I came into work on Monday and smelled something strange. Luckily, I was not going crazy. There was some sort of gas leak going on and our entire building smelled like gas. Not too fun and a little scary because as children one of the mini-lessons you get in school is that when you smell gas, tell someone and leave the area as soon as possible in case something ignites and blows everything up. Well, we couldn't all just leave because the gas leak was coming from outside and filtering into the building. The funny thing is that they sent around an email in the office saying to stay in and not to go outside and smoke. Despite this, a whole load of people were standing outside and smoking before they went in for the day. Go figure.

This weekend I finally went to the Met. I headed out of my apt. on Saturday morning and had to walk immediately back in to change because it was 70 degrees outside! Unbelieveable weather. I met up with Maura who came to her door in a sweater and carrying a coat and I stood there looking at her with a crazy face in my tshirt. She went back in to change.

The Met was cool. And, I'll certainly have to go again since it is a rather large museum. I think my favorite things were just some random pieces- one of them was by John Singer Sargent called The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit. But the exhibit itself was packed since the exhibit is ending soon and because it was a Saturday.

I am on my way with my top ten list of resolutions. I finished A Good Year last night and it was ok. It´s a quick read that feels like a weekend getaway. You read it, glad you read it and wished there was a bit more going on with it. Nonetheless, it took your mind off of things for a while. The book certainly made me want to leave and do something different for a while. Live somewhere where the idea of living was just different than what I am currently used to.

I´ve been in NY for almost a year and the way of life here is definately different than in the Midwest. Here, I feel as if my days run as if I am on a schedule. Even if I don´t plan to do something and randomly decide to get a drink or take a walk, it was just one more activity I fit into the day before the next day began. Fill the days.

The weather in NY right now is crazy. It´s still warm and it´s January. I think I am enjoying it.

My New Years Resolution Progress

I started reading A Good Year last night. But, I bought the book so that went against my financially responsible resolution. But, I did buy the book at a going out of business sale. So, it wasn´t too bad. I have bringing my lunch to work lately, so that goes to my financially responsible resolution. I have been trying to walk around more after work, but it can get a bit hard because I usually want to head straight home. And, I am hoping to visit a museum this weekend. So, I´ll update as soon as I do any of that.

Yesterday I removed a few weeks worth of newspapers from my desk. I usually pick up a paper on my way into the subway and set it down on my desk when I get to work. And, they will pile up for weeks until I decide I have no room for anything else.

It´s New Year´s so I feel as if I should tell everyone what my resolutions are. It will make them more ´real´ or less easy to break, perhaps?

Top Ten List of Resolutions

1. Exercise more
2. Eat better (less junk food and candy and more good quality food)
3. Practice German (self study or a class if I can get into one)
4. Travel to someplace new and out of my comfort zone
5. Learn some basic Korean
6. Stay in better touch with friends and family (send one piece of corresponence per month in addition to phone calls and emails)
7. Read 13 books in 12 months (not overly ambitious, but they´re my resolutions so I can do whatever I want)
8. Be more financially responsible (save, not spend!)
9. Volunteer
10. Visit museums in the city

I haven´t blogged in a very long while and K. gave me some crap about it while I was at home. So, here you go....

While I was at the airport coming back to NY, I decided to get a Mint Condition from Caribou since I hadn´t had one this visit and because I wouldn´t be able to have one for at least another few weeks because there´s no Caribou in NY. (Bou to that!)

So, I´m sipping on the Mint Condition and who do I see? Kevin Sorbo from the Hercules TV series. Except I couldn´t remember his name or his TV character when I saw him...so I just kinda stared at him while he walked by. In my head, all I could think was ´Xena Warrior Princess....no that´s not right...Xena Warrior Princess...shoot...it´s not Xena...´

Other than that, my flight back wasn´t too eventful.

There's nothing I dispise more than all things 'fabulous.' But, I had a strange weekend of fabulous- here and there. My friend Y. came out here for some interviews, so we hung out during the evening with M. We tried to show her all of the things we thought she should see and we sort of succeeded. She saw Times Square at night, Chinatown and Little Italy, the village and well, Queens. But, we totally succeeded in finding places to eat. The first 'fabulous' place we happened upon was this middle eastern restaurant. We randomly went in and got lunch. When we went to pay the guy who worked there asked Y. where she was from. When she answered 'Japan,' he pulled out this Japanese magazine where his restaurant was featured, along with a photo of him and his restaurant. Ok, not too fabulous. But, fabulous enough. Later in the evening we had dinner at Otto, a Mario Batali restaurant. It's really good and reasonably priced. But, nonetheless fabulous. At least, all of the people who eat there tend to think they're fabulous. This morning, as Y. and I were walking to the train, we decided to stop at this cafe we went to a couple of nights ago. The cafe has already become my favorite place. They have fantastic cappuccinos/coffees as well as hundreds of thousands of calories worth of yummy desserts. As we walked out of the cafe I saw that they were the cafe/bakery that made the wedding cake for the wedding in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding.' Fabulous, or what? Even though this cafe has it's bout with fabulousness, I still feel compelled to go there because my love for pasteries and coffee is far more true and strong than my disposition of fabulousness.

Ah...two weeks and counting until my trip to San Diego. I am more than excited to get out of the cold city and onto the warm beach. I'm going for this conference for work, so I'll only be with work people. A couple thousand work people, to be not so exact. Aparently, they do this every year. My work basically reserves a resort, flies us all out to it to hold a conference. Yeah, we have to learn and network. Understood. But, from what I've heard from everyone about this conference- it's basically MTV Spring Break. You really have to buckle down because everyone goes crazy. The company is very much a 'work hard, play hard' kind of company and this will be my first concrete piece of evidence of it. So, we go to meetings all day, but everyone hits the beach and goes out for the rest of the time only to get up early for meetings the next morning. I'm glad I'm still in that college age range, otherwise I don' t know how I'd handle it.

Ah…finally, a journal entry.

Everyone should come go to San Francisco. I managed to see a great deal of tourist attractions- the common, the kitschy and the interesting ones. My favorite had to have been in the Haight & Ashbury neighbourhood. A guy walked down the street dressed in a white summer dress and running sneakers and carried a ‘protest-esque’ sign that said ‘Lighten up baby I’m a chicken.’ But, the one factor tying his whole deal together was the chicken noises he made as he walked down the street. “Bock…bock…bock…”

The other interesting activity I took part in this whole weekend was listening to people’s conversations. Ok, not everyone’s conversations, just the conversations of German tourists. A. They happened to be everywhere. B. I consider it learning because I am hearing the German language and identifying words I am not familiar with. In general, it wasn’t all that interesting. No one said anything too strange, gossipy or about me. I should have just talked to them…but, at the time I decided against it because you can’t talk to people you’re eavesdropping on. Next time…

Wow. I haven't posted anything in about a million years. Sorry. But, I can't really say I know of any avid readers of this blog, so it doesn't matter anyway.

My trip out to California was not without its flaws. When I got to the airport, I had to move three pounds of luggage from one bag into another becacause of weight limits. Fine. Even though one of my bags weighed drastically less than the other bag, I still complied.

Then, I landed in Denver. The ride was turbulent due to wind coming over the Rockies. It wasn't fun, but I landed ok. After landing, I discover my flight to San Jose was delayed about 2 and a half hours. Great...again.

After landing in San Jose, I went to pick up my rental car. Well, the people there screwed it up a bit and gave my car out to someone else. So, I had to sit around 45 minutes for them to figure out the paperwork to let me go. Great...once again.

But, so far so good here in California. The company is awesome...and I hope I'm able to learn all of the stuff I'm suppose to learn...uh...quickly. It's all just so much info.

I haven't posted anything in a while because I've been über busy with a lot of things. I'm trying to (slowly in a very procrastinated manner) get ready to go and see tons of people who all seem to be in town right now. Oh well. That's how things go.

For this post, I thought I'd dwell a bit on the year 2005. I have no huge complaints. I'm pretty content with the year. Nothing went as smoothly as it could have gone. But, everything has worked itself out in some manner or another. I got to see some spectacular and fun places, see people I'd never thought I'd see (friends I didn't imagine seeing so soon) and I really got to learn. I learned a lot in general. I have this perspective I built from all of the new people I got to meet this year. Through this, my tolerance and patience threshold was totally tested and expanded. Something that will (hopefully) pay off in 2006 is my willingness for adventure. I don't mean traveling to new places and climbing mountains (but, if someone came up to me with an all expenses paid trip to Nepal to climb around on the Himalaya's, I wouldn't say no!). I mean, my willingness to talk to new people, to do things by myself without relying on a 'friend to go with me' and my capacity for learning. They all play into each other. I guess I realized how much I learned from other people.

I remember hearing someone say that they were 'broke in an amazing way' by their experiences. I can't remember who said it, but I feel the same way. Some awful things happened this year and some really great things happened this year, and all I can say is that those experiences and people broke me in an amazing way. I'm different, better and stronger because of it. And, frankly...that's all a girl can ask for.

Good luck to all in the New Year!

