Nürnberg Weihnachts Markt

We took the train to Bavaria this weekend to the city of Nürnberg. It was a five hour journey with several train transfers, but well worth the trek. The entire city is surrounded by a 25 foot wall that is left over from the empire days. Amazing! The Christmas market is known to be one of the best and the delicious Lebkuchen didn't let us down. The city is also home for Nürnberg sausages, which are the German equivalent to The John Morrell tasty link. MMM! They put three little links on a hard roll and with a mug of glühwein it is heaven on earth. The stands varied from homemade candles, to snow globes, to homemade dolls, to wooden Christmas ornaments. The ugliest thing was little people made out of dried dates and walnuts. If my grandma Velda Schroeder were alive today and in Nürnberg she would have loved it. It was an absolutely wonderful way to celebrate the 3rd week of Advent! Unfortunately we will not be able to complete the entire advent season at German Christmas markets. We are flying Friday to the U.S. and will be celebrating the 4th week of advent at the Vikings vs. Saints game in Minneapolis. GO VIKES!

German Christmas Market Time

Christmas time in Germany is my favorite time of year. The Christmas Markets open at the first of advent and run through the 23rd. This year we are trying to visit as many as we can. The above pictures were taken at the Münster Christmas Market Nov. 27th, which is very unique in that the town has 6 small markets and not one large one in the town square. It was really a fun experience to walk from one to the next.

Last night we visited the Osnabrück Weihnachts Markt and found that to be unique in other ways. The one thing that all German Christmas Markets have is glühwein. It is a spiced red wine that is served hot and when it is cold outside will warm your body in an instant. LOVE IT!

Next weekend we are heading to southern Germany to experience the city of Nürnberg. It is known to have one of the best and most authentic markets in Germany. I'll keep you posted!

The interesting thing is that all businesses have advent wreaths with candles in their offices. It is apparently quite important to them. I don't think a large majority of German's go to church, but that doesn't mean they don't believe. They have and show a lot of respect for Christmas. I truly admire that about the culture. Recently I have seen advent wreaths at my dentist, an architect office building, the local bakery, and the bank.

HAPPY 2nd WEEK OF ADVENT!

Thanksgiving Weekend

A proud chef putting the turkey in the oven.



Our purple ribbon place setting.



Jodi enjoying the appetizers.



The carving of the bird.


The hit of the weekend, PUMPKIN PIE! The Germans had never had pumpkin pie and found the flavor to be amazing. Too bad you can't buy pumpkin in a can over here!

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Germany this past weekend. Ben's parents, brother, and his girlfriend were all in attendance. It was his families first Thanksgiving so that was really a treat to hear their responses to trying new foods.

OUR MENU
Appetizer:
-Devilled Eggs and a veggie tray

Main Course:
-Turkey stuffed with apple/bacon/celery/herb stuffing
-Green bean casserole
-Cranberry sauce
-Mashed potatoes and gravy
-Butterhorns

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie with a scoop of ice cream and whipped cream

A really fun weekend helping the family learn about Thanksgiving. Ben and I even explained the rules of football as we watched a bit of the Nebraska vs. Iowa game on ESPN. Go Huskers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! This year we will celebrate our first Thanksgiving in Germany and we have invited Ben's parents, brother, and his girlfriend to join. Naturally they are ecstatic about getting to experience their first American Thanksgiving. It definitely took some planning on our end to plan an authentic menu, but things are shaping up pretty good. Last night I made a test run of green been casserole from my substituted list of ingredients. I had not made the casserole in nearly 5 years so I wanted to brush up on my skills before I presented it at the first German Thanksgiving Celebration. However, I told Ben that we can't screw up the meal because they have no idea what a real American Thanksgiving dinner tastes like. On one hand I hope it all turns out, on the other hand I don't want to set the bar too high or they will expect it every year. How horrible is that thought process?

Ben ordered the bird online despite the fact that the stores now have frozen birds for sale. Would have been good information to know! Our bird arrived fresh Wednesday from a local farm where I am sure it was raised free range and drug free. I don't have too high of expectations on the taste of the bird as I am sure it will taste dry to me as all American turkeys are probably pumped with water. Let's face it, it's no Butterball! Either way it will be a fun challenge to try and pull off our first year hosting Thanksgiving.

