I'm so happy that I finally started class today! It feels so good to be back in school again...I haven't been in classe since May and the lack of learning was diminishing the capacity of my brain. Today I had the Quasselkurs, which is like and advanced grammar and conversation course. We learned A LOT of slang German which is soooo very practical here because, as non-native speakers, we speak very rigidly and we sound like robots and there is a lot of slang German in Harry Potter...you know, when Hagrid has dialog lol...so it became very useful the second I walked out of class. After that, I had Spiegelschrift, which is a creative writing class and we already have 2 essays due for next week and, like a nerd, I have already written them. I love school! The only downside to these classes is that I'm in the same classroom, with the same professor, and with nearly the same people for 3 hours straight. Which really isn't so bad because I only have it once a week. The German system is really different, classes are nearly always once a week for 2 hours, there are no electives; students only take classes for there course of study (which is why I have no room to take random classes that I don't absolutely know will count at ECU; which sucks because I would LOVE to take just any classes I want) and there is no homework.
I know my blogs are getting a little boring, but there's not a whole lot going on right now. They shall get more interesting soon because Christimas is coming and all the Weihnachten fests will be in full swing!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Days 52-56: The Days of Nothing
I've been enjoying some relaxation time and staying in almost every night for the past week. My back feels sooo much better and it's nearly back to normal (no pun intended) although I am enjoying using it as an excuse to stay at home every night. I've doing a whole lot of arts and crafts and my room is beginning to look more and more like home. I've colored a lot of my favorite quotes and Bible verses and hung them on the wall and I've made my name in really big letters and put it up. I have also been folding paper cranes and hearts and hanging them from the ceiling. My room definately has more color now and doesn't look so much like a prison. Winter is on its way so I guess I'll have to make some paper snowflakes soon and put them on the window :). I found a store where I can print my digital pictures for 7 cents each, so I'm pretty excited about that and I've been putting up some pictures of all my new friends and myself.
On Saturday, Julia and I met my friend, Veronika, on the train on the way to Stuttgart. Veronika was a German exchange student at East Carolina last school year and now she is back in Germany at her university in Stuttgart. Veronika, Julia, and I had a nice relaxing day at Das Leuze. We just relaxed in the hot tubs and the warm pools and chatted about school. It was really nice to do something different for once.
Nothing is open on Sundays, so I did absolutely nothing on Sunday and it was Fabulous.
Today was an ordinary day. I went to the grocery store and I'm staying again because I think Tangente has gotten a little too crowed for Kareoke because now that classes have started all the other students are back in town. I start class on Wednesday and I'm so excited for it because I'm getting really bored and finances only allow me to travel so much and so far. I think the next trip I'll be taking will be in December when I visit the Bushmanns for Christmas :).
Wish me luck on the placement tests this week for my classes! I love you all I miss you so much! Remember, I love to get mail, so if you send me a letter I will write back. <3!
On Saturday, Julia and I met my friend, Veronika, on the train on the way to Stuttgart. Veronika was a German exchange student at East Carolina last school year and now she is back in Germany at her university in Stuttgart. Veronika, Julia, and I had a nice relaxing day at Das Leuze. We just relaxed in the hot tubs and the warm pools and chatted about school. It was really nice to do something different for once.
Nothing is open on Sundays, so I did absolutely nothing on Sunday and it was Fabulous.
Today was an ordinary day. I went to the grocery store and I'm staying again because I think Tangente has gotten a little too crowed for Kareoke because now that classes have started all the other students are back in town. I start class on Wednesday and I'm so excited for it because I'm getting really bored and finances only allow me to travel so much and so far. I think the next trip I'll be taking will be in December when I visit the Bushmanns for Christmas :).
Wish me luck on the placement tests this week for my classes! I love you all I miss you so much! Remember, I love to get mail, so if you send me a letter I will write back. <3!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Day 51: YAY! I'm Myself Again!...well, almost
Slept until nearly 2pm today...not good, I know, but I have no schedule because I have no class, so the sleeping in late stays in place for now.