I've tried to write a post for the past week and I just can't seem to do it. I have things to write about, I just never seem to get them down. So, yesterday I went wedding dress shopping with L. She's getting married next year and I am one of her bridesmaids, so I thought I'd go with for moral support and as a trusted critic. It was quite a day. I must say that after that experience, I never want to get married. I couldn't believe the fear that seeped into my bones when I stepped into the first bridal shop and saw hundreds of white dresses. I still can't believe the number of white dresses that exist. I cannot also believe that they cost so much. They're just white dresses, you know. So, L. tried on something like 20 of them and I must congratulate her. I don't know what I would do if I was here. I don't like shopping for shoes, pants or anything. Anything I deem necessary in owning tend to be items that are not fun to shop for. I don't like the pressure of deciding which pair of black shoes to buy because there are so many and I know that the day after I wear those new black shoes, I'll see another pair which I like even better. Wedding dresses, however, are a much bigger commitment. This is something you are going to have burned into your memory as well as pictures, which will hang on your wall forever. If you make a bad decision, you will regret that stupid dress forever. Everyone should just elope.

I've also been thinking about this job offer for about a week. It, like a wedding dress, is a big decision. I don't know what to do...but I'll have to make a decision in the next day or two. And, I can only hope it's a good decision. Or, a good decision for me right now. I don't like making bad decisions, I don't like regret and I don't like having to make the best out of my own bad decisions. Ah... Wish me a world of luck and intuition. I'll need it.

I really like the song 'Everything I Own' by Dan Wilson right now. I listened to it and immediately liked it. It sounded like a song I'd heard before, but haven't. I feel like singing along with it, but don't know the words yet.

So, tomorrow I should find out about the job. A few weeks ago I was in California interviewing for this job, and now they want to make me an offer. The problem for me is that I've never negotiated an offer. I'm such a rookie; all I know how to do is fake it and hope for the best. For the most part, I just need to remind myself that I will cross bridges when I come to them. At the same time, it's best to have a plan. So, I asked some of my friends last night about how they negotiated their contracts. I'm glad I asked because they gave me a few things to think about and be ready for. So, we'll see what happens. It could be very interesting and exciting...or awful...perhaps all of that... Worst case scenerio? I end up staying put...right here for a bit longer until I fashion some sort of new plan.

It snowed again yesterday and today it was cold. Really cold. Something like 5 degrees. And, I realize it can and has gotten colder than that, but it doesn't make it any more pleasant to endure. Whenever it gets this cold here I have to wonder why I never moved to a warmer state. It would only be logical, right?

* This is what a pug looks like when it gets dangerously close to the lens.

I went to E.'s for a second Thanksgiving. I had my first Thanksgiving with my parents on Thursday, but it was rather uneventful as it was only my parents and myself. Oh well. Anyway, it was fun to see E. again and it was fun to be around her family because they're just so funny. I can only remember one of the memorable phrases from the evening...her mom said to E.'s sister, 'What? Do my slippers intimidate you?' One of the memorable events of the night was when E's sister and boyfriend ended up head-butting each other when grabing for a spoon in a rousing game of well, Spoons. E.'s boyfriend also cut his finger during that game and refused to put an Elmo band aid on it.

* No purpose for this picture. The bird made me post it. It swears it doesn't have the flu.

So yes. Exciting week. I went to California for about 26 hours and came back. I did some maddening volunteer work, which will go far more efficiently when I begin work on it at home. And, I did a little work at my craptacular job. But, today was my last day, so that's an upside. Next week should be a whole new week of exciting. I start a new temp job, interview (again for the 5th time, this time in German!) for a job, and see some friends. Huzzah! What more could a girl ask for? (Hello!?! A spectacular job offer, five dollars and conversation!)

So yes. California. Imagine me on the 101 in a rental mini-van. Ha. It actually turned out ok. I didn't hit, ding or hurt anyone. I did however exploit that mother-f#cker, but that's what rentals are for, right? I drove around for an hour just because I didn't have to be at the airport for a while. And, the manner in which I drove it...well, lets just say I wouldn't let anyone near my car if I knew they would drive it like that. I just hope the company pays for that hour of mileage...otherwise, I'll just tell them I got lost or something. My excuse is I've never been to California before.

The interview. This time it was in person. And, it was 4 hours long. After 3 phone 'conversations,' an interview and an upcoming/pending phone interview in German, I had better have a good shot at this job...and a kick-ass offer, too. Otherwise, this is the nastiest joke to play on someone. Frankly, after one of the interviewers told me that they have free coffee in the morning at the coffee shop when you walk in (it's like your very own person Caribou, if you will...for free!), I fell in love with the company. We're talking that 'I'll stalk you, look you up on the internet, call you on the phone just to hear you answer' kind of love. Or at least, those of you with caffeine addictions could understand this. So, now that I've talked about the company and the job...I'm sure I've jinxed it. Great. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

I saw 'Walk The Line' last night and I loved it. It's the kind of movie where you walk out of the theatre and want to learn how to play the guitar so you can go on the road and tour. In the movie, Joaquin makes you love him- and well, frankly he's so captivating it's hard not to love him. But, the point being Johnny and June had this pure love with each other, which most of us hope to one day stumble upon.

The funny thing, in watching the movie was that I didn't realize how many songs I recognized of Cash's music. I guess my parents and grandparents played his music my whole life, and I just never realized who it was singing.

If you liked that movie about Elvis that they always play on VH1, which my mom has watched over and over again, you'll love this movie.

So, I'm at this point where I'm not sure if I'm suppose to 'go ahead and make a leap...live life to the fullest...' or, if I should be a bit more cautious in hope of a bitter 'pay-off' later. I do not like making decisions when the decision is very difficult, has a high failure rate and can only in the end kick me in the ass. I suppose some of my decisions have kicked me in the ass anyway, but in my upcoming decision, I'm feeling pretty shaky. E. told me that I can't sit and wait around for something bad to happen just so I can justify not going. At the same time, if I go...and something bad does happen, I'll feel the wrath of it even if it is only the weight of my guilt.

I'm vague about my situation right now because I'm not sure what is going to happen. I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity to go anywhere, yet. Well, not until the end of the week, at least. So, I'll continue to be vague...because that is how it is my friend.

The one thing I am sure of, at this very second, is coffee. There is a coffee shop near Macalester where you can get a bottomless cup of good coffee. You can sit there, drink your coffee and feel as bohemian or urban as you want to. And, their fries are pretty darn good, too. I just wished I lived a bit closer to it now. I also wish I was an exchange student studying somewhere in the world. When I am abroad, I feel more a part of the world we're all living in than when I am here at home. I feel as if I accomplish more and am somehow more interesting as a person. Well, there's aways graduate school...

Clinton was good. I'm sure he's heard that before. And, I can now attest to it.

But, really. I had an entertaining evening listening to Clinton's ideas on the world and I really appreciate the manner in which he explains himself. He is able to explain what he thinks in a simple way. My favorite comment of the night went something like this: 'It's easier to kick down a barn than it is to build one.'

On another note, I can say I'm proud to live in the Twin Cities now because of The Current. The Current has become my favorite radio station and I listen to it almost all day and night. They play everything I like, but would never hear on the radio like Sondre Lerche. And, they play tons of other stuff that I've never heard of, but love like the $20 you didn't know you had but find in your pocket when you're broke. You can listen to it online too, so look it up. It's a Minnesota Public Radio station.

Clinton. Yes, Clinton. He's coming to Minnesota and I have a ticket to see him this Saturday. I got my friend up at 7am a couple of weeks ago to stand in line and wait for tickets. She couldn't believe I got her up at 7am on her birthday to stand in a line and wait for a ticket when she could have been sleeping instead. But, I was pretty serious. He's become such an icon in American politics, he's just someone I'd like to see in person. Well, in person with hundreds of other people.
I was at the mall yesterday because my Dad was interested in seeing something at the craft fair there. Well, no luck. No craft fair. So, he went to Sears and checked out snowblowers and I wondered why in the world anyone would put Christmas decorations up on Halloween. The mall was already prepared for Christmas on Halloween. I remember, back in the day...you know...a few years ago when Christmas started around Thanksgiving. The unofficial rule was that you began preparing for the following holiday slightly before or after the preceding holiday had passed. Apparently, this rule was thrown out and you can prepare for any holiday you please as long as it is no more than 11 months before the holiday actually arrives...

Upside down

I haven't posted in a while. I'm such a slacker. But, I swear I'm not...well...not all of the time. So, I'm still applying and interviewing. I've got *fingers crossed* another interivew coming up, hopefully next week. And, I think I really want this particular job. I don't even want to speak much about it in fear of jinxing it. So, I'll lay off until they've either embraced me with both arms or have shunned me.

I am, however, more tempted to go to grad school than ever. It just feels right. Maybe it just feels safe, which seems like the same thing sometimes. I'll give it some more thought.

So, I got to talk to a German diplomat recently, which was a neat situation. I asked him about the EU Constitution (and ratification) and UN reform, and he actually seemed slightly impressed I thought to ask about UN reform. So, I was then, of course, impressed with myself for having asked. But, his answer showed me why I don't think I could ever be a diplomat. I don't have enough self-control for that kind of position. He was his title; I mean, he answered as any diplomat would- diplomatically. I remember talking to this assistant to a US diplomat a few months ago and I had an inkling of the same thing. She said it's one thing to have your opinions, but it's another to be in a position where you represent an entire nation even though you're not representing your opinions. It's not like we've all never been in that situation, though. So, I understand it. I just don't know if I could do it since politics and international affairs is such an important topic for me. I mean, if it came down to cosmetic preferences, damn...I could two-face about that forever. Not exactly a topic for me.