We are celebrating Thanksgiving Friday evening as we have to work on Thursday. I am taking Friday afternoon off to start cooking dinner. Earlier this week I informed my coworkers that I would be gone Friday afternoon. One clever guy asked if I was celebrating "Black Friday." I told him yes, at exactly 12 German time the sales start and I need to be online. HA! Unfortunately I also promised him a turkey leg, but I doubt that will happen with the Stabe men in the house. Let's just see how many people tell me Happy Thanksgiving at work today. I'm guessing NONE! All you nurses, doctors, police men & women, and firefighters can think of me today as I will also be working.

In October I brought Libby's canned pumpkin with me and a box of Stove Top stuffing so we are set with a few of the American classics. I have pulled out my oil pastry crust from India as Germany doesn't have Crisco shortening. It is constantly a struggle to find substitutions and wonder how recipes will turn out. I guess we will just have to wait and see Friday night!

The End

I'm truly on the fence about my future in the world of knitting. On one hand I want to give it another try to prove I can do it, however I am not finding much motivation to carry on. Here are before and after pictures of my latest house shoe knitting project.
Yes, one is bigger than the other. Yes, they are too small for my feet. Yes, they look like Dutch shoes. I did however manage to finish my course after almost crying on night one from the frustration of a German woman looking at me like I was the dumbest person on earth. It was truly the competitive nature in me that pulled through on this project. Now I am left with two different sized house shoes that I will never wear because they don't fit me! Joy!

Little Dutch Girl

We currently live just over an hour from the Dutch border. In the past six months living in Germany I have been surprised by several conversations and events. However, I was not prepared to be called Dutch. It never dawned on me that people wouldn't recognize my American accent. Surprisingly 98% of the time people think I'm Dutch. I chuckle every time because when I was younger and playing basketball I experienced the Dutch Iowa girls who were solid as a rock. My entire life I have viewed Dutch girls as 6'3" and 220 lb. Now I wonder if they put my height and weird accent together and conclude I'm Dutch. So from now on you can all call me the Little Dutch Girl from South Dakota who lives in Germany.

Here's a picture of the Little Dutch Girl with Prince William.

Happy in the U.S.A.

There are really no words to describe how ecstatic I was to be back in the U.S. A few pictures of things that make me happy. My family was definitely the highlight despite the fact that I didn't get a picture with my parents. Loved being back on the farm!

Oktoberfest-Evening Day 2

On Sunday evening Ben and I went back to Oktoberfest to take in a bit more of the big event. We just couldn't get enough! First, Ben rang the bell by throwing down the big hammer on the sensor. I was so proud!



Then we enjoyed a ride on the big Ferris wheel where we could see the entire fairgrounds of Oktoberfest.



This is the view of "Beer Alley" where the big beer tents are located. I think there is 16 in all, but I am not sure.



To end our Oktoberfest we rode a very old traditional wooden carousel where the music came from a live band. It was hilarious! The ride would start and then the band would play for a few minutes and the ride was over. We even tipped the band it was so fantastic.

Oktoberfest-Morning Day 2

Sunday morning we awoke bright and early in the hopes of getting a seat in one of the big beer tents at Oktoberfest. Despite arriving at 9:30 am we were not early enough to get a seat, however we did manage a standing table in the middle.



Everyone still going strong at 11 am when the band started playing.



Ben testing out his waiter skills by lifting 7 liters of liquid gold. Each liter was 10 €= $12.50.





Inside view of another Oktoberfest tent. Very traditional!




The Sky Flyer is the highest portable swings in the world at 55 meters=180 feet tall. We were brave (dumb) enough to ride it and enjoyed the wonderful view of the fair, but were very glad to get back on the ground too. The rides at Oktoberfest, the world's largest fair, were really unique and ones that I had never seen before.

Oktoberfest-Day 1

Saturday October 1st-Monday October 3rd we took in the last weekend of Oktoberfest in Munich. The weather was absolutely perfect at around 70 degrees and clear blue skies. Normally it is not so warm this time of year in Munich. We had a long 7 hour train ride from the northwest corner of Germany to the south east corner, but well worth the trip. We met up with good friends in Munich and took in the festival together. Our friends found Oktoberfest to be loud, smelly, and crowded. Ben and I concluded that after being in India the noise, smells, and people didn't even bother us. We didn't think it smelled bad or was crowded at all. I've concluded most westerners don't know the real meaning of crowded. Take a peak back at my Mumbai Metro blog, now that was crowded!