For about 2 weeks I've been having this muscle pain in my lower back. It's the same pain I had this summer when I was going to the chiropractor regularly and it hasn't bothered me since about June. Well, the pain came back and I waited about 2 weeks for it to clear up and it has not. So I finally broke down and went to find a chiropractor. I was lucky he was willing to see me, but I have not yet decided if I was lucky he treated me. He adjusted my back and what not just like my chiropractor in the states did, however, he was very forceful about it which I think may have made it worse. He also gave me an injection. He said it was a muscle relaxant, but I called my chiropractor in the states and he had never heard of anyone even being allowed to do that-at least in the USA-so I'm not sure if going was a good idea. I have yet to see any improvement, in fact, I think it may be worse. I'm going to wait it out a few days and see if anything changes. Then I'm going to get a massage.
I also finally gave up on this 'no arts and crafts' kick I've been on. I traded in the club for some construction paper and colored pencils. And I love that my walls now have some artwork and my room doesn't look so much like a prison. :) <3!
Kendra
For about 2 weeks I've been having this muscle pain in my lower back. It's the same pain I had this summer when I was going to the chiropractor regularly and it hasn't bothered me since about June. Well, the pain came back and I waited about 2 weeks for it to clear up and it has not. So I finally broke down and went to find a chiropractor. I was lucky he was willing to see me, but I have not yet decided if I was lucky he treated me. He adjusted my back and what not just like my chiropractor in the states did, however, he was very forceful about it which I think may have made it worse. He also gave me an injection. He said it was a muscle relaxant, but I called my chiropractor in the states and he had never heard of anyone even being allowed to do that-at least in the USA-so I'm not sure if going was a good idea. I have yet to see any improvement, in fact, I think it may be worse. I'm going to wait it out a few days and see if anything changes. Then I'm going to get a massage.
I also finally gave up on this 'no arts and crafts' kick I've been on. I traded in the club for some construction paper and colored pencils. And I love that my walls now have some artwork and my room doesn't look so much like a prison. :) <3!
Kendra
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Day 50 of 330: The 'what I thought was the 6 week mark, but is in fact the 7 week mark' day
Day 49
I got up early today and went to register for classes. First I met Catherine and Julia in the altstadt to eat breakfast at our favorite bakery, Das Kaffeehaus. This place is awesome, all the accents are yellow and inside the places to sit range from cusions on the floor to couple tables with plugs for laptops to a lounge with a TV to regular tables for groups. I think it might be my study place once classes get underway. I love their pastry selection and, of course, my life's addiction: coffee, that comes in giant mugs; which just makes me plain happy :). Then Julia and I went to the Burgeramt to re-register with the city and get our resident permits.
I am now an official legal student resident of Germany. My life is so cool. I can't help opening my passport and just looking at it. The picture sucks, but it's still a cool thing. It's really exciting for me to see all the stamps my passport is accumulating over time. What an experience, although, even after getting my permit/visa, I still can't get it through my head that I actually live here. "True story." ~Jenna Sapp.
After registering, we went to the office for international students and registered for classes. I am taking 4 classes this semester, all for my German major. I'm taking Spiegelschrift, which is a creative writing class, Aufbaukurs, which is intensive grammar, Quasselkurs, which is intense conversation, and Kinder- und Jungenbücher, which I think is a childrens literature class for foreign students.
My schedule is as follows:
Beginning Oktober 28th: Wednesdays: 10:15-11:45 Quasselkurs and 12:15-13:35 Spielgelschrift
Beginning Nov.2nd Ending Dez. 15th: Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays: Aufbaukurs
After registering for classes I went to the hair salon and FINALLY got my hair cut. Nothing too drastic, just a trim and a style slightly more 'European.' After that I went to Müller, bought hair dye, and dyed my hair brown. It's too expensive for me too keep up the blonde highlights here, so I decided to go all one color. It's not too brown, more of a dark ash blonde. But it's definately a change. I needed something dramatic that I could control. I think I might go darker in a few weeks. ;)
Went to kareoke as usual, it gets more and more crowded every week. I might quit going, you can't even move in there after 9:30.
Day 50
I woke up this morning thinking that I've been here 6 weeks today. But, alas, I have investigated my calender and I have, in fact, been here 7 weeks. Where in the heck did that other week go??? I must have been waiting for a bus.