I've had some time, lately, to read up on Korea and Korean politics and this issue is such a red hot button topic for me. I really do not understand why Korean politics have taken such a back seat for 50 years in the US despite the clear messages, which need attention. I'm going to leave this topic as it is for now. I need to finish up quite a bit of reading to really form a conclusion about it. But, in comparison to many of the issues present (and which were on the forefront) in politics in the US, the Koreas should have made more of a blip on the radar and should have make more positive diplomatic headway by now.

"All I really need is 5 Dollars...All I really need is conversation..." -Tim Mahoney

It was a good show last night. I forgot I liked him. I saw Tim Mahoney last night because my friend had an extra ticket. You see, the ticket came from our manic U2 obsession. U2 came to Minneapolis and the two of us didn't have tickets. We did, however, (and still do...) think we deserved to win tickets considering we're awesome people. So, the two of us sat in front of our computers with telephones at our sides, listening to the radio. We were waiting for the contests on two different radio stations so we could call in and win tickets. Well, it didn't pan out. I did get through a few lines, but I wasn't the winning caller. So, the next day my friend went downtown to the U2 pre-party one of the radio stations was having and tried to win tickets. At this point, I was sick of the radio so I did something else. I can't remember what. Anyway, she didn't win the U2 tickets, but she did get two tickets for Tim Mahoney. All in all, a good deal because she ended up winning an mp3 player last night at the concert.

I watched Far and Away a few weeks ago. It's that movie with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise (pre-divorce) and they're new Irish immigrants in the US around the turn of the century. I've seen the movie before. Sure. But, it was only this particular time when I noticed the accents. Before they get too far into the story, they're in Ireland and not everyone is speaking with an Irish accent. One guy has an American accent, others have fake Irish accents and others still have English accents when they're all suppose to be Irish. I couldn't even watch the movie; I was too distracted.

* I have no reason for this picture. I just like it. I took it and I might as well show it to people. It's Dubrovnik, Croatia...beautiful, eh? Well, it was.
Perhaps, my career path should be something in the area of 'wedding planner.' I'm not saying I want to do that right now, but within the next five years, I'll be ready. You see, I am learning a hell of a lot about weddings right now between all of the people I know. And, I'd say in about 5 years, I will be more or less done with my 'praxis phase' of learning and experiencing weddings, that I could be ready to plan them for others. Huh. I'll have to think about that one. My not-so-back-up-plan is to get my graduate degree while serving in the Peace Corps. It seems like a neat idea. You learn and then put it to good use. Practical. I'm going to give that a bit more thought. I had looked into it a bit already, but I'll look a bit more into it. Make sure it's the right commitment for me. I mean, I want to get a graduate degree...I've always thought about doing work through the Peace Corps...and, I'd like to actually put my knowledge to work. Again, practical.

* Come to MN and see our historic and famous...uh...food?

Today I had lunch with J. and two relatively new international students from Germany. The funny thing was that everything we showed them on the way to and from lunch was, well, food establishments. If it wasn't a bakery it was a cafe or a restaurant. I'm sure we've got some really great historic and famous sites that have nothing to do with food, but we didn't run into any. Oh wait...I did point out a cafe where Bob Dylan was rumored to have played at back in the day. But, then again, it was a cafe.

I contrast this with my first day in Mainz, Germany: 'Here you have the famous Carnival Fountain, the Cathedral, the Gutenburg Museum...'

* At least I haven't bought it on DVD...

Confession time:

I don't exactly know how this happened. But, I have picked up some crazy habits in the past few months. The scariest of all of my habits is my new found -dare I say- obsession with the show Gilmore Girls. I have no idea where this came from. I mean, if I'm going down, I'm bringing Nancy down with me. We both found ourselves watching it this summer. Now, I suddenly have this need to see the season premiere tonight. This only goes to show how badly I need to be employeed.

My other new habit is listening to the Pogues. I am quite proud of this new habit. I don't know if it is so much a habit as it is good taste in music. There is nothing like going for a run while hearing a jig in your ear...'lend me 10 Pounds and I'll buy you a drink...'

The third habit is more of a hobby. I am trying to work on a scrap book with some of the random photos I have laying around from last year. I've got all of the supplies sitting around and work on it sporatically at the most.

Fourthly...out of necessity...I apply for jobs like a fiend. This has almost become hobby-like. I search...I apply... So goes it.

I think I need a new hobby.

Honey, I'm home!
It was about time I admitted and declared I was home. So, here it is. I am in Minnesota.

A year ago today I was on a plane from Washington, DC to Frankfurt, Germany. Unbelievable. Time flies...whether you're having fun or not. I'll be the first to admit that I had a good time in Germany, but it wasn't all roses. And, I am yet greatful for every moment. I was able to spend a year learning, thinking and meeting some amazing friends who taught and brought me once again to think.

So, what am I going to do now? I have no idea. But, I do know I need to think big and see where that takes me.

Someone famous once took the time to say that 'Life is a journey,' so I'm up for the adventure. Why not?

Dubrovnik...
Hey I'm in Croatia. Those are not words I thought I would be saying, but I made it here and am having a good time. I can't write long, only a minute or two left on my computer here at the net cafe. But, I just wanted to give N. a shout out...Happy Birthday! Have a good one and I'll see you soon!

About Dubrovnik...everyone should try and visit if they can. It's really pretty, but unfortanently touristy... More later!

Stars and Stripes, Darling.
Hey y'all! I just wanted to wish you all a great 4th of July weekend! I am leaving for Poland tomorrow. I'm hoping to have a good time. Everything seems really bittersweet for me right now. Yesterday I had my last day at work and everyone was so nice. I made blueberry muffins, apple muffins and brownies and everyone was all about them. Brownies and muffins are kind of a rarety here...just like bagels. But, there was no way I was going to make bagels. Anyway, I was baking like a fiend on Wednesday night and that was awful because the confederations cup was on and I was trying to watch the game and bake at the same time. It was Germany vs. Mexico and I totally missed the whole game. Germany won, but the game looked really good. It went into over time with an end score of 4-3. Anyway, last day at work. The department gave me a card, a Guttenburg coffee mug, a copy of the smallest book in the world and a German book by Carl Zuckmeyer (I think that's right...) who was from Mainz. So, it was so sweet. The saddest part was saying goodbye to the guy who always calls me 'darling' and 'dear.' He looked so sad and was the only one to give me a hug yesterday. He was so sweet and said that if I am able to get a job in Germany, I should give him a call and that we should hang out. So, after I turned in my security badge and said one last goodbye to my boss, I walked out the door and seriously didn't get more than 5ft. from the building and I started crying. I cried all the way to the bus stop. But, it's fine. I'm going out tonight with the other interns, and then I'll get up early tomorrow to catch the train and meet Carlos and Elaine in Köln...and then, off to Krakow. See you all later! (Oh yeah...I still have yet to buy my ticket to Minneapolis. Sorry.)

Rotkohl in a bowl.
So, I am going to Poland this weekend. Well, here's how it all goes down. Last Thursday night I went up to Bonn for a friend's birthday party and Errol and Maura were like 'Hey, want to go to Poland?' Basically. So, between a few emails, text messages and a phone call...we're going to Krakow. So, Maura, Errol, Carlos and I will be hanging out there...reflecting on..everything, I guess.

Come to think about it...we're a pretty rowdy bunch when you put us all together because we just play off of each other so well. The four of us are going to cause some damage, I'm afraid. I guess, that's ok. It will be a nice and crazy 5 days...and, if Maura gets a hold of the apartment she wanted to rent for the week...I'm sure it will be even crazier.

My last day of work is Thursday. Wish me luck! I can't believe I actually made it. I was so sure during those first few months that they were just going to fire me right there on the spot for...whatever...anything. But, for some reason, I guess it worked out. Well, perhaps they got enough worth out of exploiting my english skills. Who knows.

Ahhh....I don't want to leave Germany!

I did talk to Adam last night and he said I could stay with him in NYC...so, I will probably be taking him up on his offer. Well, its a tri-fold reason, really. A. Flights are cheaper to come by if I wait a few days and then fly to mpls. B. I haven't seen Adam in a while and would like to catch up. C. I've never been to NYC before and I quite frankly need a good shock to the system of American-ness before I land in mpls. Otherwise, the next time you'll see me is curled up on the floor in a ball with a bowl of Rotkohl...ha. Actually, sounds kinda good.

Ok. I'll finish up my last couple weeks worth of stories some other time. But, there was a good one of one of the Techie interns making me feel stupid. Stupid Techie intern. Not a bad story, though.

Bread, a simple thing in life.
So... Last time I left off, I was somewhere in the very west of Ireland...on the Atlantic coast. The best comment I can say to sum up my experience there was I was the closest to home I've felt since I landed in August. I was staying with Rhea who I already knew and adore and I was on the coast of the Atlantic, which means I was as close, geographically, to home as I could have been.

