I Can Still Get Wienerschnitzel, Right?

Fellow cheeseheads, friends and lovers of beer, I have a favor to ask of you in light of the upcoming recall election.  No doubt nearly all of you already know who you’re voting for, and I know better than to try and change your minds.  Instead I’d like you to think about how you’re going to act after the election.  Let me explain.

I came back to Wisconsin for Christmas, and spent New Year’s Eve in Madison with one of my best friends, it was all great..until I drove north.  On the way up Highway 51 I stopped at the Culvers I always had to get some cheesecurds and fill up my tank.  Those of you who know me (..most of you), know that I’m a pretty liberal person, and that my family and I like to drive rather..well spirited liberal cars.  No no, I’m not going to get all ideological on you, and yes yes, this story has a point.

Anyways, so while I’m pumping gas the gentleman pumping gas across from me starts yelling at me..shouting angrily.  At first I thought he was yelling at someone else, then he starts yelling about how my parents must be teachers and how I should “recall myself” blah blah blah, very original.  I didn’t know this man, and as a young woman traveling alone I was first off all taken aback that such a thing would happen in WI and second of all, to be honest a was a little scared.  

I didn’t know whether I should respond but after a short period of consideration I came to the conclusion that it would be best just to finish pumping, ignore this guy (who, by the way, was a father, his wife was in the passenger seat and he had two small children sitting in his backseat, he set a stellar example), and drive away.  As I pulled away I started crying, Wisconsinites I’ve said my share of awful things about Scott Walker, and I mean..let’s be real I just really loathe this man, but I would NEVER accost a complete stranger, or even a friend about what they choose to have on their cars, on their lawns, etc.  This is still a country in which we can express our political opinions with out fear (in theory), and the thing I always loved about Wisconsin…albeit rather stereotypical..was the friendly midwestern feel, and I missed that while I was home.  

When I come home to visit this summer one way or another things will be different, and I hope things will also be different in that we will find a way to come together again as a state.  I’m not saying people won’t disagree, and I have some close friends who are way on the other side of this issue.  I know I can’t change their minds, they know they can’t change mine, and maybe we’ll discuss politics from time to time, but when we come to an impasse we respect each other and don’t after one another on a personal level.  Again, political discourse is good, but only when both sides are really listening, otherwise it just turns into a shouting match.

I’m not sure what drove the man at the pump to yell at me that day, maybe he’d been out of work for awhile and needed to relieve some stress, maybe he hates Chevy Aveos, maybe he was just looking for a fight, but whatever the reason I think we can all agree that this is not the way we treat each other in Wisconsin, and that this cannot continue.  We will always have our differences, but we cannot lose our civility because of them.

Anyways, end of my plea dear people of the Dairy State, now please go and have a Leine’s and a huge helping of cheesecurds for me!

It’s been quite a while since my last lengthy life-related post, and now seems to be as good a time as any for another.  I have about a month left on my Fulbright, and it’s now time for me to figure out what I’ll be doing in the fall.  After sending out a few emails/resumes, it’s still unclear where/when/how/if I’m going to be able to find work.  It’s a rather frustrating feeling, because unlike job-searching in the states, this search has a ticking time bomb attached to it known as a visa-extension, or, at this moment..the lack of a visa-extension.

I’m not usually one to open the depths of my personal business online, but I’ve decided to chronicle the up and downs of job searching abroad (or in my case, in Germany), who knows, maybe this will be helpful to someone in the future…or maybe some poor sap in my area will read this, take pity on me, and give me a freaking job (I can dream, can’t I?)

So, what has happened up to this point, well:

1. I applied to extend my Fulbright for a second year through the PAD.

Result: No word yet, and there is no guarantee that this will happen).

2. I emailed a language company in town and attached a copy of my resume.

Result: they told me I wasn’t qualified..erm, I know someone from my old university who works for them..and has literally the same degree I do..so if I want this job I can go to Hamburg for at least 10 weeks to get certified).

3. I emailed a school in town that’s always looking for new teachers/ideas. 

Result: I have an interview next Wednesday-fingers crossed/thumbs pressed, but the woman said they would want a guarantee that I would stick around for awhile, which is what I want (see above, or see below for pics of awesome German life)…to stick around, but if they can’t help me with the legal visa issues..well, then that’s complicated.  So over the long weekend I’ll be finishing up my resume and buying some new interview clothes.

In summary, Germany, pleeeeeeeeease give me a job!