The girls and I met at the Bahnhof and took the train to Metzingen to shop at the outlet mall. Julia missed the train! So we had to wait for her at the Metzingen bahnhof, but of course we had fun acting like fools. Metzingen is a neat little town, but the mall was full of designer stores and it was a little too expensive for me.
The weather is Fabulous here! The temperature in the past week has been in the teens, but it was kinda warm today...mid 30s. It usually snows here the first week of November (so I've heard) and I can't wait. I'm so excited to have a REAL winter for the first time!
Kendra
I got up early today and went to register for classes. First I met Catherine and Julia in the altstadt to eat breakfast at our favorite bakery, Das Kaffeehaus. This place is awesome, all the accents are yellow and inside the places to sit range from cusions on the floor to couple tables with plugs for laptops to a lounge with a TV to regular tables for groups. I think it might be my study place once classes get underway. I love their pastry selection and, of course, my life's addiction: coffee, that comes in giant mugs; which just makes me plain happy :). Then Julia and I went to the Burgeramt to re-register with the city and get our resident permits.
I am now an official legal student resident of Germany. My life is so cool. I can't help opening my passport and just looking at it. The picture sucks, but it's still a cool thing. It's really exciting for me to see all the stamps my passport is accumulating over time. What an experience, although, even after getting my permit/visa, I still can't get it through my head that I actually live here. "True story." ~Jenna Sapp.
After registering, we went to the office for international students and registered for classes. I am taking 4 classes this semester, all for my German major. I'm taking Spiegelschrift, which is a creative writing class, Aufbaukurs, which is intensive grammar, Quasselkurs, which is intense conversation, and Kinder- und Jungenbücher, which I think is a childrens literature class for foreign students.
My schedule is as follows:
Beginning Oktober 28th: Wednesdays: 10:15-11:45 Quasselkurs and 12:15-13:35 Spielgelschrift
Beginning Nov.2nd Ending Dez. 15th: Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays: Aufbaukurs
After registering for classes I went to the hair salon and FINALLY got my hair cut. Nothing too drastic, just a trim and a style slightly more 'European.' After that I went to Müller, bought hair dye, and dyed my hair brown. It's too expensive for me too keep up the blonde highlights here, so I decided to go all one color. It's not too brown, more of a dark ash blonde. But it's definately a change. I needed something dramatic that I could control. I think I might go darker in a few weeks. ;)
Went to kareoke as usual, it gets more and more crowded every week. I might quit going, you can't even move in there after 9:30.
Day 50
I woke up this morning thinking that I've been here 6 weeks today. But, alas, I have investigated my calender and I have, in fact, been here 7 weeks. Where in the heck did that other week go??? I must have been waiting for a bus.
The girls and I met at the Bahnhof and took the train to Metzingen to shop at the outlet mall. Julia missed the train! So we had to wait for her at the Metzingen bahnhof, but of course we had fun acting like fools. Metzingen is a neat little town, but the mall was full of designer stores and it was a little too expensive for me.
The weather is Fabulous here! The temperature in the past week has been in the teens, but it was kinda warm today...mid 30s. It usually snows here the first week of November (so I've heard) and I can't wait. I'm so excited to have a REAL winter for the first time!
Kendra
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Days 40 - 47: It's a Small World
I so sorry it has been over a week since I last posted! I can tell it's been too long when people start asking me on facebook when the next post will be. I'll try to keep it at a 2-3 day minimum from now on.
Let me just begin by saying, "it feels like a never ending cycle of it's a small world." I have been here almost 6 weeks and I feel the world closing in. I spend everyday doing nearly the same thing with the same people. I stay out way too late and don't go to bed until the wee small hours of the morning and then sleep until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Needless to say, I am bored and ready for classes to start. My summer began the first week of May; it is now the third week of Oktober and I'm still on 'summer vacation.' I'm ready for a change.
Let me just begin by saying, "it feels like a never ending cycle of it's a small world." I have been here almost 6 weeks and I feel the world closing in. I spend everyday doing nearly the same thing with the same people. I stay out way too late and don't go to bed until the wee small hours of the morning and then sleep until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Needless to say, I am bored and ready for classes to start. My summer began the first week of May; it is now the third week of Oktober and I'm still on 'summer vacation.' I'm ready for a change.
