IAA Part 2!

So a little known fact about me: I like cars. A lot. In fact, one of my career goals is to work with BMW, Volkswagen, or Mercedes after school. My Google News feed is always full of corporate news from each of the above companies and anything generally related to the automotive industry. Currently the background of my computer is the BMW i8 electric sports car concept. So, knowing all this, you can maybe begin to imagine how exciting this fair was for me!

It all passed by in a blur. We spent 2 hours along in the Mercedes pavilion, looking at all of their vehicles and fancy, eye-catching displays. After that we wandered outside to the Volkswagen pavilion. Their display was much smaller than that of Mercedes, though it was equally intense. Lights flashed, music thumped and several attractive women danced on tables set around the new Beetles on display. Volkswagen also shared its pavilion with such companies as Seat, Porsche, Bently, and Lamborghini. Time flew as we looked at all of the different displays. The Porsches and Lamborghinis were particularly impressive. I had never been able to sit in such an expensive car. Until today! Most of them cost well over 300,000 euros with the Lamborghinis approaching 1 million. My eyes were being pulled in every direction by the sights and sounds of the pavilion. Somehow I managed to remain not only sane but professional.

We soon lost track of how long we had been in the pavilion. I'll let the pictures do some of the talking.

Lamborghini

Another Lamborghini

Me with Volkswagen's new up! electric car.

Volkswagen's electric car up!. 

After leaving the Volkswagen pavilion we bought lunch from a German grill. We both purchased Rostbrotwurst and started walking to find a place to sit. We were intercepted however by a salesman for the German equivalent of Triple A. He quickly engaged meine Parternin Julia about her driving preferences. He left me alone after I told him in German that I was from the United States. He continued talking to Julia in rapid German while I struggled to follow the conversation. From what I could tell used every trick in the book, giving examples of how expensive repairs on a damaged vehicle could be and how his company could save Julia that money. I could tell Julia was not interested though she continued to answer questions. Finally I decided she was just too polite and pointed out (in English) that we needed to get moving. This finally stopped the salesman and we hurried away, with Julia muttering in exasperation to me.

The rest of the day was spent wandering. We of course visited the BMW pavilion, which was located on the fair end of the fair. It was a long walk but worth it. BMW and its subsidiaries had a pavilion all to themselves. The two-floored room was covered in modern white and displayed a good portion of BMW's line up. What immediately caught my eye however was a pair of cars sitting on the second floor. These were the new electric car concepts I had read tons of information on. The one on the left was the i8 electric sports car. I had seen plenty of pictures of it but in person it was almost ridiculously sexy. I must have stood for a good 10 minutes. Unfortunately (as with all concept cars), no one was allowed to touch or sit in it so I contented myself with pictures. I also snapped some of the i3 electric city car which was on the right hand side of the second floor platform.

After that we spent the rest of the day looking at the Weltpremiere (World Premier) of the new Mini Coupe and all the other vehicles BMW offered.

BMW 1 Class

BMW i3 electric street car concept

BMW i8 electric sports car concept

Another view of the BMW i8 electric sports car concept. 

Me with the i8!

Around 4:30 we left the pavilion and made the long trek back to the front of the exhibition center. We were both tired and sore and more than ready to return to our hostel for some rest. We stopped first at the Mercedes Trucks exhibit. It turned out the Julia and done an internship with that department of the Daimler company and knew a co-worker who was stationed at the fair. He allowed us upstairs to Mercedes' private cafe for a cup of free coffee and cake! He also told us to return tomorrow around lunch time for a free meal! We thanked him and drank our coffee. It was the prefect way to end the day.

After that we walked back to our hostel and unwound the rest of the night. I sat in the common area (see previous entry) and typed, then played a German game which translates to "Don't get angry", which was exactly like the game Sorry. Around midnight all of the boys headed to bed, knowing full well that tomorrow would be just as crazy.

The next day we awoke and ate another amazing breakfast in the common area. This morning it was packed full of people. There was a lot of table space but chairs were soon in very short supply. Our group was unable to eat together for the most part and finished at separate times. I sat later and drank a coffee with Mael, Dominik and Philipp, three of the German students. We chatted in German while we watched the busy street below.

Soon after that we were once again on our way to the fair. Julia and I walked alone and planned our strategy. We still did have to write an article for the DAAD and wanted to get a little more info. We decided to write about the Volkswagen up! and the BMW Mini and compare the two vehicles. We stopped by each BMW's and Volkswagen's pavilions (with a quick stop by the Mercedes cafe for a free meal of lasagna). At Volkswagen's station we made an amazing discovery. You could test drive essentially an Volkswagen vehicle right there at the fair! We both excitedly signed up, Julia for a small Volkswagen Polo sports car, and me for a Golf Cabriolet convertible sports car.

Julia was called to her vehicle first and I sat and waited in a small lounge that had been set up for that purpose. Finally my name was called and I was taken to a beautiful black convertible. I stowed my bags in the back seat, was given a short intro by my co-pilot and we took off. We drove quickly through the converted streets of the IAA and then into the main Frankfurt city. My co-pilot (I think her name was Yvonne) asked if I wanted to go on the Autobahn for a short time. Who was I to say no to that! I was a little anxious however as I had never driven in a foreign country at all, let alone on the German Autobahn, which was notorious as one of the last few road ways with no posted speed limits. I didn't let my nervousness show however and acted just like I was merging onto the interstate in the US.

The little Volkswagen I was driving certainly had an engine. I accelerated it up to 130 km/h (a little over 80 miles) and drove around a lumbering truck. We drove for about 10 kilometers before exiting and returning to the fair. I was thrilled with the experience and went back inside very cheerfully to greet Julia. After that mind-numbing experience we walked around the pavilions yet again but soon decided to go back to our hostel. We were to meet our chaperons for dinner at 7 and thought a few hours to ourselves would be welcome.