A friendly German welcome to Oktoberfest!



Ben pledging his love with a gingerbread heart, a very common tradition at fairs.



We had to go to the real Hofbräuhaus as the one in Cincinnati is closed.



Enjoying one final liter Saturday night. I was drinking a radler and Ben a normal beer therefore you can see the color difference. A radler has sprite or lemonade added to make it a light beer.

South Bound!

Tomorrow morning bright and early we are boarding the train for Munich and a weekend at the 201st Oktoberfest. We have a three day holiday weekend here in Germany as Monday is German Unity Day.

We are meeting up with friends in Munich and plan to attend the biggest tourist attraction in Germany and the largest fair in the world. I believe something like 6.5 million people attend Oktoberfest over its 16-18 day period. The festival is designed to end on German Unity Day(October 3rd/also Grandpa Stabe's 87th Birthday!). Most Germans would question or have questioned why we are going, as they view it as an overpriced, non authentic, and totally materialized event. They suggest that we go to some of the smaller towns in Bavaria and visit the breweries, but we are determined to see the big show once in our life. The festival has very strict rules that all the beer is brewed within the city limits of Munich. Oktoberfest beer has 5.8-6.3% alcohol and a high sugar content. Hence the reason why so many have problems with drunkenness at Oktoberfest. The average German beer has 5.2% alcohol content and low sugar. I'll report back on Tuesday my findings!

I worked through the 4th of July and Labor Day so now I feel like it is only fair that I get a three day weekend. I've earned it! Today was officially 4 months with the company, despite the fact that I had a 3 week sick leave in August for my appendix/stomach issues. Work is going really well! I think my job as a Sales Assistant is a good fit. I really enjoy working with people from all over the world. I translate Chinese English emails for my coworkers and they translate the Slovakians speaking German to me. It works well! Oh, it is hard not to laugh sometimes. Today I talked to a Chinese man speaking German ON THE TELEPHONE. I couldn't understand him, he couldn't understand me, and in the end we both just hung up and sent emails.

Have a great weekend!

Water Aerobics, Knitting, & International Cuisine

A full week as I finally am healthy enough to join my water aerobics class and my knitting class also started. My social schedule is really picking up. I found the water aerobics class to be the perfect pace as it was more senior splash hour than true aerobics. The class included 18 plus people who were at least 30-50 years older than me. I was doing great until we moved on to working our arms and one of the old ladies lifted her arms to reveal longer armpit hair than most men. I have not figured out the European standard on shaving, but find that long leg hair is not frowned upon. A perfect society for someone who is not fond of shaving, such as myself.

My knitting workshop was supposed to be in November/December, but got moved up to this week. I apparently read the course description wrong as I thought it was a class to learn how to make socks. However, I found myself sitting amongst 6 knitting pros last night. It turns out a knitting workshop is to come together and bring projects that you have questions on and need a little guidance. I have a lot of practicing to do this week to try and complete something by the end. At the moment I think it is going to be a scarf, but it is too early to tell. I might have to settle for a pot holder if I don't speed up my skills. It was not the relaxing Friday evening that I was looking for to meet new people.

Ben and I had a very international week of eating. Thursday night we officially planned as "French Night." It included Flammkuchen and Federweisser. Flammkuchen, pictured below, is a French type of pizza that is covered with cream, onions, and ham/bacon bits. Absolutely delicious! It comes from the region of Elsass in the southeast corner of France. Federweisser is young wine that is still in the fermenting process and therefore is milky in color and very strong. It can not be kept very long and has to be drank within a few days of opening as it can not be corked due to the yeast. It is very traditional this time of year to enjoy these two together.




Today was unofficially "American Day" as we enjoyed Pizza Hut pizza and later a caramel macchiato from Starbucks. It had been so long since we had enjoyed either treat. A lovely day of shopping in the downtown distract of Osnabrueck.

We have completed 6 months in Germany now and I can't honestly say if things are good or bad. Life is moving past and I am counting down the days until I can visit my family and friends in the U.S. Once I alleviate my home sickness, then I am hoping to find more joy and be able to honestly say that I am happy, instead of putting on my happy face for everyone. I am a bad liar so this phase in my life needs to end soon. Thankfully 1 month from today I am flying to South Dakota! My suitcase is half packed and I am ready to truly enjoy the U.S. for 1.5 weeks.