Allow me to explain "It's a Small World." I'm sure you have all been to Disney World at some point in your lifetime and even if you haven't you know about the "It's a small world" ride. Well you get in this boat all excited for an adventure. The boat begins to move along the water way slowly around the bend to the tunnel that transports you into an international world of singing robotic children. At first you think to yourself, "this is so exciting! How neat! I'm in 
Disney World! Woo Hoo!" Then you start to hear the song. "It's a world of laughter, a world of cheer. It's a land of hope..." etc. You think it's cute until about the twelth language and then you just want to jump head first into the foot high fake river just to end the monotony. Now I would go as far as jumping head first into the river of a make believe boat ride, but you get the idea that whenever I meet the international students I see the Italians all standing around speaking Italian, the Turks speaking Turkish, the Americans debating about politics...AGAIN!...the Spainish taking far too long to walk ten feet, etc. I have just realized that I do not know any Germans here in Tübingen. None. Nada. Zip. Now I realize that I have not started classes yet and I really haven't had any opportunities to meet any Germans, but enough is enough. Every Monday: Kareoke; Wednesday: Top 10; Friday: Girls' Nights; Saturday: Party at Prince Karlz. I'm so sick of going out and I miss being content to just sit in my room on a Friday night and watch TV or read a book. Only 10 more days until class begins!
Disney World! Woo Hoo!" Then you start to hear the song. "It's a world of laughter, a world of cheer. It's a land of hope..." etc. You think it's cute until about the twelth language and then you just want to jump head first into the foot high fake river just to end the monotony. Now I would go as far as jumping head first into the river of a make believe boat ride, but you get the idea that whenever I meet the international students I see the Italians all standing around speaking Italian, the Turks speaking Turkish, the Americans debating about politics...AGAIN!...the Spainish taking far too long to walk ten feet, etc. I have just realized that I do not know any Germans here in Tübingen. None. Nada. Zip. Now I realize that I have not started classes yet and I really haven't had any opportunities to meet any Germans, but enough is enough. Every Monday: Kareoke; Wednesday: Top 10; Friday: Girls' Nights; Saturday: Party at Prince Karlz. I'm so sick of going out and I miss being content to just sit in my room on a Friday night and watch TV or read a book. Only 10 more days until class begins! 
Please don't read into this that I am unhappy. I am very happy here. I have simply gotten to the point where the initial culture shock has worn off and I don't feel all "WOOOOO! HOOOOOO! I'm in Germany!!!" anymore. I am attempting to get involved here. I have some great friends with whom I love spending time and I have recently started attending St. Michael's Catholic church on a regular basis. I go to Saturday mass each week and I am looking into some groups to join.
This week was pretty much the same as any other since I've been here. On Monday I went to Kareoke and was happily reunited with my good friend Julia, who had been in Köln for about 5 days. On Tuesday, Julia and I were happily reunited with Catherine who had been in Munich for about a week visiting relatives. The three of us went grocery shopping (I feel that this may be a daily requirement in this country) and cooked a great meal of Taco Soup and watched movies and talked about our adventures while we were apart. Catherine will be staying with me until the end of the month because she has moved out of here old residence and they mistakenly reserved here new room for November instead of Oktober. So she's homeless until then lol. But she's in good hands and always has a place to sleep and plug in her hot rollers at my place. Wednesday was a big night for us and we all went to Top 10 and had a great 
night dancing our pants off. On Thursday there was a big welcome party at one of the clubs for the international students. I had a good time there meeting some other students. (One good thing about going out is that I'm loosing weight from all the dancing and walking.) Friday was Julia's 20th birthday and all the girls meet in the altstadt and we went to dinner and then met the rest of the group back at my place for drinks. Today I just cleaned and did some laundry and Catherine and I went to church. Now I'm just spending some time catching up on the blog and the journal.
night dancing our pants off. On Thursday there was a big welcome party at one of the clubs for the international students. I had a good time there meeting some other students. (One good thing about going out is that I'm loosing weight from all the dancing and walking.) Friday was Julia's 20th birthday and all the girls meet in the altstadt and we went to dinner and then met the rest of the group back at my place for drinks. Today I just cleaned and did some laundry and Catherine and I went to church. Now I'm just spending some time catching up on the blog and the journal. I'm beginning to realize how much I miss my campus crusade family and my close network of christian friends back in the states. Please pray that I find that close network here in Germany and that I keep Christ the focus of everything I do here. I miss you all and love you all so much!