At 7 we headed down the stairs of our hostel with the rest of the group and started walking to the restaurant. The chaperons assured us it was not far and we walked along happily behind them, chatting. It soon became apparent however that they had no idea where they were going. One of the German students, Philipp, pulled out his iPhone and quickly located the restaurant. Instead of directing the group however, he walked behind the chaperons with the phone, watching to see if they would find their way. We watched with amusement as they struggled. Finally we arrived at our destination.

The restaurant was a small, dimly lit place with a scattering of customers. We sat down and were greeted by a not-so-friendly waiter. I was pretty sure he was gay (a German later confirmed this suspicion) though I didn't voice it out loud since my gay-dar was absolutely useless in Europe. He took our orders without a hint of friendliness and we chatted and waited for our food. It was traditional German fare and it was pretty good. After dinner we headed back to the hostel and sat in the common area until well past midnight. I went to bed first out of the boys because I wasn't feeling well. My body had finally revolted against all the abuse I was putting it through.

The next morning I woke, said farewell to all the other Tandem Reporters and headed back to the IAA alone. I was supposed to meet a group of international students from Hungary who were driving up from Cologne for the day. I finally found them near the Skoda exhibit and we walked around the fair until it was time for me to catch my train home. I went to the station on foot and had McDonalds for the first time in Europe! It was essentially the same except for two differences, no free refills and absolutely no ketchup on anything unless you asked for it and agreed to pay a little extra.

I ate then boarded my train, sleeping through most of the ride. When I arrived at the Cologne Haupbahnhof I departed through the streets. I immediately became lost. I wandered for what must have been half an hour, stopping in a hotel once for a much needed bathroom break, before finally finding Neumarkt. From there I walked the half mile to the tram stop, lugging my heavy bag. It was a relief to finally throw the bag on the floor of the tram and sit in the chair until the train pulled into my station at the end of the line.

IAA Day 1!

This blogging business is hard work. I struggle each week just to keep up with what's been going on and this particular week I anticipate a lot to happen. I am typing this in a Youth Hostel in Frankfurt, Germany. The hostel is located in the middle of the Red Light district of the city (literally there is a sex/strip club next door). It is taking all of my concentration to construct each sentence because directly behind me in a corner of the hostel common area is a large group of South African men, all white, speaking loudly with British accents, and they are hilarious! Occasionally a particular comment will permeate the entire common area. Its usually something along the lines of "Can I fondle you?" or "I'm a sexual pedophile." But let's back up a little bit.

On Wednesday the 14th of September I got up early and arrived at the Cologne Messa/Deutz train station at 11:00 am. I was to board an ICE train (high speed rail) for Frankfurt at 11:44. During the summer I had applied and been accepted to a program put on by the DAAD (the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) called Tandem Reporters. This program paired international students with a German student and sent them to report on various events occurring throughout the country. This particular event was the Internationale Auto Austellung (IAA) or the International Automotive Exhibition. A few days previously we had received an email from the program coordinator, informing us that we would get a personal tour of the Austellung facility that would be attended my none other than the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. I liked the chancellor and had in fact written an essay about her for a scholarship. Needless to say I was so excited my internal organs were in danger of rupturing.

Me on the empty train platform

My train finally arrived and I boarded it, stowed my luggage and took my seat next to a British fellow who, after a quick introduction, said nothing to me for the remainder of the journey. I was okay with this and occupied myself with looking out the window of the speeding train and watching the German countryside flash by. After about an hour the train pulled into the Frankfurt Haupbahnhof (main train station), and I walked to the back of my car and exited into the noisy, bustling, and crowded station. It was at this point that I realized that I had only the vaguest of ideas where my hostel was. I walked out of the main city entrance of the station and started down a street. I soon realized it was the wrong one and returned to the station.

I cursed myself for not bringing a map or any of the documents that had detailed where we would be staying. Admittedly we had been told very little about the details of the trip but we had been given a city map that showed the hostel. After talking to a customer service representative (in German), and being given the wrong directions I found two police officers. I asked them (again in German) where to find the hostel. They pointed out the main entrance and told me to walk 50 meters and turn right. I did this and immediately found the hostel. It was within sight of the central train station. A few years ago I would have kicked myself for being so clueless. But, as it was, I shrugged it off and went inside.

The Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof

My ICE train

The main lobby of the hostel was on the 3rd floor (weird) and when I walked inside there were a smattering of guests entertaining themselves in front of the bar/reception desk. I approached the girl behind the desk and she addressed me in English. In short order we found my group reservation and my room. I took a key (for a 5 euro deposit) and went to my room, which was just around the corner from the reception/common area. I placed my key in front of a blinking green scanner and stepped into a slim room with three pairs of bunk beds against the walls. There were no other people in the room but a set of bags were laid against one of the bunks.

I set my things against another wall just as two tall boys entered the room. One looked very German and the other looked as though he came from somewhere in Western Europe. They greeted me and I quickly learned they were both German, though one had a French parent. They introduced themselves as Dominic and Meil. After Meil stowed his things we went back to the common area and held a conversation in German. I was both surprised and delighted at my ability to understand most of what they were saying. Moments later an Asian boy approached us and asked if we were here with the DAAD. We said yes and he introduced himself as David from Indonesia.

After more chatting the rest of the reporters entered the room. We had the one boy from Indonesia, two girls from Russia, one boy from Israel, and me. It was quickly determined that David was the only one who didn't speak a word of German and I was the youngest. This was a fact I was getting used to as many German and other international students had taken years off of school or were pursuing a masters degree. 