German Botanical Cemetery

Now that I am feeling healthy again I decided to walk downtown tonight. It was a slow walk, but I made it there and back in under an hour. On the way home I decided to walk through the cemetery near the very large Catholic church. I have not walked through many German cemeteries, but I have always noticed a lot of people going to them for a visit. Once inside I felt like I was honestly in a botanical garden. Each little grave site is cared for by the family. They all have traditional American looking new age head stones with family name and dates. Then instead of grass like in the US the 3 x 6 foot area is decked out to the max with flowers, manicured bushes, burning candles, fresh flowers in vases, rocks, and so on. There were lots of people working in their little cemetery grave area/community gardens. It was absolutely amazing! There were so many people around that I couldn't possibly pull out my camera for a picture, but just picture the most decked out flower/bush patch that you can imagine. The competition to keep up with your neighbor would be too overpowering for me. Maybe gardening is a way to overcome grief, I'm not sure? The cultural experiences never stop!

Our New Bundle of Joy!

Ben has informed me it is a girl, because it is in the kitchen. We broke down last week and finally bought a microwave. 5 1/2 months microwave free and concluded that we were truly missing the convenience of reheating leftovers in 2 minutes. Our new bundle of joy takes up our working counter space, but we can't have it all! I am so excited to make microwave popcorn!

Month 5

I made the mistake of writing "Oh the excitement of what Month 5 will bring!!!" as closing remarks to my month 4 posting. As expected the excitement came, but not in a healthy way. We started out month 5 with a wedding, a visit with family in Simmern, and the excitement of Jodi wrapping up her 3 month trial period at work. However, right when a person thinks everything is OK their world gets flipped upside down and inside out. Life changed in a matter of hours and now once again we are reminded how our health is everything in life. I will try to keep the story as short as possible.

Monday August 22nd
-Woke at 4 am with sharp stomach pains under my ribcage.
-6:40 am Ben drove me to the ER.
-9:30 am I am admitted to the hospital Station B so that I can have my stomach scoped Tuesday morning.
-Spent the day pushing my IV poll down the hall to the bathroom and back. Not pretty!
-Roommate 1-young heart muscle infection patient in early 20's.

Tuesday August 23rd
-7:30 am they wheeled me to OP where they knocked me out and stuck a long scope down my throat to look at my stomach. The doctor later informed me that he found slime and called it very infected. I was just trying to listen as close as possible to understand what the doctors and nurses were saying in German. Lots of new words for Jodi!
-Afternoon/evening brought major pain over entire stomach area.
-Roommate 2-elderly woman transferred from intensive care to room with me. She was driving me crazy with all her chatter while I lay in pain.
-10:30 pm wheeled back to OP to have my appendix removed after 3 doctors pressed on my belly and asked if it hurt. I almost jumped off the bed each time! 40 minutes of surgery and I was in recovery and then wheeled to Station C Room 17 where I spent the remainder of my stay.
-Roommate 3-Sylvia I met at 11 pm after having my appendix out. She was recovering from a knee injury due to a motorcycle accident. Cool lady!

Wednesday August 24th
-Doctors were not impressed with the infected fluid that was accumulating in my drainage bag. They made the decision to go back in Thursday morning to clean me out. I like to refer to it as my power wash.

Thursday August 25th
-7:30 am wheeled back to OP and knocked out for the third time in 2 days. A bad experience with a crazy male nurse, a weird anesthesiologist, and a recovery room nurse that I couldn't understand. It didn't help that when I returned to my room in tears the maintenance man chose that moment to come into my room and hang a cross. I was scared! It should be illegal to hang crosses when people are just coming out of surgery.

Friday August 26th
-Felt shockingly good and was closer to being able to get out of bed on my own with a new roll and pull technique one of the nurses taught me.
-Roommate 3 Sylvia went home and roommate 4 Maria joined me. She was getting ready to have surgery on her thyroid.

Saturday August 27th
-A rough day with lots of stomach pain, but wonderful having Ben visit for most of the day.

Sunday August 28th
-The first day I really thought there was hope as I ate my first real food meal, despite the fact that it had been blended.
-Survived the Russian Family Reunion of my roommate as about 15 people came in and out of our room.