So, Rhea's family has this dog, which can open the front door by itself. Does anyone else think that is amazing, or what? The dog can let itself out when it has to. Simple. Well, not so simple. The dog cannot shut the door behind him, so it just stands there open until someone else closes it. Cats who act like dogs are really the best cats out there. My Michael for example, will go out walking on a leash. Therefore, he is apart of this elite group I am referring to. Well, the dog that opens his own door also has a cat companion who thinks he's a dog. The funny part is that this cat knows what's up. If the cat wants to go outside, he gets the dog to open the door for him. I watched it myself.

Now, my whole experience of visiting Rhea makes me want to know more about and love Ireland. However, the same experience made me not like Dublin. Dublin is just like any big city. I didn't feel as if I could ever have any sort of connection or affinity towards it. I did the Guinness thing and got out. That was frankly enough for me. I would rather spend time in other cities or areas there. But, that's my humble, but forward opinion.

Andrea and I decided not to spring for a hostel our last night in Dublin since our plane left at 7am. So, we stayed up and walked around Dublin until 1am. At that point I really had enough of the city. We did find this awesome cafe near Trinity (I think...I'm not sure how far we had wandered away from there) called Kafe Mokka or something like that. Andrea and I sat around there for an hour journaling and I ordered a Chai. It wasn't the best I've ever had, and not the worst... the atmosphere made up for any failures of the beverage. We go to the Airport sometime around 2am. We were in good company because everyone at the airport looked just like us...young, packs in toe, tired. At that point I organized my disheveled bag and then took a nap on it. But, every hour I woke up to the airport announcement saying I should watch out for my bag and not leave it unattended. As with any good traveler (hitchhiker), I remembered to bring a towel. Andrea basically kept watch out because she was actually able to sleep on all the various transportation we had used since arriving in the country and I packed my towel in and around my head. Oh, one quick point...Andrea and I bought a package of cheddar cheese and at the whole thing. You see, cheddar is not common in Germany. One cannot go to the grocery store and simply buy a package of cheddar. Gouda, yes...Brie, yes...Cheddar, no.

We arrived in Berlin on Tuesday morning...a warm (finally, thank goodness!) morning and took the Bahn to our hotel. We dropped off our stuff, ran into someone we knew and went to KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westes). It is the 2nd largest department store in Europe behind Harrods. What a privilege it is to say I have now been to both. Wow. How pathetic. But, we went up to the food halls on the top floor and sampled everything we could sample. (We're still in starving student mode!) The day went along and we started our seminar that afternoon.

I'll get more into what I did in Berlin later...as well as my quick road trip with friends to Dresden. As for my evening tonight, I am going to Bonn to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Hopefully, it will be a good time. I’ve heard the pub we’re going to makes Irish Brown Bread, my new favorite bread!

Just wait 'til I talk about Erdnuß flips!
Ok…so, to elaborate a bit more on my previous week…

I flew from Germany to Ireland with a plane full of rowdy people who thought it was a BYOB flight. Well, they made it a BYOB flight. We got to the hostel in Dublin and ended up meeting a girl who was also from MN (graduated from CDH). We walked around the Temple Bar area a bit and then crashed for the night. The next morning we got up and went to the Kilmainham Gaol. (sp!) Our tour guide was easy on the eyes, difficult on the ears. I felt like I had to pay more attention to him speak than I do when I’m having a conversation in German, and English is my native tongue. After our little jail tour Andrea and I hit up the IMMA which was…interesting…and rather empty. Not too much going on at that museum so we cut out and headed to Guinness. That is where the fun was, folks. We walked around and learned about Guinness and finished off our first pint before 1pm. Not too shabby. Actually, I have to admit I had a rather difficult time getting the whole pint down. The first half went down like butter but the second half I had to work at. You see, the breakfast offered at the hostel consisted of foods that I have not eaten since I left the US. That meant white sliced bread, rice crispies and so on…As you can imagine, it looked rather unappetizing and thus…didn’t eat a ton of it. I am used to eating yogurt and grainy breads from the bakery. So, I was naturally unprepared by the time it hit noon and all we had was this strange breakfast behind us. Well, lucky us… Andrea had some German bread in her bag so we split that and got through the second half of the pint.

After all of that I had the best bowl of soup in the world at this place called Soup Dragon somewhere in Dublin on our way back to the O’Connell St. Monument. It was a green curry thai chicken soup. Lecker…OMG. Then, we got on the bus and arrived (45 minutes late…) in Galway.

Since the bus was late, we missed our next bus out to Clifden. Well, we actually missed the last bus to Clifden which was the last possible way to get out west where Rhea lives. Ha. Almost. Andrea and I hitched a ride from Galway to Clifden (don’t tell my mom!) with an accountant who was returning home from a funeral. I think that was the most challenging conversation to have. I was digging for conversation, to put it lightly. For most of the trip, I just let it go and didn’t say anything but, I was so excited to be in a country where they spoke English. Ha, again. (They only kinda speak English in Ireland.) Once we got to Clifden we caught another ride with two guys who were just driving around for amusement. They were pretty funny and were able to joke at the lack of…well, everything out there.

So, we arrived in Letterfrack and got a ride from Johnnie (Rhea’s husband) out to their house. We sat around that evening just talking and went to bed rather late...mostly because it only gets really dark there for about 4 hours at night. So, it looked like 5pm in the afternoon at 10pm at night!

More to come later...

The Craic
So, I was in Ireland last weekend...and I didn't like Dublin. I'm sorry Nancy. I don't mean it personally, but I just don't understand the luster of Dublin. I went to Eagle's Nest, Renvyle...it's on the end of the world. And, in order to get to the end of the world one must hitchhike. Yes, hitchhike. It was a good time, and we got there just fine. And, I got to see Rhea and hang out with her, Johnnie, Annie and Sasha. I'm now in Berlin and I'm heading off to Dresden this afternoon. I'll fill you in on my week later. Gotta go. But, I'm still alive. So, all is good!

I’ll stop the world and dance with you. Naja… 43 days until I touch US soil again. The countdown is on. So, this weekend I am going to Erfurt and Weimar, which are cities in the former east part of Germany. (Weimar Republic ring a bell for anyone who was in AP European History?) My program is giving me a train ticket and a hotel room, so I can’t complain! I’ll be going there with a friend of mine who is from the east coast, but just got a job in Wisconsin an hour away from Chicago. Can we say ‘Road Trip!?!’ So, there is still a peacock on the loose in my neighborhood and I saw it a night ago as I was coming home. It was standing next to a car, smelling it. Ok, perhaps it didn’t smell it. But, it could have smelled it. I guess, peacocks don’t have hands so, it would have to use it’s beak to try and get in the car. But, all in all it looked kind of stupid. But, I wasn’t about to get close to it. Last weekend I went to Strasbourg for one day. And, I took pictures of all of the ‘Oui’ and ‘Non’ signs that I could find. I was there one day before the big vote on the EU Constitution, which the French voted against on Sunday. It was interesting because there were people on the streets handing out flyers about the vote from both the Oui and Non sides. It was also an awesome weekend. It was about 90 degrees and sunny. But, because of the heat, I ended up drinking 4 liters of water that day. It was crazy. I just couldn’t drink enough. It makes sense because I was walking around all day in the heat. I totally recommend Strasbourg because it’s a cute little French town with a slight German touch. However, no one really spoke German…or English for that matter. I did find some older people who were able to speak German, but for the most part I was perfecting my pointing and acting skills. My job search is not going as smoothly as I would have liked. But, I guess I’ll just keep at it. I figure I’m going to end up working at Caribou for a while when I get back anyway. Ah, it’s a job. I’ll take what I can get. If I lived in Minneapolis I could always try and get a job at the German bar…that would be funny. I could work along side of accordion playing Barefoot Becky…Wie schön!

It's almost June.
Since my last entry, I have lighten up a bit. I am still looking for jobs, and still procrastinating on buying a plane ticket home, but I am living day by day- week by week. I don't want to have to admit to myself that I will have to return to the US. Not yet. I don't think I will handle it well when I have to level with myself and say, 'Yes Amy, you have to go home now.' It just seems so final.

Last weekend I was in Cologne, like usual and I went running with Elaine. Well, my foot found a nice rock or tree root in the path and I fell on my hands and knees. My left hand and both of my knees are all cut up, but for the most part I am fine. It's a good conversation topic, if anything.

I am listening to Cities 97 online and I am kinda bummed to be missing the Basicilla Block Party. I didn't go last year because I was trying to not spend money because I was coming here. And, I won't arrive back in time for it and I am dying to see a concert. I haven't been to a concert since...I don't even know. It was definately sometime last year, though.

Oh, I am definately going to Croatia. Tickets are booked and hostel is reserved. Some of us were going to go and rent a house, but a bunch of people decided not to go- wimps!- so, it's just cheaper to stay in a hostel.

Well, other than that...not much new here. The weather is awesome- sunny and 80 degrees.

They'll be time enough for counting when the dealings done.
So I am having a difficult day. I am sitting at the computer trying to find and apply for jobs...checking email and looking at flights to come back to Minnesota. Frankly, its all too much for me. I was riding the train home last weekend and I was listening to my mp3 player and this song came on with the lyrics: Yeah, I'm alright...never been better in my life...' And, I just started crying. Right there. And, if you folks know me at all, I'm not the kind of person to breakdown on a train after hearing some lyrics to a song. But, it's all coming to a close for me here and I don't know what to do anymore. I guess I am just forseeing the rediculous amounts of problems re-adjusting I am going to have when I get home. I sit here and I am an international student...an intern...a native english speaker...but once I go home it's all gone. Nothing will be that clear anymore and that makes me a little nervous. So, this is my quarterlife crisis for you all- and that's your only warning you'll get from me, so be prepared when I get home!