There were also two women who represented the DAAD present. They gathered us around a table and began a presentation on who exactly to write an article. The presentation took FOREVER as the women would present first in German and then again in English. Before long I was wondering why they didn't just communicate everything in English. This would become a point of exasperation all week as they would later report vital information in German and then not bother to repeat it in English. I could usually get the meaning of what they were saying but was certain I had missed a few details and I would constantly think of how confused poor David was.

After what seemed like ages the women took us on a tour of the city. I had seen the massive skyscrapers from the train and would soon see them up close. Frankfurt was a huge banking town with basically every major bank in German headquartered there. I had also heard from several Germans that the city wasn't exactly exciting or pretty. I however, thoroughly disagreed. It reminded me a bit of Minneapolis. The downtown area was clean and many of the skyscrapers very modern with interesting and beautiful architecture and sculptures. Scattered in with the modern buildings were also older houses and government buildings.

Our first stop was the top of the Main Tower, the only skyscraper in the city that offered guests a stunning view from 200 meters. The view was indeed beautiful! From this vantage point I could more clearly see the mix of modern and old-fashioned buildings. I could also see that the western part of the city dead-ended suddenly with a row of trees, and that unlike Minneapolis the skyscrapers were far more spread out. After lingering at the top of Main Tower for a time we saw the little church were the first German Parliament had convened and the Rhine. Our tour guides left us on the river and we ate Döner in the grass there before walking to a Supermarkt, purchasing some beers and then returning the river to casually drink them and watch the sun set over the eastern bank.

After a time we returned to the hostel and fell asleep.

Frankfurt skyline

Me with the Commerzbank tower in the background

The next morning I awoke first and remained in my bed, staring at the stark white sheets of the bunk above me. After a few minutes the alarm of one of the German students (Philip) went off and he struggled out of his perch on the top bunk and went into the room that contained the small shower that was shared between the six male Tandem Reporters. I remained where I was for a few more minutes before rising as well and beginning to dress. I put on my black dress pants and a somewhat wrinkled white shirt. By the time I was done maneuvering around in the crowded room, everyone else had awoken and begun their daily routine.

I left the room before everyone and headed into the common area for the promised free breakfast. The little room was packed with people, either sitting at tables or shuffling around a large buffet lined with food. I slipped through the line and sat with one of the Russian girls named Maria. We ate in relative silence. I enjoyed the meal. The spread included bread, rolls, tomatoes, salami, ham, three different kinds of cheeses, cereal, milk, apple and orange juice, tea, and coffee. I ate my fill before heading back to the room and tying a tie around my neck and hiding my wrinkled white shirt beneath a suit coat.

The boys all left together and met the girls and our chaperons outside the hostel, where we walked about 5 blocks to the exhibition grounds, located dead in the middle of the city. We entered the front doors and we told to wait for our chaperons while they secured our press badges. We stood at the base of a double set of escalators and watched throngs of people hustle through the security gates into the fair. The main entrance hall of the facility was huge and white and modern. I amused myself with looking around the room and watching the people walking through it.

We waited for what seemed like forever before the two women returned. They didn't bring good news. Apparently we were denied our press badges, which meant the DAAD had to buy our tickets and that we would be unable to gain access to the press room and its resources. But the real blow was that we couldn't join Angela Merkel's tour. Disappointment fell heavily on our little group. This disappointment turned to frustration as the chaperons had us wait some more while they searched (largely in vain) for the "cloakroom". I was beginning to think that instead of just choosing not to share details with us the DAAD representatives actually didn't know them themselves. Finally the pair returned and we entered the fair.

We were immediately split up from each other in a massive throng of people. I managed to stick with my Tandem Partnerin, Julia, as we made our way down a long hallway to where the exhibits were located. Julia was a 4th year bachelor student studying business. She had a very strong interest in cars and had interned for Daimler (the company most noted for producing Mercedes-Benz). She was quite at first and clearly self-conscious about her English skills. I just continued talking however and perhaps it was my rather clumsy attempts at conversation in German that convinced her to become more vocal over the course of the day.

Our first stop was the exhibit room for Mercedes-Benz. The room was massive and it damned near caused me to faint with excitement as we caught our first full glimpse of it. It was huge first of all, two floors packed full of some of the most expensive cars in Europe. A bright blue glow covered the whole room and epic music blasted from speakers set into the ceiling 20 meters above us added to the overwhelming excitement of the room. Hundreds of people milled about and, taking a deep breath, my Partnerin and I started through the exhibit.

The new addition to the Mercedes C Class. I may have been drooling
while taking this photo.

Yep. There was definitely some drool on this car.

We spent almost two hours in the giant room, walking around, looking at the classy new additions to the C class, the family-oriented B Class and the brand new concepts for the A Class. I was particularly interested in the new electric and hybrid motors Mercedes had on display. Their latest 6 cylinder model used powerful pumps to push air into the combustion chamber. The more oxygen in the chamber, the more the fuel could burn and thus produce more energy to propel the car. I was impressed with the level of commitment the company seemed to have for producing environmentally friendly cars. More than once I lost Julia in the crowd because I was busy listening to a presenter or staring at an engine or graphic.

Well this blog post is getting really long and I am a bit tired from the day's excitement. Its about midnight here and tomorrow promises to come much too soon. Hopefully I'll find time to document the rest of my first day at the IAA as well as my second. So . . . 

To be continued . . . 

Bonn

The next day I woke up around 9 and hastily readied myself for the day. The night before hadn't been that taxing but I stayed up late even though I knew full well I would be up early the next day. Rosa, the president of the international student club on campus, had promised us only 75 spots on the tour and I was bound and determined to get one. The club had planned an excursion to the city of Bonn, which was located about half an hour south of Cologne.

