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 . . .

Getting Situated

So another few days have gone by and I just haven't found the time to write another blog post. I feel like so much happens in just one day that I could write a full-length entry for each of them. The catch 22 is that each day is so full I don't have time to write a blog post for each of them. I lead a rough life.

So when I last left you I had just moved into my new accommodations in the  Sülz neighborhood of Cologne. The area is actually quite nice. It is occupied mainly by families and as far as I can tell, my roommates and I are the only students living in the area. The homes are also well kept and reasonably modern. From what I have seen of the rest of the city this is rare. The city of Cologne is over 2,000 years old and was originally built by the Romans. The city was heavily bombed in World War II and most of the structures seen today were built in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Thus the architecture is not extremely modern. There is also a problem with graffiti and a lot of the buildings (especially those around campus) have been tagged.

Translates to: "You are my baby"

The other remarkable thing about the city is, of course, its extensive public transportation network. There are three main types of transportation available to the citizens of Cologne: the Straβenbahn (a street trolley that runs on tracks built into the streets), the inter-city trains, and the buses. I in particular really love the Straβenbahn. Each lines stops at each station once every 10 minutes during the day, with extended times on weekends. And no matter where I go and when I go, these cars are packed! Even at 4 in the morning I had to stand in the car because there were no seats available. Pretty crazy!

A Straβenbahn car pulling into the platform

Apart from the excitement of the city there are a lot of very interesting people on the list of exchange students this semester. We had our first meeting with the international group on campus (the PIM and CEMS club) on Tuesday the 30th of August. I walked the half hour to the WiZo building with my roommate Zhao. When we got to our assigned room it was packed with students. I met the other two Americans there and we exchanged updates. After a very quick introductory speech by the PIM and CEMS president Rosa, I walked downstairs with the Americans, their German buddies, and a Czech guy named Martin. There we bought our first German beer from a Kiosk (or small convenience store) that was a few doors down the street.

Cologne is famous of a type of beer called  Kösch, a light, sweet beer that is usually served in tall, thin glasses and should be consumed quickly so that the flavor doesn't escape. It was easily some of the best beer I had ever tasted. We stood outside the Kiosk, drinking on the street before going back into the WiZo offices. The ability to drink on the street and even inside a university building was certainly not lost on me. There was no way this would fly in the US. After a time the whole group traveled on the Straβenbahn to a brewery were we had a few drinks on the WiZo student group.


I talked with the other international students in the back room the brewery had provided for us for two and a half hours before catching the Straβenbahn home with Zhao. We didn't have our public transportation passes yet so I punched two of the tickets my landlords had given me in order to get us home. 

The next day I got up early and walked around our neighborhood with Zhao. She was about what I had come to expect from a Chinese girl. Shy unless it came to asking questions and adorable in speech and mannerisms. The first few days she was not very talkative and my own jet lag and preoccupation with all of the logistical things that needed to be done led to some very quiet train rides together. Nikos, my other roommate was not as quiet, though his English was very fragmented, a fact he tried to compensate for my repeating the same thought multiple times, even though I assured him I had understood what he meant. Maintaining a conversation with Nikos required a lot of concentration and eventually began to wear on my patience, though I should be more tolerant once I have established everything here. He was, on the whole, very nice and had taken to calling me his younger brother and Zhao our younger sister.

Me with my new "siblings".

After our walk, Zhao and I went to our first informational meeting, which outlined all of the things we still had yet to do. It was kind of a long, daunting list. After the meeting we walked back home and picked up lunch at a neat little sandwich shop on the way. 

The next day (the 1st of September) I got up on my own and walked 2 miles to the KVB headquarters that was located north-west of campus. KVB was a large transportation company and responsible for public transportation in Cologne. At their offices I quickly purchased a student, discount monthly ticket for the public transportation network that cost a whopping 58 euros. This was apparently cheap though I couldn't help but think of the $97 U Pass in Minneapolis that lasted not one month, but 4.

After that I walked to campus to sit a placement German test to see into which pre-semester German course I would fall. I sat and waited with some of the other international students including the Americans, Martin, and an overly-energetic Frenchman named Antoine. When we finally filled into the huge test room we had to present our passports at the door, a procedure that took about an hour as there were so many of us. When the test finally did start it soon became clear that it was going to be tricky. The test proctors fired off the instructions in rapid German and it took me a moment to understand what they were saying. For the next two hours we labored over a listening section and a fill-in-the-blank section with the most blanks I had ever seen in my life.

When the test finally ended, I walked with Martin to the Uni Mensa (or cafeteria), ate a quick lunch and then accompanied Martin to his new Studentenwohnheim (student dorm). The dorms here were much different than those in the US. The rooms were about the same size but the hallways were larger and much more spacious. They felt more like very small apartment buildings and didn't have that "dorm feel" that US student living had. The elevators were also very small, about a three foot by three foot square. After exploring the dorm I rode back to campus with Martin and then walked to an informational meeting that had ended an hour ago, and then finally home for the day.

That's all for now! Remember if you have questions or would like to hear more about a specific aspect of German life please add a comment to the blog. 

Auf Weidersehen!

Okay gang! I've been in Germany for a few days now and am finally finding the time to write an update.

My flight from the Chicago O'Hare International Airport departed at 6:15 on Sunday the 28th of August. I was driven to the airport by my mom, dad, and sister. The 3 hour drive went by very quickly and with only two stops. The first was at the Barnes and Nobel in Davenport, Iowa to pick up a gift for the German family I was to be leasing from. I didn't really have any ideas about which book to buy them but I was confident that while looking through B and N's selection I would find one.

Sure enough, we found a book called "Midwest Marvels" in the regional travel section. It contained random points of interest in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, including the future birthplace of James T. Kirk, the Dells, and the world's largest, hand-wound ball of twine. After the successful purchase we stopped for a quick lunch at McDonlads to ensure I had enough greasy, American food to get me through the flight at least.