Spam, better in a can than in your email.
Well, I am attempting to update this at least once a week. We'll see how long this lasts. It will probably be like my commitment to running...I'm dedicated for a few weeks and then it dwindles down to something like water dripping from a faucet. Get it while you can I suppose.

So, this past weekend a few friends (other Americans) from Cologne came down and visited me here in Mainz. It was a halarious-fun time. We went to a friends party on Saturday night, which was rather boring because the apartment was really full of people who all already knew each other and didn't really seem to want to talk to us, plus it was really hot. So, all in all...it was a bust. But, on the way to the party we ran into some Rastas who just got back from the big soccer game and they bummed a beer from us. On Sunday we woke up at 11am and ate breakfast until 1pm. Then, we watched Friends and got ready, which lasted until 3pm. Then, we went out into the city and they got to see all of the sites in Mainz.

The good thing we accomplished is that we decided (plus one or two other people, pending) to go to Croatia before we have to head back to the US. So, we are searching for info this week so we can book everything from flights to an apartment or house by the end of this week. I'm pretty excited for that. I've never been to Croatia before, and honestly don't know much about it either.

But, Maura told me this weekend that we only have 11 weeks left...give or take a few days. That's insane. It feels as if I haven't been here that long. I mean, I've been here for a little while, but not that long. So, that means I have 11 weeks to find a job...and my search so far has produced nothing fruitful. I have applied for at least 12 so far...and I'll try and apply for another two more today. How are you all doing? (You know...it sucks to only have spam in one's email box...)

Wenn fängt das Leben endlich an?
Since I last wrote, quite a few things have happened in the world... The Catholic church got a new (german) pope, Brittney Spears got pregnant and Desperate Housewives just started playing here and it is my new favorite show. (Remember, I don't have many friends here so I have lots of time to spend at home on Tuesday nights (ok...every night...) to watch two episodes of Sex and the City followed by Desperate Housewives.)

First, on the topic of the pope...I happened to be watching tv right when they announced the pope. So, I was switching back and forth between CNN and the different german news broadcasts. And, the funny thing was this one german news channel, the reporter on the scene said that the cardinals had chosen Ratzinger, and this was minutes before anyone even came out of St. Peter's to announce anything. Well, they switched back to the older reporter at the station who said that the reporter on the scene was young and sensitive and that they will wait for the official report. There has also been a difference in the stories I see on CNN and all of the german news reports. On CNN, they seem to bring up WW2 and Hitler and Ratzinger's participation in the HJ every day while it hasn't even been mentioned on the german reports. The main reason is because he was automatically enrolled, without a choice and abandonded the group later. At the same time, in true german style, as soon as this german cardinal was chosen, everyone everywhere was trying to interview germans to get a reaction. On CNN, I saw the typical german reaction. It was a combination of congratulations as well as critizism. I guess you kinda have to be here to fully understand it. But, in the city where Ratzinger is from (Marktl am Inn) they had a town party with free pope beer for everyone.

Brittney...pregnant...I'll be happy to see her fat. I hope she's having twins.

Desperate Housewives...man. I can't believe this has been going on since Sept. in the US without me. I love this show. Someone has got to tell me what's going on with it. Is the season already over in the US?

What else...? I had a bad meeting. It wasn't even a date. It was like the thing one has before one wins a date with the other person...and I obviously lost the date. Oh well, things happen. But, when I get back, who wants to go shopping with me at the Lunds in Uptown. I hear that's where all the singles go to pick each other up! Since everyone at home seems to be getting engaged, I have to start finding dates to bring to all of these upcoming weddings.

With a face like that and 20 Dollars, you can buy yourself lunch in Switzerland
Sorry I haven’t updated this in a while. But, you should automatically expect an apology like this about once every two or three weeks. Last week(end) I was in Berlin, and it is quite a schick city. But, the city itself is nothing like other international big cities (i.e. London, Paris…). The city is pretty spread out and the buildings are rather short. I was talking to my manager’s manager’s manager (it’s sooo Office Space sometimes…) and he was telling me about how it was expensive for buildings to be built tall and how the composition of Berlin is about 4/5ths former East Berlin. West Berlin only comprises of about 1/5 of the area, and even within that 1/5, most of the tourist attractions (museums, shops, etc…) lie in the former Eastern areas. So, that surprised me a bit. It was a good four days in Berlin and I’ll be going back for another five in June. So, this last trip was a good introduction and overview. Next time, I’ll have more time to find the kitchy stuff…!

So, my trip to Berlin was an all expenses paid excursion brought to me by my German ‘Congress’woman. So, it was me…Elaine…our hosts and 54 other old people. The entire trip was planned with a schedule we had to follow, which included visiting government buildings (various ‘Ministries of____’). But, the schedule basically ran like this: Visit to Ministry of___, Huge meal, Visit to Ministry of___, Huge meal. After the four days, eating really became something we had to do between visits to buildings, monuments and ministries. And, we didn’t do a lot of moving either. Old people don’t walk much, so even if we had to go only a little way to the next scheduled visit, we would all have to get on the bus and drive there. I felt like I gained 50 Kilos last week. But, not to worry, I didn’t. I was there during St. Patrick’s Day so I met up with some friends at an Irish Pub and we celebrated right along with all sorts of other study abroad students. (Americans always flock to Irish Pubs. I don’t know what it is about Irish Pubs…) Later on in the night, this old man who was a part of the folk band (he was at least 70 years old) got up on the bar and did a little jig while playing the spoons. Yes folks, he played the spoons like a bad-ass.

Two weekends ago I took a little trip to Basel, which is on the border of Switzerland and Germany. The interesting points there would be: A. It’s expensive…I paid something like 20 USD for lunch one day. B. Its clean; they must be using the money I paid for lunch to clean the city. C. Basel is not far from nature. We hopped on a Tram and were out of the city in a short time span and were able to climb up a (short) mountain.

All that and a PhD
I figure since I have a bit of time, I should update this since I let it go for so long a few weeks ago. Well, President Bush in in Mainz today as part of his European Tour and he is frankly disrupting my life. Aside from the comments at work such as...'So, your president is coming to visit you...' everything important is closed because of the visit. The center of town is shut down or blocked off. There is a blocked off and shut down part for the protestors and another for Bush. When I mean shut down and blocked off, here is what I mean: The city had to weld all of the sewer drains and manhole covers so they could not be opened or tampered with, all of the shops in the center of the town are closed today, and some were also closed yesterday, the streets in the center of town are blocked off, public transportation that goes anywhere near the center of the town is not running, all trains in and out of Mainz are not running and the Autobahn...highway around Mainz is also rerouted and closed in parts. So, almost no one in my department is going in to the office today, because it is too much of a hassle...and I can't get to work either because the bus and trams I would take to get there run through the center of the city. (I actually just sent my boss an email telling him I wouldn't be coming in...and it's past noon...and I am suppose to start at 9am...I hope he understands!)

So, if I'm not fired from my internship tomorrow, I would like to boast about my vacation days. I get a week and a half of paid vacation...and I'm only an intern...and I'm only working there for 6 months. That's pretty cool in my book. I was really suprised yesterday when I talked to my boss and he's like 'Just let me know the days you want off and we'll take care of it. And, if you don't use the days, you'll get reimbursed for them.' So, cool.

By the way...one more fun fact about work... There are far more people in my department who have earned their PhD's than there are women...

This isn't the best journal entry, it's just a tribute.
Sorry for not having updated this in quite a long time. Since the last time I wrote, I experienced the craziest 'Holiday' and have gotten another year older.

The craziest bestest holiday is Fastnacht...or Karnival or Carnival...depending on where you are. In Mainz it is called Fastnacht. It is five days of people wearing (Halloween-esq) costumes and drinking in the streets. I was so tired on the Thursday of Fastnacht because I had worked the whole day and still had to work on Friday as well that I didn't join the festivities until Friday night. It was so funny because I dressed up as a Trucker and my roommate Elaine dressed up as the Tooth Fairy. We were both wearing bright blue wigs and had all sorts of slutty make up on. Everyone at work told me I had to hit up Eisgrub, this club in the Altstadt. So, we got there around 8pm and the place was packed. I couldn't believe it. So, we went in and everyone was in a weird costume and dancing. One guy was dressed up as a NY police officer and he totally startled me because it looked so real. This guy was like 6ft tall and had the whole uniform...and to me his costume of a police officer looked more real than the actual police officers here. They wear green here and just don't seem as intimidating. I also saw a lot of people (guys actually...) dressed up as 'Housewives' and had wigs and aprons with sponges glued to them. It was so great. We ended up going back there on Saturday night as well. On Sunday, I went to a parade with some friends and that was also hysterical. The people in the parade were all drinking and the people watching the parade were all drinking and this was on a Sunday morning at 11am. I couldn't even fathom drinking... It was frankly too early and the two previous days had wiped me out. But, I did have the energy to wear a costume. In fact, if one does not wear a costume when going out on these five days, people look at you weird. Since it was cold, I just dressed up as a Runner and wore the blue hair again. (It was almost like a hat...) At the parade, they threw out candy like one might expect at a regular parade...but, I somehow got a packet of German political cartoons (which I gave to a friend studying poli sci...) and Elaine got some cheese. (I told you it was a great holiday.) The next day...Monday, we all went out again (dressed up and all!) into the city and watched a few hours of the parade that was going on there. The entire parade lasted 6 hours. It all starts at 11:11am and it went until after 5pm. At 5pm they closed down part of a street in the Altstadt and had a gigantic stereo system set up with a stage and tv screens and had a huge street dance. It was so halarious. They were playing typical club music (hip-hop and stuff) as well as german music. The entire street was covered in left over trash from the parade as well as thousands of broken bottles of beer and sekt. But, it was so much fun. There were thousands of people in the street all dressed up crazy and dancing on a Monday night. The funniest thing was going into work on Tuesday morning and almost no one even bothered to come into work. I ended up going home early because I just didn't have anything to do because no one was there. So, if you get the chance...visit Mainz during Fastnacht.

