

I was a little curious how this shopping trip would go, but we got around great! Whenever we could not get our point acrossed, she laughed as I always resort to a shrug and the reply, "Ich weiss nicht?" Half the difficulty in shopping for me is not finding what I need, but also trying to read the nutrition labels, a whole other story in a foreign language!

Rich and I were both pretty tired sunday, and so the message at church was a little tough to retain, BUT we enjoyed the fellowship and then also a delicious lunch at one of the elders' homes. We also helped serve coffee, cake, and wursten at a soccer gathering for a local soccer tournament, very much the typical German cuisine on a day to day basis.

Das gross Hugel means "the big hill," and I am not sure how to say it in plural form, so those of you who know it can correct me. I just thought I'd take the opportunity to teach you some German along with us as we learn it!