Kendra
P.S. The weather is wonderful here. I'm actually going to see what a real winter is like lol. It's only Oktober and the high is in the single digits nearly everyday. The leaves have all changed color and are falling off the trees and the colors are just beautiful. The landscape is so incredibly picturesque. I love it. It actually hailed ice the size of large marbles today, it was crazy. But I love getting all bundled up in my pea coat, scarf, gloves, and hat and going outside. Everyone looks so cute with their red cheeks and noses from the cold and all cozy in their winter wear :).
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Day 39: The oh so Infamous Girls' Night
So tonight the girls and I organized the 1st monthly girls' night of our study abroad year. It was way fun. We met up at the XXL Cafe near the Hbf at 6pm and headed to Rewe Supermarkt and bought lots of goodies for Sangria and snackage. Then we grabbed the bus to my place--the chips didn't even make it home. At my place we began by making the Sangria and I must that we are Sangria-makin' beasts because we made it perfect on the first try. We made a toast to the all the single ladies and got started with our night of funness.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Days 35, 36 and 37: Kareoke Nights, Parties and Bierfests
Day 35: On Mondays we have a custom; Kareoke
Kareoke Night has become a bit more than a tradition here in Tübingen among the international students. It has become custom for all the students in this fall's international program to assemble at the Kareoke Bar, have a few drinks together and make fools of oursleves. We have a great time picking songs for each other and singing in languages that are not our own...the Macarena is very difficult to sing when you don't know any Spanish. It has also become tradition that all the women of Start Kurs I (this was my orientation class at the start of September) to sing 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls and for all the guys of Start Kurs I to sing 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua. We have a good time, it's been a great way for all of us to see and socialize and catch up regularly because we no longer see each other every day.
Day 36: Another one of Tulio's Parties
This morning at approx. 10am I was woken by the Hausmeister and a handyman come to fix the heater in my room. I opened the door and thought to myself, "my heat's not broken, but knock your socks off." And then my roommates and I had to spend the morning cleaning the oven...keep in mind that Germans don't have self-cleaning ovens so it took about 2 and a half hours of scrubbing with just dish soap and sponges to get this thing clean. I am glad the handyman fixed the door though, because we've been cooking food in an oven with a door that doesn't close completely. Later that day I went to buy my semester bus ticket and hung out with a couple friends I found in the Altstadt. Then we all headed for Tulio's place for another international student 'get together'. It was a fun night and it was great to see every together in a place that wasn't a bar so we could actually hear what each other speak. Frances-Kate and I headed back to my place and turned in early inpreparation for the Oktoberfest in Stuttgart the next day! 
Day 37: Stuttgart's Oktoberfest 'Volksfest' (people's fest in English)
So a group of us met this afternoon at the Hbf and took the train up to Stuttgart for the Volksfest. This place was amazing! It may have been bigger than Oktoberfest in Munich, but less well known. There were rides and food stands and candy stands and games and bier tents like you wouldn't believe! FK and I headed to the fest on our own and waded through the sea of people. We wandered for a good hour just taking in the sites and checking out the shopping stands. Later we found a good-looking biertent and stopped for a drink. the Fürstenberg Zelt had the coolest entertainment. There was a live, nearly traditional, band of old men in Lederhosen and many different hats. We sat next to an older German couple and practiced our German with them a bit. The band entertained the crowd with crazy cigarette tricks and German folksongs. At one point, the accordian player did a trick were he smoked the cigarette with no hands, practically swallowed the whole lit cigarette and smoked it again-to music. My reaction must have been really big because he pointed at me in the crowd, yelled 'blondie!' and everyone was laughing at me. It was one of the funniest things of the trip. After finishing our drinks, FK and I bought our steins and headed out to see more of the fest. We played games, ate a bratwurst, ate ice cream, ate cotton candy, ate...well, you get the idea. 