I'll write about getting older later. I've gotta do some job searching...better late than never! And, if anyone knows of a job where they need someone who speaks german, let me know!

Workin' 9 to 4...
Guten Abend! Well, my first day at work wasn't so bad. Perhaps it was because they had nothing for me to do. That must be it. Well, my commute to work consists of a 50 minute long bus ride across town. You have no idea how short a 50 minute bus ride can feel like when you are terrified to start a new internship in a language you don't speak very well. I have never been so scared in my life about a job. Really. Try going to work with no pants on or something, and perhaps you'll know what I felt like this morning. (I did wear pants this morning, just to clarify.) But, in the end the whole day wasn't so bad. Well, I was supposed to be issued my laptop today but, that didn't get done. And, since I didn't have a laptop, I couldn't do any work. So, they gave me a work manual to read. And, I was able to stretch the time and read that thing for like 3 hours. It was either, read the manual for 3 hours or figure out how to make small talk in German with people I don't know. So, I went in the direction of the manual. So, this morning one of the employees took me around and introduced me to everyone. I didn't realize it at first but only one woman works in my entire department, and she's a secretary. Basically, this job is going to be just a little harder because I am working in a boy's club and I'm an intern and I am not a native german speaker. Great, eh? The one funny thing about today was on the bus ride home. Aparently an 80's Hair Band lost two of their members and they were riding on my bus on the way home. So, if any of you are listening to your collection of 80's Hair Band music and feel that there's something missing, it's probably these guys. Let me know and I'll send them your way.

Less than a 1/2 Liter would have done it!
So, I am in Munich now, I thought I´d just let you all know that. I toured BMW today and it is a rather impressive operation they`ve got going on here. I can tell you that if I had the money and needed an expensive car, I would get a BMW. They even gave us lunch before the tour.

I am actually sitting at this internet cafe hungry, waiting for some friends so I can we can get dinner... But, my trip home from Paris... So, I was sitting shot gun and Christian and I were talking about random things the whole way through France. Mami and Jenny were kinda sleeping or talking in the back. At one point, Christian and I took a look at how much gasoline was left...and we were getting kind of low, but still enough gas to get to Luxembourg. The reason we wanted to get to Luxembourg was because it is so much cheaper to fill up there than it is in France or Germany...plus, it was on the way home. So, we get stuck in traffic for something like 20km and finally get through it all just as we reach Luxembourg. So, we get of the highway and start searching for a gas station. Just as we are heading up the off ramp...the car runs out of gas. Not kidding. So, mami and jenny think christian is just messing with them...but, no. I knew he was serious because we had just talked about it. So, christian pulls over and he hops out of the car hoping someone would be nice enough to stop and help us. So, Mami hops out too and tries to wave at some cars. Well, Mami waves down this car...and this is where everyone realizes that Mami speaks Japanese and english...the woman driving the car speaks French and a dialect spoken in Luxembourg and some english. So, Christian runs over and starts speaking German. Well, Mami comes back and gets in to the car with me and jenny and this nice lady gives Christian a ride to the next gas station. Well, the three of us are sitting there and realize that at least in Germany, when a car is pulled over on the side of the road, one puts on the emergency lights...and puts up little reflective triangles behind the car. Its just what they do here. So, we decided to try and find these triangles. Well, they´re not in the glove box or underneath the seats so the must be in the trunk, right? So, Mami sits in the drivers seat and cant find the button to pop the trunk...she´s from Japan and they drive on the other side of the road anyway. So, I get in the drivers seat because I also drive a VW...but, not a manual Golf model...and I can´t find it either...So, jenny jumps in the drivers seat because she`s german and can drive a manual but it doesnt matter because she cant find the button either. So, we pull out the manual and find out you need a key. Ha. Well, Christian gets back with a liter or so of gas and tells us that the lady who helped him had to speak english because that was the only common language between them. So, the end.

Sylvester
My New Years resolution is to try and keep more in contact with the people I know. Well, this is one of the ways I am going to do that. So, I will continue to try and post about once a week or so. If you haven't made any resolutions yet...you may want to consider this one...considering I haven't heard from some of you at all since I got here...hint...hint.

So, today I went to Luxembourg. It was alright. It was a pretty quick trip, though. It's not that far away and the city is rather small, so we just walked around for a few hours and bought one of the cakes they only sell during the time around three kings day. These cakes have a little plastic figure baked into the cake and whoever gets the piece with the figure in it gets to be the king or queen for the day.

My New Year's was pretty cool. I'll have to tell you all about it...and the ride home some other time.

Gotta go old school...
We have a Christmas tree, I wish you could see it. I have every possible crappy computer experience that one can have here…and now my digital camera is in on it too. I hate my computer and my blasted digital camera. I have damned them both…together…they have been working in cahoots. I managed to lose every single picture I have taken between now and October. I lost all of them. I have nothing. Thanksgiving- gone. Christmas-gone. Day trips and site seeing? -Gone as well. The only pictures I have were the ones I put online. That’s it. I have been fighting with my computer since I got to Mainz. My computer and digital camera worked fine in Radolfzell. Perhaps they pitied me since there was really nothing else to do…(we didn’t even have an internet café in that city, remember.) But, now that I’m here in Mainz, both of these electronic devices have turned against me. It’s always something: low or dead batteries, full memory card, incorrectly installed software, illegal operation windows…always something. Now, I have had it. I want to throw them both out the window but I can’t bring myself to do it. All I can do now is to plead with my parents to send me my trusty 35mm camera and some film. I’ve always trusted it and for good reason. I love that camera and it loves me. My digital camera can suck it for all I care. I have given up on it. If I were my digital camera, I would sleep with one eye open. Same goes for my computer.

I guess all I can do is explain to you how everything has been here. Christmas, good. I wish you could have seen it. I’m bitter. So, that’s that. I don’t even want to talk about it since this digital camera thing happened. Perhaps I’ll be more willing to talk about my New Year’s. That will give me some more time to cool off.

Tomorrow I am leaving for Trier and hanging out with Jenny for a day before we take off for Paris for New Year's. I am excited to go to France, as I have never been there before. (Actually, I have spent a rather long amount of time waiting around in the CDG airport in France, but that isn't france. So, it doesn't count. Who stops in an airport in France and says 'Yes, I have been to France!' Don't be that guy!)

Rockin around no Christmas Trees
I was riding the tram a few days ago and I was lucky enough to ride in the vicinity of a guy who steals the remains of bikes where the tires and seats and stuff have already been stolen. This guy was also carrying a box with a mouse in it. My sister can stand two feet away from Bono any day and I don’t care. I was able to see this guy carrying a mouse in a box and the metal body of a bike (no handle bars, no seat, no tires, no pedals, nothing…just the metal part that holds it all together). The entire time he was on the train, he stood next to the driver, trying to make conversation. The driver seemed to be interested or at least too weak to tell the scary mouse man to go away. But, I guess I would put up with it too if I had a glass window between me and him. I think Tram driver is the one profession that people forget when thinking about careers behind glass. People usually think of gas station attendants and bank tellers (on occasion), but tram driver should be up there.

I found out that there will be a Christmas tree in our house on Christmas. There isn’t one right now, and it is Dec. 22nd. But, there will be soon. And, it will be a real one too. I am usually not the hugest fan of Christmas Trees. I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps it is because we always had a fake tree when I was younger and I preferred the real trees. But here are the four clues it is Christmas at our house: a. there is mistletoe hanging over the door in the entry way, b. there is one strand of Christmas lights in the tree next to the house, c. there is a little manger scene in the window sill in the living room and d. there is a little Adventskranz which is like a little Christmas wreath in the living room. Those are the four things. But, quite frankly no one notices the lights in the tree (there’s only one very short strand up in that tree…) and no one sees the mistletoe (I haven’t caught anyone making out in the doorway, but maybe they don’t do that here…not quite sure. But, if there’s a hot guy standing in the doorway- believe you me, I am going to stand there, too). Plus, my family has already killed the poinsettia that was sitting in the kitchen. My advisor gave me a little potted poinsettia as a gift and I have kept that thing alive for the past month…and I am going to try and keep it alive as long as possible. Well, the poinsettia looks a little kitschy, so I love it…I’ll have to take a picture of it so you know what I mean.