I was excited to visit the city mainly because of the history it had. Bonn had been the old German capital after the second World War mainly because the Chancellor at the time had lived in Cologne and wanted to keep the capital city close to home. Currently it still maintained several important United Nations facilities and hosted the prominent persons of the German government on a regular basis. It was said that a plane left from Cologne to Berlin every 50 minutes. Bonn was also the local headquarters of several huge telecommunications companies such as Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile. Several other large companies were also headquartered there which made Bonn and interesting study in business because despite its relatively small size it was an important city.

I arrived in front of the international club a little early and chatted with a few girls from France and China as well as a guy from Italy. Finally a large group formed outside and I excitedly caught up with many of the friends I had made over the past few weeks. We took off from the main southern tram station in Cologne. The train ride took the promised half an hour and I spent most of it examining the German country side. This was the first time I had been out of the city proper and many parts of Germany reminded me of the rolling countryside of Iowa or Minnesota. Of course the farmhouses and villages off in the distance were entirely different but apart from that everything was very similar.

We arrived in the Bonn Hauptbahnhof and walked a few meters to a square. It had started to rain and my Converses were instantly soaked with water. I huddled under an umbrella with Becki from Hungary who was kind enough to share the space underneath, provided I held the umbrella since I was the taller of us. The group decided to split up to grab some lunch before continuing to the museum of German history where we were to have a tour. A vast majority of the group hurried for the shelter of a nearby Burger King but my group decided to avoid the crowd and headed to a Subway that was just down the street.

We ate our lunch (nearly indistinguishable from an American Subway) and then rejoined the group outside in the rain. By that point Chris and James (the Americans) had found the group. They had stayed near Bonn the night before. We caught up with them and headed underground to the tram station, where a tram would take us directly to the museum. About 4 stops later we stepped off at another underground stop and entered the museum where the first exhibit was saw was an old and expensive looking BMW car with German flags flying from its front bumper. Several students snapped quick pictures of the vehicle before we were ordered to put our cameras away and follow the German students upstairs.

The museum was huge!! After storing our coats and bags we were taken around the 5 stories of the museum by an English-speaking tour guide from Poland. He spoke with a very thick accent but I could easily understand all that he said (a job made more simple by the fact that he wore a microphone that was sent directly to earpieces we each wore). Unfortunately no pictures were allowed in the museum so there is not photographic evidence of its epicness! You're just going to have to take my word for it. It was like walking directly through German history. The museum was neatly arranged by time period, with artifacts detailing every important event from the end of World War II to the present. Mind = blown!

After the tour we assembled on the main level and hashed out a plan. There was a fair in town for the weekend just outside the city and the German students wanted to check it out. The group split about in half, with one half returning to Cologne on an incoming train and the other half hopping on a bus and heading to the fair. My small group and I joined the fair-goers. When the bus pulled up at the front gates it was quiet a sight. Gigantic booths and rides had been erected on a gravel street which was jammed with people walking almost shoulder-to-shoulder.

The crowded fair streets

Filip with a candy apple. Happiest guy I've ever seen.

Bahahaha!

Our group walked down the main street of the fair, looking at all of the booths and the interesting people both managing them and visiting them. We stopped about 30 meters down the street at a currywurst stand and were not disappointed with our purchase. I hadn't eaten since the Subway (a long time in when it comes to Gage and food) and the wurst was delicious! We continued down the street, chatting while our eyes flicked every which way. We made a complete circuit of the main street and headed down a side one, following James and Chris. The two of them had visited the fair last night and knew largely were everything was.

They led us to a massive beer hall that brought up instant flashbacks to the Summerfest I had experienced in southern Brazil two winters ago. The hall was huge with beer and pretzel stands lining the walls and balconies wringing the entire structure. I bought a beer from a stand with Jeremy from Belgium and we drank slowly with the rest of the group at a standing table at one end of the hall, listening to a German band preform both classic German drinking songs and American and English songs from the 70s and 80s. After the beers had disappeared we returned to the busy street.

Yes Mom, that's a beer

Roberto, Alexia, and Merina chowing down on German fare.

We walked around for another half hour or so. James, Merina and I stopped at a stand for German crepes on the way out of the fair. In total I spent about 8 and a half euros on food. I think it was worth it though. We ended our day in Bonn with a long bus ride back to the central train station and then another half hour ride on a regional train back to Cologne. By the time I arrived home my feet were achy and soaking and I was hungry (once again) and tired. When I got home I collapsed into my comfortable desk chair and relaxed.

Its Not Even the Weekend Yet?

Thursday passed without any notable event. Roberto left in the morning and I hung out until German class. I had been trying to contact Ricardo all day because my bag was still in his apartment from the night before but I was unsuccessful. I arrived for German class early, as per usual, and met Lorraine. She had left her things at Ricardo's too and was equally as concerned. She decided to try him one more time via phone and miracle of all miracles he picked up! He said Roberto had stopped by just now and taken all of our bags.

Unfortunately Roberto had just left and would be a little late. I waited a while then decided to go downstairs to my class, knowing I would see Roberto during the break. I slipped in late and spent the first half of the lesson armed only with a pen. Fortunately a very nice Taiwanese girl lent me a piece of paper for the exercises. When I saw Roberto holding my bag during the break I could have hugged him! We chatted until class resumed and the second half passed much more quickly. I went home after class to do homework and hopefully sleep a full night.