Monday August 29th
-Awoke feeling like I could run a 5K or open my window and start singing "Oh what a beautiful morning!" The pain was gone!
-Winced as the nurse pulled a good 6-8 inches of plastic drainage tubing out of my side.

Tuesday August 30th
-Sang praises as the nurse removed my drainage bag and replaced it with a band aid. One step closer to getting to go home.
-Another good pain free day and the first time I really got to shower in over a week.

Wednesday August 31st
-Told the doctor on his morning round that I wanted to go home that night. The head doctor said I needed to finish my 10 days of antibiotic drips and if all looked good with my blood then Thursday I could go home.
-Said goodbye to roommate number 4 Maria.
-Roommate 5 (didn't get a name) joined us Wednesday morning and we had 3's company for a few hours in the room. Nr. 5 checked in to have spinal surgery Wednesday morning. Sounded really scary to me. Endured a family reunion Wednesday evening with 10+ in the room and prayed I would get to go home Thursday as I couldn't handle all these visitors.


Thursday September 1st
-Officially lost my patience on Day 11 in the hospital. Ate breakfast in bed trying to enjoy my last morning. Roommate was wheeled off to surgery early.
-10:30 am received my letter from the doctor that I waited 2 hours to receive. The letter gives instructions to my family practice doctor and one can not leave until they have it. Walked out of the hospital with one band aid on and the orders to eat no bananas, chocolate, and low fat.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as I recover at home. I'm still learning what I can and can not eat to stay pain free and manage a tender stomach. Friday September 9th I plan to return to work and hope that I can endure 7 hours of sitting with no nap. It will be a long day, but after nearly 3 weeks at the spa, as Ben called it, time to face reality. Murse Ben was absolutely wonderful during my hospital stay and I felt very lucky to have him as he stopped by every morning at 6:45 am before work to say good morning and every evening after work. A very stressful time for him as he managed me, the house, and work. Great to be home and looking forward to a relaxing month 6 with no excitement!

10 Weeks!

In exactly 10 weeks from today I will be in a big Boeing Airplane flying over a little lake known as "THE ATLANTIC!" That's right, in 10 weeks I am COMING TO AMERICA!!!!! The excitement is overwhelming, despite the fact that I havn't even packed yet. However, I do have a full list with everything I need to pack, want to buy, want to eat while in the US, and naturally want to bring back from the US. Right now the biggest thing I want to bring back is chocolate chips. It was a problem in India and also here as Nestle and Hershey have not hit the chocolate chip market. It is truly sad to think about billions of children in the world growing up with never being able to sink their little teeth into a fresh chocolate chip cookie. MMM!

Chocolate chips are just the tip of the iceberg as 14 months away from the U.S. have allowed for lots of cravings to build up. DQ cheeseballs anyone?

See you all in 10 weeks! Only 1,680 hours and I will be back on South Dakota soil.

Brötchen Delivery

We have recently discovered a small town German perk thanks to our neighbor lady Karen. One evening while chatting with her we learned that there is a specific service available in our town. Per our request every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning around 6:15 AM an old green jeep rumbles down our street. They pause for only a minute before dropping off the ordered goods and continuing on their route.

Can you guess what they bring?



Our front doorstep at 6:15 AM.




Our bundle of goods! Yes, fresh baked brötchen (hard rolls) delivered to our doorstep. We no longer buy bread and watch it go to waste, but have fresh bread delivered. I am turning into a real German as I smear my brötchen with margarine and add a piece of salmon for breakfast. I remember the first time I had hard rolls for breakfast with Ben at his parent's house in December of 2006. My first impression was not a good one as most Americans find them tough and untoastable. However, over time a person really enjoys them with fish, meat & cheese, Nutella, Marmalade & Quark (kind of like sugarless yogurt) or with a hard boiled egg. Now I don't know life without them.



My fresh "normal brötchen" with fresh salmon. In the background is my 7 grain hard roll that I spread fresh Stabe honey on and pack for my 9-9:15 AM breakfast break at work. Ben's dad has several bee houses and produces his own honey. I am growing to enjoy it too! What's next?

Happy 90th Grandpa!

