I moved to Italy: some photo explaination

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

some photo explaination

So here I am in Germany! This is how green Germany is, what downtown Gissen looks like, me and Sarah in front of the Gissen "Dirt Eater" statue (more on that later!), me with Hidran (Sarah's former host mom and nice German lady who showed us around), me eating what LOOKS like pasta but is ACTUALLY ICE CREAM... Germany is amazing, me drinking two beers but they are NOT two beers- one is beer lemonade (tasty!) and the other is the thing Europe should be famous for... BANANA BEER!!!!! SOOOO GOOOD! Also, the family that is letting us crash with them.

Germany is a wonderful place. In one day I was in a Castle, had ice cream that looked like pasta, beer with bananas in it, schnitzel, warm sauerkraut (no really, its great I promise!), went on the Autobaun, saw an 11th Century monastery, was a stones throw away from where my Goedert side of the family lived post-WWII, spoke some bad German to a waitress and some bad French to some others, ... did I mention I had not one, but TWO banana beers? And this was all within six hours of landing. Tomorrow at 5am we get on a train for Venice. I probably won't post untill I get back to Germany but feel free to email me with crap you would like me to bring you back from Italy/Germany/France/Amsterdam... I'll do my best with the Euro at $1.51 against the dollar.

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Acronyms and slang you'll need to know:

PT: Physical Training = mandatory excersise. Usually in the early morning. Like really, really early in the morning!

METC: Naval Medical Education Training Center= The Navys newest, most advanced, multi-billion dollar Tri-Service Medical Education campus. College for Navy Corpsmen.

"What had happed was...": Did you just get in trouble with the Navy? Speeding ticket? Late to watch? Just plain didn't go in to work today? Craft an AMAZING excuse with class 170's patented line.

Examples include: "Well Chief, what had happed was the sign with the speed limit was obstructed by a... soldier" (when in doubt, always blame the Army)

And who could forget: "Well Captain, sir, what had happed was we were told to do one thing by you, but orders from METC superseded and therefore negated your command. Also the Army said we looked like dorks. And that's not true sir! You know THEY are the ones who look like dorks."

Sick Call: Hospital/Clinic hours dedicated to seeing active duty Navy and Marines with no appointment. Run by Corpsman.

Mando: Mandatory = "Mando PT" "Mando Study Session" or "Mando Fun"

Mando Fun= Direct orders to gather at a certain time, in uniform and participate in a command function. Usuall on one's own time.

Scuttlebutt: A rumor. Or a drinking fountain.

Shipmate: A fellow member of the Navy. Can be used in a sincere manner "let me get the door for you shipmate!" or as code for as$ho!e, "hey thanks for cutting in front of me shipmate!"

Balls: Midnight = "I have watch balls to 3am"

Watch: Duty

Rover: A kind of Watch. You get a partner and walk around the ship, making sure no one steals it.

BAS: Basic Subsistance Allowance = "We don't need to give you time to eat breakfast, we give you BAS. Get some breakfast bars and bring them with you".

Peanut Butters: Navy Service Uniform= black pants with a brown shirt. We all hate them!

Cammies/ NW's: Navy Working Uniform. Blue on Blue digital camoflauge. We love them. Feels like wearing your pj's all day!

Cover: Your hat.

Orders: Where you will be working for the next 2-3 years.

NAVHOSPCORPSCHOOL: Navy Hospital Corps School

OPSEC: Operational Security - "Well sailor, we can't stop you from keeping a blog, but try to remember OPSEC and not post anything the enemy can use... like the high depression rate at this command"

BIG NAVY: The Navy is a corporation. Corporate Headquarters is in DC. Each individual Command is its own little world, operating independently and smoothly... until BIG NAVY decides to throw its weight around. BIG NAVY is "They". "They decided to change the Watchbill". "They" wan mandatory drug testing. "They" are ruining this Command by instituting insane policies that have nothing to do with the mission here. "They" will get you (see Don't Ask, Don't Tell post).