The next day progressed as expected, German class in the afternoon, home afterwards. I ate a quick dinner and went back to Ricardo's as he and Lorraine had promised to make caipirinhas. I was super-excited! I had caipirinhas when I was in Brazil two winters ago and they were the best! On the train ride there Roberto called me and asked to pick up some ice. After a little mix-up with the bus line I found a petrol (gas) station and bought crushed ice for 3 Euros and lugged the thing two blocks to Ricardo's place. I met Alena from the Czech Republic outside and we buzzed in.

When we arrived I had a surprise! Lorraine was making caipirinhas out of all kinds of fruit! In Brazil I had only had the traditional caipirinha which was mixed with limes but Lorraine had two ready, one with kiwi, and one with grapes. They were awesome! We sat and played a lively game of Circle of Death, with the girls occasionally getting up to mix some new drinks for the group. The game was a hit and soon everyone was laughing and shouting at each other for breaking a rule or just because.

The caipirinha crew!

Around 10:00 Ricardo told us we would have to go out since that was the curfew in his building. We waited at the tram station for Marina the Russian, who was running a bit late. When she got there we took the tram to Zülpicher Platz. There we ran into what seemed like a 100 international students and German buddies. Apparently their favorite way to pass the time was to stand in front of an old church and drink on the street (completely legal in Germany). There was talk of going somewhere and I was of course down for going to a club but the talk didn't amount to anything. We stayed for 5 hours outside that church, chatting and occasionally leaving to get more beverages. Martin from the Czech Republic got pleasantly drunk and was excitedly chatting with everyone. It was very amusing to see him saunter over to you with a giant grin on his face and slur his usually impressive English.

By 1 am I had started to get hungry. I went with a small group to a Dürner shop across the street from the church. It was very good and I sat and chatted with the people who accompanied me. After our meal we decided it was time to go and left for home, each in separate groups. I rode home with Alexia and we had another insightful chat before getting off the tram and departing for our respective homes.

On Saturday I slept in a bit before getting a Facebook message from Lorraine to meet in the park on campus. It was a beautiful day and the weather forecast did not hold many more like this so we decided to take advantage of it. I met a large group of students at the park. Most of them were either Spanish-speaking, or Portuguese-speaking. The only other person not in either of these groups was Becki from Hungary. We laid out a blanket and talked, did German homework, and read. The weather was great and the park packed with students, adults, children, and dogs.

Our group (minus Roberto who is taking the picture)

The park with a telecommunications tower in the background

After an hour or two we decided to split up and get dinner, then reconvene in the park later. I went home and ate dinner before going back to the park. There I met the usual group and walked with Roberto and Lorraine to a Kiosk to get them drinks. I refrained from drinking that night mainly for monetary reasons. When we got back to the park Ricardo and Becki tried to organize a game of Circle of Death but the group had grown so large it had little success. Finally we broke into smaller groups and chatted the night away. It was a calm night and that seemed to be ok with everyone there. 

Around 2 am everyone decided to disperse. A small group wanted to go to a club (I later learned that they never made it) but I walked all the way home with Roberto because we had missed our train. We were both planning on getting up in the morning to take a trip with the international students club to the city of Bonn so we said goodnight (or Buenas noches) and went to bed.

The next two days (the 4th and 5th) passed with little to report. I mainly took care of more logistical things and slept. On Tuesday the 6th of September we were to begin our first German class. The class lists were to be posted at 8am that day. This was another point of annoyance for the international students. The class list would only be put up in the German department so we would all have to travel to the building at 8 am on Tuesday to check which class we were in, then most likely come back later to actually have the class. There were a lot of grumblings and comments that an email would have done the trick so much more neatly.

I got up at 7 on Tuesday and rode the tram with Zhao to check our course listings. I was placed in the B1 level of classes that took place in the afternoon. James was also placed in B1 and Chris in the higher B2 level. I was very surprised to learn that Martin from the Czech Republic had earned a C1 score and was two levels above us. To my knowledge his German speaking abilities weren't any greater than mine. Apparently he had been holding out on me!

After reading the list I left with a large group of international students to grab a coffee before going home. We sat and talked long past the last sip in front of the Mensa. I sat with a small group of 5 and we chatted about skiing. Apparently there were some other enthusiasts here and they all wanted to take a trip to the Swiss Alps this winter. Of course I was in! Its on my bucket list to ski in the Swiss Alps. I would be down any day!

After our chat I went home, ate lunch, then made the tram ride back to the German department for our first day of class. I sat beside a Spanish girl named Sylvia and we chatted for a time. The only people in the class that I had known previously were Tamas, Becki, and Aniko, all from Hungary. The rest of the students were from other programs. Our teacher ambled in 5 minutes before the start of class. She was an older woman, with crazy, curly gray hair and walked slightly hunched over. The class was fun but far too long. It lasted 3 and a half hours. When it finally ended I spoke briefly with the instructor about missing class for the Frankfurt Auto Show then ran home quickly, scarfed down some food, faxed a bank trasnfer statement to US Bank and ran out the door again to meet Christian Fendel (a German buddy) and a group at his place before heading to the student Irish pub Flannigan's.

When I arrived the party was in full swing. Martin, Chris, and James greeted me excitedly and I took a seat in the crowded room next to a massive German man named Dimitri. He offered me a drink (who am I to say no) and we chatted. I also met another towering German student named Thomas and a German girl named Vjo. We left Christian's apartment around 8:30 and took a tram to Huemarkt were Flannigan's was located. By the time we stopped at Huemarkt, Chris' bladder was about to burst and he leapt from the tram with a shout of "Ich muss pissen!" and disappeared into the night. The rest of the group continued walking and when we reached Flannigan's the line was out the door.