I just thought I would let you know that it is snowing here right now... :::scarastic tone::: Looks like a regular freakin snow globe here. :-)

For the Longest Time...
I know you are all picturing my sweet and angelic voice singing the Billy Joel song...:-) What I am actually elluding to is that this is the longest consecutive amount of time I have ever been outside of the US. :::sarcastic tone::: Wow!

I had German class this morning and I don't think the other students were nearly as interested in learning grammer and what have you as I was. You see, I was the only one who actually showed up for class. So, I was in class alone with the professor for a 90 minutes. But, I made the best of the situation and learned a lot of grammer and got a lot of questions I had out of the way. Urg...I have German again tomorrow with my tutor... Perhaps by then, it will have been a long enough break from german grammer that I will be ready to practice some more. But, lets face it. Grammer is grammer. It isn't fun.

Oh...I had a sad moment today. I remembered Chai Tea Lattes. Coffee shops really don't exist here and that means neither to Chai Tea Lattes. I guess it will be a mission to try and find one. I'll let you know if I do.

I am a subscriber!
So, last night we had a family dinner. These are always interesting for me because I get to listen to some of the most interesting or most boring conversations ever at these things. Last time, they talked for about 2 hours on the topic of insurance. But, this time they talked about pot. I had to stop and listen harder because I was sure I was mistaken by the topic. Many times my ears will deceive me or the word I hear actually means something totally different than I first thought. But, no. I was correct. One of the brothers asked the other brother where he was getting his information from and he said that he subscribed to a marijuana newsletter. Keep in mind, this was a family dinner...parents, the adult children...

Tonight we (Jo, Hannes, Elaine, Alex and some other random people) are going to Karaoke night at the Irish Pub. It should be a good time, or at least I am hoping it is a good time. I think I want to sing something tonight...but, I'm not quite sure what. I was trying to figure out what songs I know relatively well...or at least songs I wouldn't suck too badly at singing... It probably has to be something sung by a girl band like the Donnas. I think I could handle that.

Christmas is coming. Yes it is. I am in no way prepared for it. But, I found out last night the Christmas schedule. Aparently my family does not do christmas on Christmas. They only do it before and after. This is because one of their sons, Hannes and his girlfriend Jo would have to split the time between their two families. So, instead, no one has christmas on Christmas. The 'kids' all have a party themselves and then in the following days, celebrate Christmas. So, I will also be included in this tradition. As far as I know, I will be attending a party on Christmas.

Will the delegate from Finland yield to some flirting?
I was in another world for the past week. I was a part of the Model United Nations simulation in Bonn this past week. This simulation contained more than 100 students who are normally some of the most politically informed people. But, frankly that all went to crap when we all became concerned with the conversations within our own committees. Our committees discussed topics such as EU institutional reform...but, if the EU suddenly disbanded during one of our committee sessions this past week, we wouldn't have known about it. We were basically too busy with our own negotiations to be bothered by any real news.

The week was rather halarious because no one new anyone else's name. During committee sessions, we all had to follow some strict guildlines on how to participate, so we all refered to each other as 'The honorable delegate from...' So, I met a lot of people, but I can only tell you the country they were representing. The other funny part is that we were all college age students from around the world, so it was only a matter of time for some of the delegate to pursue 'friendly relation' policies with other delegates. (In layman's terms, it means everyone was checking each other out...it all felt like Freshman Orientation.) The gossip also sounded like this...'I heard that Malta and Slovenia were making out last night...' 'No way! I didn't know Malta liked Slovenia!'

I had a lot of fun, got to see some people I hadn't seen in a while, and learned a lot. I've had too much of this computer for now. I just got done checking a weeks worth of emails, so I've had it.

Timmy vs. David Hasselhof
Happy Thanksgiving (Yesterday)! How was it for everyone? Send me an email and let me know how it all went down and what you all did. I had a good Thanksgiving. My roommate and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for our host parents, advisor, tutorin and two friends. We made a cranberry glazed turkey basted with wine and butter, two pumpkin pies, two pecan pies, mashed potatoes, a walnut-apple salad, stuffing, cornbread and cranberries from a can. It was pretty good. We ate on and off for about two hours. Then, we all sat around and drank wine and tried a Hungarian schnapps. We followed that with Pie and espresso. Then, a few hours later we had another piece of pie and coffee. So, it was as traditional as I could hope for. Jo, Hannes and I sat around pondering who would win an ice skating race between Timmy from Southpark and David Hasselhof. We would bank on Timmy because he's got that speedy wheelchair. David, however, would not be running on his familiar beach-sand surface. So, he would fall because he would not be able to handle the icy surface...and in the end, lose.

Back to Thanksgiving, we didn't screw up anything too much. We spent a lot of time planning out and preparing that, things went fairly well. So, can't complain.

For those who haven't heard, I finally secured my internship. So, I am just waiting for my work permit. Yay! One less thing for me to worry about, thank goodness. So, now I just need to obsess and worry about my German skills. Not as good as I wish they were, still.

Next week, I'm going to be in Bonn competing in a Model UN competition. It should be mad fun. At least, I hope it's mad fun. If anything, I get to see a few friends I knew from MN.

How is everything at home? Has hockey started? Snow, yet?

You don't know until it's gone. Live Journal Entry So, there are two very important superficial things I miss right now. 1. Caribou Coffee. I miss everything about it. I miss being able to find one on every corner across the street from a Starbucks. I miss how it doesn't taste burnt. I also love sitting on the couch with a Mocha or whatever next to the fireplace in Uptown with a book or something. That whole thing is nearly impossible to do here. At least, it's just not the same. I can live without it, but mark my words...I will be visiting a Caribou when I get back. 2. I also very much miss Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. You have no idea. I was telling a friend of mine about it, because its completely non-existant here, and I think I talked for a solid 20 minutes explaining each of the 5 Queer Guys and what they do and about the guys they have made over. So, I went to Bonn yesterday and I kind of like the town. My first impression is that it's kind of a British version of a German town. There were just so many British things about it, like the place I had lunch. It felt a little like Wagamama's...all modern and slightly uncomfortable and yet-good food. I had pumpkin gnocci, and it was good. So good. But, I'll let you know my second impression of Bonn in a few weeks after I go to my competition there. I have a random question for those who may be able to answer it: what's a good wireless internet card to get? I think I'm one of the last people to not have one for my notbook, and I could use one. Or, where is a good place to get one? I could order it online and either send it here or have my parents ship it to me if necessary. And, the cheaper it is, the better as the exchange rate is not too friendly for me right now! Email me if anyone knows much about this. The weather here isn't too fun. It's been gray for days. Not so much rain or anything, and it's not too cold...but, it is dark. And, frankly it's quite annoying. I enjoy the sun. I feel as if I can get more done when its sunny.

I love Edward Norton...
I drink milk that has been sitting around at room temperature for a few days. It’s completely normal. At first, I avoided it. But, it got the best of me, and I now drink it without thinking twice.

So, I tried to bake some chocolate chip cookies. It didn’t quite work out. It didn’t crash and there was no burning, so I can’t complain too much. But, I am quite content that I decided to try it out early. On Tuesday, we’ve got this international student potluck dinner at school and everyone is bringing food from their home country. So, I figured chocolate chip cookies were pretty standard in the US, because they certainly don’t have them here. But, things don’t quite work out when you don’t have brown sugar, baking soda or vanilla extract. I ended up using regular sugar, baking powder and vanilla sugar. That’s all they’ve got here. I know better next time, that’s for sure. Perhaps a standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich will suffice.

Last night I watched American History X because I had never seen it before. I thought it was a pretty good movie. I am typically a fan of Edward Norton anyway; I just wish he’d be more like Hugh Grant sometimes and take on sappier girl movie roles. See the movie if you haven’t. I saw it with a couple of friends, a German girl and guy my age, and I think we were all kind of uneasy around each other while we were watching it because of the contents of the movie and the history involved in it. I mean, I have a general understanding of the complexities of race issues in the US and they have an understanding of the history of Germany’s past. And, they’re two issues that are very difficult to explain. In the past three months, I’ve certainly learned a lot about the Nazis in Germany as well as the aftermath of WWII here. And, I don’t even know where to begin or how I could explain what I’ve learned. After the movie finished, we were all back to normal and talked pretty openly about it as we do about everything else.

I had a new food today. Well, I can’t even say it’s new per se. I guess it’s a food I am already familiar with; I’ve just eaten it in a different manner previously. The simplest way to explain what I ate was pie filling in a bowl with cream. That’s it. In a bowl. With a little cream. Pie filling. Alone. No ice cream. No pie. Just filling. It’s a specialty of northern Germany, which is nice to learn and try. But, it’s not something I’m going to order in a restaurant.

Schiller or Sedaris?
I knew I understood what was going on, I just didn’t understand why. This goes for the election and the new president the US has as well as class/lecture yesterday morning. I think not understanding the election-new president topic is pretty self-explanatory. So, I’ll just drop that one. But, my lecture…it is a politics class and the topic of yesterday’s lecture was ‘systems.’ Somehow, the professor was able to read some Schiller for about 20 minutes, right out of the book and then give a not so brief overview of his resume, and that counted as a lecture. I knew I understood the majority of the lecture because he used so many English words. Things like, 'Ich habe Politik studiert bei Georgetown University in Washington, DC.' are pretty simple to understand. I’m still just not quite sure what we were suppose to learn…or why. The prof. even took questions at the end. About what? I have no idea. I left 15 minutes early. I spent 75 minutes in the lecture hall reading articles in Der Spiegel and watching what amounted to about 60 students leave at different times during the lecture; and they didn’t come back.