Grandpa and Grandma Wettig

As I reflect back on how many 90th birthday party's I have been to in my life I can only remember or think of two. My first was in January on Grandpa Wettig's real birthday and the second was Saturday night at his rescheduled, because he was sick, summer grill out birthday party. The party included 60 plus people in the small town of Soergenloch. Willy from the Mooseberg Lodge hosted the grill out and the event went wonderfully. Grandpa is currently strong and healthy, which is the most important thing. He was finally able to stand up and give a speech at the birthday party that he has planned for more than 3 years. I enjoyed a shot of Schnapps with him at 11:30 pm and have to say it was the most hopping 90th ever. Alles gute Zum Geburtstag Opa! Bis 95!


The family all dressed up in German Robin Hood clothing from their short, yet entertaining skit.


Ben with both of his grandfathers. On the left is the young one Manfred at 86, Phillip in the middle at 90, and Ben on the right. Both grandpa's fought in WWII!

Month 4

We are officially 4 months into our new life in Germany. Despite a perfectly orchestrated move we are still experiencing small bumps in the road. It is common cultural transition knowledge that says a person will be overjoyed in month one with the excitement of the move and then will hit a low point and then transition into normal life. I believe after 4 months I have completed my cycle and I am truly hoping that I am now on the upward swing. The ups and downs were more extreme in India as it is a third world country, but the adjustment still exists here in Germany. Naturally anytime you are out of your home country there are differences. I'm finding that all my patience was used up in India and now I'm just tired and frustrated. In month 4 my frustrations are up and down. On one hand living is getting easier because we are more established, but on the other hand it is more frustrating as we are searching for more. I'm not sure I will ever be content with living. The house is settled and we have a wonderful neighborhood of people that I am calling friends. However, true friends is what we are lacking. We have also discovered that living together, eating breakfast together, driving to work together, working at the same place together, driving home together, and eating dinner together is getting to be a bit much of time TOGETHER. We are searching for hobbies where we can separate ourselves so that we have something to talk about over mealtime. Last Sunday night we sat down together and researched how we can get involved.

This week I tried woman's running club thinking that it would be a healthy club choice to join. I arrived promptly, as a good German would, and was shocked to discover three 50+ woman at running club. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I would have bet money that the average age wouldn't be over 35/40 years old. Oh no, me and the ladies ran three 2.2 km laps around the forest in one hour. I don't want to call them older ladies because 50 is not old, but I just find it old for running. I hope I'm running at 50, but find it rare. The good news is that they have accepted me after I complained about my knees hurting. Ha! I had to throw in a few health comments just to fit in. They have invited me for 6 am swimming, but I think I will pass.

I also tried out Go Cart club this week. It was a full out attack on trying to find a hobby. The club is through work and meets once a month. Naturally I was the only woman there and naturally I would hit another co-worker head on with my cart after he spun out. A great way to start any group! He complained of rib pain and I felt horrible, but it honestly wasn't my fault! I walked away unharmed.

So at the end of 4 months in Germany and 2 months of working we feel as though we have accomplished a great deal, yet we are not satisfied with everything. The most successful accomplishment this past month was getting our dining room light installed. Now we can have dinner guests over past 8 pm. The second largest accomplishment was our new discovery of biking home from work. We drive together with one bike on the back carrier to work and then one of us drives home and the other bikes. Ben biked Tuesday and Thursday and I made it Wednesday and halfway today. It's 29 km so a good 1 hour and 15 minutes is needed to complete the journey. Today it was windy and my exhaustion got the best of me. I made it halfway! I get off work earlier than Ben so being able to jump in the car or on my bike and go is really a great alternative to wondering around the grocery store for an hour everyday. We also hope that it will help improve our waistlines!

Oh the excitement of what Month 5 will bring!!!

Lucky Girl!

My wonderful husband brought me back 2 U.S. magazines, a bag of Hershey kisses, and a box of Lucky Charms from his India business trip via Dubai. Yes, I am the luckiest woman in the world. I was reading my new Women's Health magazine when I came to the below page.



At first glance I thought it was an advertisement against cellulite, but then I quickly remembered that the magazine came from Dubai. The U.A.E. is very strict on the viewing of women and doesn't allow revealing clothes or photography on their beaches. It is a very strict country! Can you imagine the employee who gets to take a black permanent marker and cross out all of these pictures? The entire magazine is filled with sex articles and yet the bare buttocks picture is not allowed.