After a few more hours of wandering we met up with the rest of the group at the Swabenbräu Zelt and took up a whole table of just our group. Let me just say that there was quite a party going on in this Biertent. The band was AMAZING!!! By half an hour in our whole group was dancing on the table with our beers in hand shouting German folksongs and dancing to 'SHOUT!' and 'YMCA'. The best way to learn traditional German drinking songs is to go to a fest and stay in one tent for aobut 3 hours; repetition is the best way to learn. I'm amazed that we didn't break the benches; you should see the pile of broken biergarten benches behind the tents, it's quite funny. We were literally hanging from the rafters of the tent (yes these tents are actually more like permenant buildings than tents). After several hours in the Swabenbräu Zelt, we headed out and took one more turn on the log ride and headed home.
On the train on the way home, we ran into several Germans who were quite drunk. And there's nothing funnier than a drunk German after Oktoberfest. They ended up following us for almost the whole way back (luckily they got off the train about 3 stops before us) it was kinda funny afterwards, the way they were picking fights over what kind of bier is better, naturally the answer is ALWAYS German bier. I strolled into my room around midnight and crashed. Yesterday was exhausing, but totally worth it!
Kendra
Kareoke Night has become a bit more than a tradition here in Tübingen among the international students. It has become custom for all the students in this fall's international program to assemble at the Kareoke Bar, have a few drinks together and make fools of oursleves. We have a great time picking songs for each other and singing in languages that are not our own...the Macarena is very difficult to sing when you don't know any Spanish. It has also become tradition that all the women of Start Kurs I (this was my orientation class at the start of September) to sing 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls and for all the guys of Start Kurs I to sing 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua. We have a good time, it's been a great way for all of us to see and socialize and catch up regularly because we no longer see each other every day.
Day 36: Another one of Tulio's Parties
This morning at approx. 10am I was woken by the Hausmeister and a handyman come to fix the heater in my room. I opened the door and thought to myself, "my heat's not broken, but knock your socks off." And then my roommates and I had to spend the morning cleaning the oven...keep in mind that Germans don't have self-cleaning ovens so it took about 2 and a half hours of scrubbing with just dish soap and sponges to get this thing clean. I am glad the handyman fixed the door though, because we've been cooking food in an oven with a door that doesn't close completely. Later that day I went to buy my semester bus ticket and hung out with a couple friends I found in the Altstadt. Then we all headed for Tulio's place for another international student 'get together'. It was a fun night and it was great to see every together in a place that wasn't a bar so we could actually hear what each other speak. Frances-Kate and I headed back to my place and turned in early inpreparation for the Oktoberfest in Stuttgart the next day! Day 37: Stuttgart's Oktoberfest 'Volksfest' (people's fest in English) So a group of us met this afternoon at the Hbf and took the train up to Stuttgart for the Volksfest. This place was amazing! It may have been bigger than Oktoberfest in Munich, but less well known. There were rides and food stands and candy stands and games and bier tents like you wouldn't believe! FK and I headed to the fest on our own and waded through the sea of people. We wandered for a good hour just taking in the sites and checking out the shopping stands. Later we found a good-looking biertent and stopped for a drink. the Fürstenberg Zelt had the coolest entertainment. There was a live, nearly traditional, band of old men in Lederhosen and many different hats. We sat next to an older German couple and practiced our German with them a bit. The band entertained the crowd with crazy cigarette tricks and German folksongs. At one point, the accordian player did a trick were he smoked the cigarette with no hands, practically swallowed the whole lit cigarette and smoked it again-to music. My reaction must have been really big because he pointed at me in the crowd, yelled 'blondie!' and everyone was laughing at me. It was one of the funniest things of the trip. After finishing our drinks, FK and I bought our steins and headed out to see more of the fest. We played games, ate a bratwurst, ate ice cream, ate cotton candy, ate...well, you get the idea. After a few more hours of wandering we met up with the rest of the group at the Swabenbräu Zelt and took up a whole table of just our group. Let me just say that there was quite a party going on in this Biertent. The band was AMAZING!!! By half an hour in our whole group was dancing on the table with our beers in hand shouting German folksongs and dancing to 'SHOUT!' and 'YMCA'. The best way to learn traditional German drinking songs is to go to a fest and stay in one tent for aobut 3 hours; repetition is the best way to learn. I'm amazed that we didn't break the benches; you should see the pile of broken biergarten benches behind the tents, it's quite funny. We were literally hanging from the rafters of the tent (yes these tents are actually more like permenant buildings than tents). After several hours in the Swabenbräu Zelt, we headed out and took one more turn on the log ride and headed home.