How is the US feel about the re-election of Bush? Someone let me know how it’s all going down. Send me an email or post it on here.

'We could got to Amsterdam and be back by 10am!'
I like how they call these terribly unhealthy chocolates ‘Ritter Sport,’ as if they’re somehow going to enhance your endurance or something. I must confess, I love them nonetheless. However, I am not kidding myself about their true nature.

So, I started hanging out with my host mom’s son, Johannes and his girlfriend Giovanna. They’re mad cool. They’re my age and they speak English and German, among other languages. So, last Wednesday the three of us hung out and went to 50 Grad, a normally cool club which had been converted into ‘teeny bopper central’ for a night because all of the high schools had a vacation. They also had a Halloween party at their apartment and it was different mainly because we did absolutely no dressing up in costumes. It was a little disappointing. But, I am keeping my ideas for February for the week long Carnival celebration. I am told the entire city dresses up in costumes and parties in the streets for a week. Here is a list of the ideas for costumes:

a. a character from Sex and the City
b. a Power Puff Girl
c. one of Santa’s Ho, Ho, Hoes
d. Monica Lewinsky

I think I’ve considered being Monica for a couple of years, but I’ve never just gone ahead and done it. And, I’m not sure if people would recognize her here… Let me know if anyone has any better ideas for costumes.

Ahhh! Election Day! The pollsters can’t predict who is projected to win. The coverage starts here (Tuesday night 11pm) tonight, so I think I’ll start watching…but I’ve got a class tomorrow morning. (Funnily enough, it’s a political science class!) So, I’ll find out who wins Wednesday morning. All in all, I don’t mind admitting I’m a bleeding heart liberal. I don’t like either of the candidates which was the same thing I thought in 2000. But, I did my civic duty and voted for the candidate who I thought matched many of my views in hope that he (unfortunately, there were no women I’d vote for on the ballot…! Somebody’s gotta get Hillary on the ballot or something!) will make some good decisions in the future. So, if you’re reading this and can vote, go out and do it. We need to improve and maintain this ‘democracy ’. (ha!)

Its as if I met Ken Barlow...
So, I went to Frankfurt last night and went on top of the Main Tower which is one of the tallest buildings in Frankfurt and everyone goes up there to look at the entire city. At any rate, I was on the elevator and some guy was standing next to me talking on his high tech cell phone, in German. So, Christof tells me in English that this is the weather guy and so on... So, the weather guy finishes his phone call and asks me 'So, where are you from?' I tell him I'm from the US, from MN and he nods and smiles in recognition of the information. So, I ask him 'Oh, so do you know where MN is?' And, he gives a nervous-embarassed laugh and says, 'Well...not exactly.' So, I inform him and he tells me about how its unseasonably warm in that part of the US and Canada right now. I have no idea if that's true, since I'm here now. Then, a little later on top of the tower, a crowd of people including myself watched this guy give the weather forcast for the nightly news.

The pathetic part of this whole story is that my sister's first weekend in Ireland was more eventful than my entire stay in Germany so far. Figures. She ends up on a movie set and watches the filming...and I meet the local weather guy. Whatever.

We are the champions, my friends.
We may have lost the battle of the chocolate yogurt, but we have surely won the battles of cherry jam and apple pie. Last night, we were able to devour a good amount of apple pie, which only shows are dedication to all things sweet and tasty. The sweet war will continue, and I will assure you that only the strong will survive!

I had my first international law class last week and I kid you not, the only thing I genuinely understood was the sentance 'So, does everyone understand?' Huh. Well, the only thing I can say at this point is that I can only improve. Things cannot possibly get worse. I am bound to learn some new vocabulary. And, the french girl who sits next to me is also just as confused and lost as I am in this german language. Our professor seriously talks as fast (if not faster...I would put money down on faster...) as that guy who did the Micro Machines commercials when we were younger. (I do believe he also starred in an episode of Saved By The Bell!)

Tomorrow night, I shall be going out to dinner and a movie with my host parents. I think we can all equally hope that sometime later in the year the words 'host parents' will be replaced by 'really hot boyfriend' or something like that. But, as it stands, anything in german with german people improves my german. So, I can't complain (despite it sounding rediculously pathetic).

The sweet war...
Case 3243482, Elaine and Amy vs. Dietrich the host dad. A complaint has been filed by Elaine and Amy to Cornelia the host mom that Dietrich eats all of the good food and snacks before they get home from school.

Summary of the complaint:

Afidavit of Amy

'So, we opened a brand new jar of homemade jam on Tuesday and by Thursday morning, the entire jar was finished. It's absolutely insane. I know I'm not even capable of consuming that much jam. And, Elaine isn't either. I know she's at school because we have some of the same classes. It can't possibly be Cornelia because she's teaching all day, so it has to be Dietrich. He's retired and works from home. He's gotta be it. How else is it possible to finish an entire tub of chocolate yogurt in one day when next to nobody is home?'

Ruling:

Cornelia has begun buying separate rations of yogurt for Amy and Elaine and a separate stash for Dietrich. Also, it has been taken into consideration that there needs to be more sweets in the house to meet the demand of about four people (not just three).

I’m type A and cultured. I have been in this country for 11 weeks and I am far more organized here than I’ve ever been. I think it’s the air, or the bread…perhaps it’s the mineral water. I never really drank mineral water on a regular basis until I got here. I went to the opera last Friday night. (Who thought I’d ever say that last sentence?) I actually enjoyed it, despite my lack of knowledge of what the story was about. I saw Mefistofele, an Italian opera (with German subtitles for all of us who do not speak Italian. Unfortunately, there were no English subtitles for us who’s German is crap!) at the Frankfurt Opera. I was able to understand the subtitles; I knew what all of the words meant, and was able to understand it sentence by sentence. The problem was the big picture was totally lost on me. So, I’m going to search for a synopsis of the story now to try and understand what I saw. Thank goodness I had some idea of the Faust story. I was telling Cornelia (the Frau of the houseJ) about how I was going to see this show and it was Italian and involved Faust. She then tried to convince me that I must be terribly mistaken because it was just not possible. So, when I was watching the show, I figured out I was not mistaken and Faust was clear and present. At the opera, I met a UST alum, (which is the reason this all went down in the first place, since he invited me there) and got a little tour of all of the backstage ‘going-ons.’ Now, when I saw Les Miserables in London, I thought I had witnessed the largest rotating stage there was to be seen. However, I was informed by the horse’s mouth that the stage for the Frankfurt Opera (the very stage I walked on) is the largest rotating stage there is to be seen. The sweater. So, Cornelia as lovely as she is, gave me some of her daughters sweaters, as her daughter is studying somewhere in the former USSR now and doesn’t need or want them anymore. As I could only fit so many things in my suitcase and would rather not spends tons of money buying sweaters I’ll throw out before I come home, blindly accepted them. However…there is…this one…interesting…uh…really interesting sweater she gave me. I’m not even sure what to say about it. I mean, there was a clear and definite reason as to why the daughter left this sweater behind. That’s for sure. The sweater is no particular color. I think the knitter was one of those people who like to please everyone because this sweater has every color in it. So, the up side to this interesting sweater is that it will match with everything? I guess. What I can’t figure out is how this sweater got out of a store. In my four years at a university, learning about business among other things, I have racked my brain trying to figure out how it happened. Who was the decision maker? Was it the advertising? Was it an impulse buy? Was it an amazing coincidence of the P’s of marketing that moved someone to bring this particular piece of clothing home? Perhaps, I should go back to school and figure this one out.

All that and a bottle of beer.
So, sorry I haven't written in a little while. I am finally moved in and everything in Mainz. My stuff got here ok, so that is a testament to how much my German has improved since August. But, let's face it, I've got a long way to go.

Well, on Friday, I got all registered for a few classes here and I had my first one today. It was rather funny because I usually get really excited for a new class because it's a new topic and filled with new people...but, today just felt like any other day. Strange. Nonetheless, it seems like an interesting class. Its half foreign students and half german students, so it is guarenteed to be interesting, even if the lecture isn't.

On Saturday, I think I did orientation. I'm still not quite sure. I guess I'll explain the activities and you can judge for yourselves. So, I arrive at school around 3:30 in the afternoon and all of the new and international students stand around getting to know each other and drink sekt until about 5pm. At this time, the 'student council' start administering the official drunken games such as riding around the halls on little kid tricycle things and musical chairs- which also involves drinking when you lose your seat. Then, we go and have dinner at the Mensa and then get on a boat for a ride down the Rhein, which also includes a drink ticket. Whatever it was, wasn't bad. Free drinks tend to be a good thing in my book, but maybe that's just me.

So, one of the orientation student coordinators tried to get me and Elaine to kiss each other so he could have a picture of it. (He was collecting photos of first year students kissing each other...) When we refused, we asked him to kiss some other guy. He said no...and then tried to get us to kiss this other random guy. But, the other random guy said he wouldn't kiss me or Elaine because he had a girlfriend. Then for some reason the student coordinator reconsidered and he kissed that other random guy. I still don't know what happened...but, maybe it had something to do with the free beer at dinner.