We waited for about half an hour before finally being allowed in. Chris called and for some reason had taken the tram back to Nuemarkt. We instructed him to turn around before entering the dark bar. It was absolutely packed! Only students were allowed in and they stood shoulder-to-shoulder. We elbowed our way to the bar, ordered a few drinks, then I fought my way to the large dance floor with Anna from Spain and Ozge and Pinar from Turkey. We soon joined a larger group of international students and Germans and had carved our own little niche on the dance floor. Most of the music was remixed American hits but a few German and even Spanish songs crept into the playlist. Once again, it was all about the dancing!

Crazy!

A little clearer

At around midnight I decided it was time to leave since the last tram arrived in my neighborhood around 12:53. After saying "goodbye" to everyone I walked with Marina from Russia to the tram stop. Alexia from Belgium soon caught us on her bike and we waited at the tram stop together. While we were standing on the platform a very drunk, very dirty old man approached us. He must have heard us conversing in English because he said muttered something about how poor his English was in German and proceeded to start speaking in rapid, nearly indecipherable German to Alexia. Marina gave me a worried look. I moved closer to Alexia, ready to intervene if the drunk got any ideas.

Thankfully our tram pulled up shortly afterward and we hurried onto it, leaving the old man grinning stupidly and waving from the platform. The girls soon exited the tram and I rode it all the way to the end of the line. By the time it reached my neighborhood it was just past midnight and the tram was utterly deserted. I slowly walked through the tram, out onto the street and home.

Utterly deserted. You can't buy this kind of quiet.

The next day I arose fairly early and stayed around the apartment all morning, for the most part using Facebook and checking my email. At 1:30 pm I left for the University to pick up my text book before class. I stopped in the bookshop on the corner and purchased the book for 15 euro, wishing bitterly that text books only cost this much in the US. My previous German text books had cost me $50.00 apiece and weren't even real books, but copied pages strung together.

After paying for my purchase with my credit card I walked the half a block to the German department where I met Lorraine from Brazil sitting outside the classrooms. We chatted for a while, talking about our plans for the evening. The German Buddies program had booked the Colognia Express, a private train that ran throughout the city serving beer to those on board. The concept is very similar to a party bus in the United States. We were both very excited and knew the event was going to be a popular one. The German class was once again very long. When it finally ended I met Ricardo and Lorraine (both from Brazil), Fatima (Spain), and Roberto (Mexico) and we walked to Ricardo's apartment on Aachener Str. There we deposited our bags and walked 5 minutes to the station where the Colognia Express was to meet us. 

Me and the Spanish/Mexican/Brazilian crew!

A large portion of our fellow international students were already waiting at the stop. I quickly conversed with the other Americans and then engaged Alexia from Belgium in a conversation. I liked Alexia a lot. She was extremely intelligent and spoke English to such a degree that, coupled with her accent, you would think she was from the UK. After about half an hour the Colognia Express finally pulled into the station. It was a long, dark blue tram that looked the same as any other Straßenbahn but for the words "Colognia Express" emblazoned on the front of it.

Once all 80 students had piled on, the tram was packed. I started at the back, sitting at a table with Lorraine and Fatima. Berkan (one of the German buddies) wriggled his way behind us and started filling glasses from a large keg that was perched on a counter there. Beneath the counter I could see three other kegs. Berkan worked quickly and soon everyone on the tram was clutching a beer and talking loudly above the music echoing through the enclosed space. As the train trundled through the city, I contented myself with sitting in the back and speaking to Lorraine, Fatima, and Isabel from Mexico.

Soon the tram edged its way onto the Rhein and conversation stopped as we stared through the rain-drenched windows at the powerful river and the buildings that stood sentry on its coast. I pulled my camera out of my pocket and worked it off my belt loop to take pictures through the window of the scenery. Beside me, Lorraine did the same. It was difficult to time the shots between the stop signs, tram stations, and other vehicles flashing by but the driver gave us another chance for pictures as he immediately crossed the Rhein again. I had driven across the river on my way from the airport but I hadn't stood on its banks yet. I made a mental note to do that before it got too cold.

Lorraine, Fatima, and me

Ritzy apartment buildings whose upper stories jut out over the Rhein

After that we stopped for a break at a station outside the city proper. I took this opportunity to walk up and down the train to see what my fellow passengers were doing. I wouldn't return to my seat for the rest of the night. I stopped first to visit with the large group who had come from Hungary. Berkan soon joined us and convinced us to chug a beer with him. He soon returned with four tall glasses and after handing them out threw his back. We joined him. The two Hungarian guys finished first. One of them, Zoltan, finished his beer in a single gulp and watched us patiently as we finished ours. 

After another half hour I detached myself from the Hungarians and continued wandering the train. I found a prime location beside the bathrooms on board and situated myself there. People were constantly going back and forth and I chatted with an endless stream of students. Roberto from Mexico, Maria from Spain, Damon from Singapore, Alexia from Belgium, Ze from Portugal Ting Juan from South Korea, Filip, Martin, and Alena from the Czech Republic, Ken from Japan, and Rosa and Hannah from Germany. By 9 pm you could tell that the endless supply of free beer was getting to everyone. The noise increased and the mood became more and more happy. Maria from Spain and Filip from the Czech Republic were particularly fun to talk to. Maria would run up and down the train and every time she passed me she would yell "Rafa!" (short for Raphael which I told her was my Spanish name). Filip would perform largely the same routine except he would yell "Minnesota!", which I had easily convinced him was one of the best states to visit.

All-in-all, the night was progressing pretty well.

Me and Alexia

The Americans!