On the train on the way home, we ran into several Germans who were quite drunk. And there's nothing funnier than a drunk German after Oktoberfest. They ended up following us for almost the whole way back (luckily they got off the train about 3 stops before us) it was kinda funny afterwards, the way they were picking fights over what kind of bier is better, naturally the answer is ALWAYS German bier. I strolled into my room around midnight and crashed. Yesterday was exhausing, but totally worth it!Kendra
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Day 33: Happy German Unity Day
So today was somewhat interesting...I met up with FK at the Bahnhof so we could go find this mysterious place that is holding the package containing her Halloween costume hostage. We wandered in the French Quarter of town for about 2 hours before we came to the conclusion that this place is fictional. We even tried Kaufland...which incidentaly was closed on a Saturday and we couldn't figure out why. So we gave up and wandered down the street to...dare I say it...McDonald's. I think the fact that this McDonald's didn't take debit cards was a sign we shouldn't eat McDonald's...ever. So we grabbed the next bus to the old city to find food and water.
The old city had this errie feeling about it...like EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED...ON A SATURDAY. This was the weirdest thing ever. Finally we both thought, "Today is somehow significant, it's some holiday we have overlooked, what is significant about October 3rd in Germany?" Ah, well, turns out that 19 years ago today the former East and West Germanys reunified under one goverment and it's now a national holiday. Sooo, we both went home and did nothing for the remainder of the afternoon.
That night we met the usual international students for dinner at El Chico's Mexican Resturaunt. I know, I know, I'm in Germany and I should be eating German food, but German Mexican food is the BEST! So we did the typical German thing; sat around a big table, talked way too loud, took way too much time to eat, drank cocktails, and had way too much fun :). After dinner, I caught a few holiday fireworks over the Neckarfluss. It was very beautiful, and almost like a fictional story book. It still hasn't quite sunk in for me that this is home for the next year, I live here...it's so crazy, I still feel like I'm on vacation. It's Fabulous.
The castle is in the way back there, and this is my street. I see the castle every day. It's Fabulous.
My schedule is otherwise pretty dull. I don't start classes until the 28th so if I get really lazy with this, it's not because I'm busy, it's because there's nothing interesting enough going on right now. Please keep up the prayers, I miss all of you! Drop me a letter if you get a chance, I will write back :).
Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 46
Zimmer 9.2
72072 Tübingen, Germany
or call me on skype: 704-461-1654 or my username is kendramaria1.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Days 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31: This is gonna be a long one...
Day 27
Today was a relaxing day for the most part. We all met at the Fichtenweg football courts and while the guys played football the girls played vollyball. It was nice to get some exercise. After playing, Julia, FK and I went back to FK's room and made dinner, played cards, and planned the Halloween party! We ordered our costumes from a German website and watched some movies. Turned in pretty early.
Day 28
Tonight was kareoke night! Eduard, Pepe and Catherine came over and we cooked some pretty awesome dinner and had a bit of a dance party and then we headed to the Altstadt to the kareoke bar and had some fun!
Day 29
Didn't do much of anything today except run errands and watch the guys play poker. I did get my first package from today from the states! My oh so lovely friend, Jenna, sent me a package with wonderful candy corn and Halloween Oreos and stationary and a movie and stuff! You're the greatest Jenna! It pretty much made my day.
Day 30: Oktoberfest Munich
OMG so today started at 4am! Woke up at 4, walk to the Hbf at 4:30, got on a train at 5am. There's just something wrong with the fact that it was still dark when we got on the train. So after 3 changes and 4 hours the 11 of us arrived in Munich around 9:30am. We found the nearest Bier tent and sat down. We were drinking at 10:05, it was pretty crazy. The day was pretty spectacular. We drank, rode rides, shopped, drank some more, rode more rides, shopped, drank, ate, sobbered, climbed the church tower, drank and finally got back on the train to go home. I know I won't be young enough to do this forever, but I had a great time while I did! 10 years from now I'm gonna have some great stories. We got in around midnight...the end of a 20hr day and crashed! I slept until 2pm today and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Day 31
I have officially been here 1 month and I still love it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