Me, Martin, and Kata from Hungary

Just after 10 pm things took a slight turn. Damon from Singapore (whom I had spoken with earlier that night) had cut his hand while helping pick up a crate of empty beer glasses he had accidentally knocked over. The cut was somehow very deep and he was losing blood quickly. The tram had to be stopped on Aachener Str. and an ambulance arrived on the scene. We waited while the paramedics worked though we received no updates about our wounded comrade. Finally at around 11 pm the tram started again and then stopped a ways down the busy road. Everyone piled off at 11:30 pm and the vast majority headed for a club down Aachener Str. I decided not to join them and instead turned for home. Roberto from Mexico decided to join me. Since we had both left our belongings in Ricardo's apartment he did not have his keys and I told him my couch was free.

We caught the number 9 tram and took it to the last stop where I let us into my apartment. I gave Roberto several glasses of water and set him down on the couch in my room. He was very drunk and wasn't feeling the best. I left for a moment to fix myself some food because as usual I was starving. When I came back, Roberto was passed out with one hand hanging off the couch. I checked to see that he was still breathing and clambered into my bed. About an hour later I heard Roberto get up, slip slightly on the rug in the middle of my room, and hurry out the door. I heard him stumble in the kitchen then into the bathroom where he closed the door behind him. A few minutes later my roommate Nikos entered the living room, muttered something to himself in Greek, then returned to his room.

I decided to check on my inebriated friend. I struggled from the bed, and walked into the living room, then turned into the kitchen. Immediately a strong smell of beer hit me. I looked at the floor and there was vomit everywhere. On the floor, the dishwasher, up the counters, in the sink, and splattered on the walls. I blinked slowly, not quite believing what I was seeing. I then gritted my teeth and started to clean. Roberto soon emerged from the bathroom looking pale and unhappy. I asked if he was alright but he ignored me and surveyed the mess in the kitchen. "Did I do that?" he asked. I gave him a questioning look and said, "I'm pretty sure it was you." He hid his face in his hands and started mumbling and apology. He offered to help me clean but I forced him back to the couch then finished the job myself.

Roberto got up once more to vomit before he let me cover him with a blanket and hang his clothes up to air out. I finally crawled back into my bed at 4 am and immediately passed out.

Ersten Wochenende in Deutschland (cont.)

So when I left off last time, Zhao and I had just reached the neighborhood of Ehrenfeld. After getting off the tram we met Martin who was also a bit early. We walked around Ehrenfeld for a while, waiting for the others. After about half and hour the others arrived and we stood by the stairs to the underground tram stop talking for a while before Rosa, the German girl in charge of the international student club, signaled for us to leave. We broke into groups of 5 to simplify the ordering process and walked into a small pub a few streets from the tram stop.

Our large group of about 30 students flooded the small pub and the owners quickly set up a table for us in the back. My group elected to remain at the bar front however, away from our eagerly chatting classmates, in order to get the full effect. I sat with the other Americans, a Belgian named Jeremy, and a Russian named Marina, both of whom had become fast friends with the Minnesotans. We talked amiably amongst ourselves and ordered one beer apiece. Once we had finished we stepped outside to wait for the other international students and our German buddies.

Jeremy, James, and Chris with their crepes

When everyone else had finally finished their drinks, we walked a short distance to a small square to wait once more. This was quickly becoming the theme of the night. It was clear that the German students hadn't laid out a solid plan and that there were way too many students for them to handle efficiently. After a time we walked to our second bar of the evening. This one was more modern than the last and the sign proclaimed it was modeled after an American bar. This was not quite true and it resembled something more Eastern with small potted plants, tiny leather seats, and a dim red under-glow. The whole group sat in a back room this time and I sipped another beer.

Before too long the German students were again hurrying us from the bar. I left with the Czech students. We walked about for what seemed like a long time. During our journey I bumped into some of the exchange students from Spain and Portugal. They had arrived late (which was their norm I guess) and were by this time very, very drunk. Several of them were very personable even in their slightly altered state. The others were eager to speak with an American, though I soon learned that it was because they enjoyed bashing everything from our football (soccer) teams, to our perceived lack of culture. I was careful to keep my answers as neutral as possible so as not to excite them even more and slipped away at the next possible opportunity.

After what seemed like an hour we stopped in front of a Beirgarten (beer garden) and the group ambled inside. We were sadly disappointed however as the garden and the accompanying building were seemly empty. I ventured inside the small building, past two very butch women and looked through an open door at a dance floor. It was full of middle-aged women. I soon realized that it was a lesbian party. My fellow gentlemen expressed some level of disgust but I gave them hard looks and reminded the Americans that they should at least be used to it since we live in Minneapolis. They changed the subject.

We soon left the Beirgarten and by this point we were quickly loosing faith in our German guides. They assured us that they knew where they were going now and headed off in the direction of a club that had just opened 3 days ago. When we arrived we stood outside for a long time so that everyone who was drinking could finish before we entered. As I was standing with a group of students, talking, laughing, and occasionally singing with Antoine my French friend, a giant of a man came up and clasped my shoulder. He was dressed all in black and I knew immediately that he was a bouncer for the club. He looked me in the eyes and said something in German. I couldn't hear him and asked if he spoke English. He shook his head, put his finger to his lips and said "F**king Polizei!". I barely contained a laugh and told him in German that we would be more quiet. He nodded, smiled, and departed.

Not long after that our large group entered the club. It cost 7 Euros to enter and the place was packed when we got in. It was dark and looked very similar to many American clubs. After exploring for 5 minutes we entered a small, packed room that was stifling and hot. The music was bumping however! We listened with amusement to a weird German hip hop/techno/polka mix. By now I was in my element! I love clubs and was always ready for an excuse to dance. Chris and I taught some of the other international students some American dances like the Dougie and the Cat Daddy. I was surprised by how stiff many of them were. Europeans were supposed to be good dancers right? Many of them looked to the Americans however and were soon imitating us on the dance floor. The rest of the night may have been a bit frustrating but this was worth it!

Me and Lorraine from Brazil!

Our group on the small dance floor

A view of the larger dance floor

Me and Pinar (pronounced Pi-nash) from Turkey

It was around 3 in the morning when I finally decided it was time to go home. The other Americans and Jeremy had left 20 minutes earlier and by this point I was soaked in sweat, dehydrated, and absolutely weary from dancing. I left with two girls from Hungary and when we arrived at the tram station we found just about everyone else also waiting. The tram arrived 30 minutes later. Even at 3 in the morning the tram was so packed I couldn't find a seat. When I did take one two German girls stumbled in, looking bone-tired. I asked them in German if they would like to sit and they looked at me like I was the most amazing thing they'd ever seen. They blurted an affirmative and both of them crashed into the seat as soon as I had vacated it. One of the boys they were with repeated the German phrase I had used to his friend (my accent must have been pretty bad) and asked where I was from. I told him the United States and he laughed again.

Before too long the crowd began to thin. I switched trams and Neumarkt and rode with a guy named Zolli from Hungary, who got off two stops before I did. By the time my tram arrived at the station I was ready to collapse. I walked the 5 minutes to my apartment and fell into bed, pausing only to undress.

Ersten Wochenende in Deutschland!

On Friday the 2nd of September I up way too early. I took an 8 am tram to Achener Strasse where the city center is located and finally registered as a resident of the city of Cologne. While waiting for my appointment I met Alena, a girl from the Czech Republic and a few Chinese international students. Alena had an appointment before me though she was unlucky enough to be in the wrong city center. The Chinese girls also told horror stories of missing their scheduled time by 2 minutes and having to wait again so I was fairly nervous. I watched for my number like a hawk and when it finally appeared on a projected screen at the front of the waiting room I leapt from my chair and hurried to the assigned desk.

I seated myself in front of a woman who was about 2 feet tall (no joke, 2 feet!) and politely introduced myself in German. It quickly became clear that she spoke only a few words of English, though I could easily understand her slow and deliberate German. The whole process took 5 minutes and I was soon walking away with my city registration form!

I spent the rest of the day exploring an area of the city called Neumarkt (New Market) with the Frenchman Antoine. It was a crowded street lined with individual shops and large shopping centers. We explored for a while looking to purchase cell phones. I finally found a store called Saturn which was the German equivalent of a Best Buy and purchased a phone for the neat price of 15 euros.

A McDonald's sign in Neumark.
Translation: I'm lovin' it

That night I headed out from home for the apartment of a German student named Christian. Once, there I rang his buzzer and was admitted upstairs where he was sitting with another German student and James from Minnesota. We sat, talked, and drank beers for a time until more and more people showed up. Finally, the group decided to leave around 1:00 am for a club. I decided against continuing with them, knowing my money had limits until I could contact my bank on Tuesday to transfer money to my freshly-opened German account, and walked home with a German student named Adrian. Convinced he knew where I was going he agreed to walk me to my bus stop. However, it was (as I had suspected) the wrong stop. Not too off put I parted with him and walked the mile or so to the next stop and was home my 2:00 am.

The next day I woke up at 8, had breakfast and went to the Mensa to meet a group of students who would be departing for a tour of campus and of the city. I arrived just in time and met several of the people who had been at the party last night. Of the group who had decided to go clubbing, no one was present. After a quick tour of campus we took the street car downtown and I got  my first up-close sight of the Dom.

It was massive, with two main spires and countless smaller ones. The masonry was so intricate and detailed it was nearly incomprehensible. Each tiny spire was covered in a web of smaller spikes and each of those spikes had several more carved onto it. People were everywhere and the two squares that bordered the Cathedral were packed. Street musicians played on essentially every corner and a large group of Chinese tourists were flooding the squares just as we arrived. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to enter the Dom or to even linger for too long.

The Koelner Dom as seen from a side street

Our group at the Dom

Instead out group headed to a local pizza cafe to pick up some lunch. It was around 2 in the afternoon (or 14 by German time) and a group of about 40 of us crowded into the small cafe. We pushed 8 long tables together and when the waitress approached our table see noticeably grit her teeth and approached the far end. She took our drink orders (a task compounded by the fact that only a few of us spoke passable German) and then retreated to the kitchens. While we waited the group chatted amiably. I talked with Martin and some Chinese girls as well as Ricardo and Isabel, both from Mexico.

The waitress finally returned with the drink orders and set about getting everyone's food orders. This took an even longer amount of time though she appeared to remain patient throughout. I helped the Chinese girls deceiver the German menu and ended up ordering a margarita pizza for myself. We waited on the food at least an hour and by the time it arrived it was around 4:30. And the pizzas were huge!! For the price we paid  I had expected them to be larger slices for each of us but the waitress returned with the equivalent of a personal pan pizza for each of us. Isabel was the first to be served and she stared at the huge pizza in awe.

Apparently the Midwest tradition of being too polite to eat the
last of anything applies in German as well.

Giant pizza!

By the time the dust settled and despite some misgivings, each of us had cleared our plates. We were particularly proud of Isabel who was not that big though the first to finish her mammoth pizza.

Way to put it down!

By the time we had finished eating it was 6:00 pm. I caught a tram home with Zhao and we said a quick hello to our landlords and hopped upstairs to check plans for the evening. Soon after we caught the 7:00 tram to Ehrenfeld, a neighborhood to the east of where we lived to meet up with the rest of the group for a wild night of German frivolity! 

To be continued . . .