Upon arriving to the airport I checked my luggage with little issue. We lingered for a moment outside security. My present family members hugged me and promptly walked away. I didn't dwell but focused on the next step, getting through airport security. This I did with little issue and easily found my gate. I had about an hour to departure so I sat and mainly listened to my fellow passengers. Directly across from me, two British women were seated, piling up the American coins they had in their pockets in a last ditch effort to spend it before they left the States. On my other side, was an Indian family with three younger children who chattered insistently while their parents watched them expressionlessly.

Before boarding I got a few texts and a phone call that really helped bolster my spirits. All the worries of the previous few days were gone. There just wasn't really any room for them. I had to focus on getting through the next 11 hours. We boarded right on time and in neat order. I got a window seat at the back of the plane and settled in. Within a few minutes my seat-mate threw her bag in the overhead compartment and sat down. Her name was Kirsten and beyond all possibility, she was a senior at the University of Minnesota! We chatted for an hour or two about life in Minneapolis and what was in store for the both of us over the next few months. She was studying European sustainability efforts in Germany with a program that would also be traveling to several other countries.

After those first few hours we fell to silence, playing with armrest controls and reading. We chatted again over dinner (steak and potatoes for me, pasta for her), and then resumed our own activities. As the sky outside grew steadily darker, I watched Alien and tried to sleep. Kirsten fell asleep for a few hours though I never could.

Finally we could see the sun on the horizon. I watched it rise over the ocean through a swirling mist of clouds. At about 7 am our time we began flying over the coast of Ireland. It was a patchwork of different shades of brown and green that looked far too neat and orderly. I tried to snap a few pictures from the plane window, though anyone who has tried this before can probably share in my frustration.

Not long after passing the Emerald Isle we were approaching Britain. Kirsten and I switched places so she could snap a few pictures through the window. We were soon flying over London and I was starting to regret my decision to switch places with her. Despite my somewhat disadvantaged viewpoint I was still able to snap a picture of downtown London that turned out okay.

We circled the Heathrow Airport for a time before coming in for a smooth landing. We by the time I was able to exit the plane it was 8:30 am on August the 29th and my next flight took off at 9:40 am. Cutting it a little close. I hurried through a quick security check and then along what seemed like an endless corridor before arriving in Terminal 1 were the Lufthansa flight was scheduled to take off. My gate wasn't posted on my ticket so I walked over to the electronic flight board and quickly found my flight to Cologne. The gate wasn't posted however and wasn't scheduled to be posted until 9:00 am. So, I had half an hour to wait. I couldn't help but think this would never fly in America. We like to reach our gates at least an hour ahead of time. Amazing how relaxed about it the Brits seemed to be.

Me waiting for my gate to be posted the in Heathrow International Airport.

While I was waiting for my gate to be posted an older couple approached the board and scanned it anxiously. After looking over it a few times they frowned and huddled together, speaking softly. My interest was piqued when a few words of what they were saying reached me. They were speaking German. After letting them deliberate a moment I approached them and asked if they needed any help in German. They nodded and said they could not find the gate for their plane traveling to Munich. I explained (as best I could) that they're flight gate wouldn't be posted until 9:40 am.

They thanked me and asked if I was from Holland. Amused I said I was from the United States. They expressed their surprise that an American could speak German and shuffled off together to wait for their gate to be posted. Not long after they had left my own gate appeared on the screen and I hurried off to find it. The gate was located at the end of another long corridor and through three sets of double doors. These doors had to be opened by airport personnel before we could enter and the other doors into that corridor were shut, probably as a means of security.

When I finally got to my gate I sat against the far wall and read my book for a time. The boarding time (9:40 am) came and went and I could see the other passengers around me becoming restless. I was reminded of the layover we had in Sao Paulo, Brazil and was very glad that at least here everyone spoke English. Finally, someone did come over the PA system and announced that the flight had been delayed until at least 10:30 am due to a mechanical problem. Further updates would be received as they became available.

I was a little anxious about the delay, simply because my landlords were to be picking me up from the airport. Hopefully they would not be too distressed about having to wait and would check the arrival boards in Cologne to monitor my flight. So I waited for a time, wandering back to the center of Terminal 1 and looking at the shops along the walls. When I finally did return to my gate the doors were once again barred and I had to wait with a small group of people until a newly arrived plane had unloaded its passengers. By the time we got back to our gate it was past 10:30 and I asked a flight attendant if there was any news about the plane, trying my best (and mostly succeeding) not to mimic her British accent. She said the plane was departing now.

We loaded the machine in quick order. The plane was a larger one though only about 1/3 of the way full. I had another window seat in a row of three with one gentleman on the end and no one in the middle. This flight went by in a hurry. We were served a sparse breakfast and soon were coming in for a landing at the Cologne Airport. When we had taxied to the gate I was in a hurry to disembark and not keep my landlords waiting too much longer.

When I got through a quick security check and had my passport stamped I found an little old man holding a sign with my name on it. This must be Harold, whom I had communicated with a few times via email. He greeted me warmly and we walked my luggage down several levels to the parking lot. We then loaded it into an old Mercedes Benz and took a scenic route to the apartment, skirting the edges of downtown Cologne. As we drove I kept up a constant stream of questions, half in English, half in German. I was surprised and pleased with my ability to understand most of what he said in German.

After about half an hour we arrived at the apartment. It was just as I had seen it in photographs before arriving. Once inside we met Christin, Harold's wife and a Wisconsin native. She was very energetic and seemed a little strict. She certainly didnt' take any chances in ensuring I understood all the finer points of a landlord/leaser relationship, or how to work any household appliances. After a quick snack on the patio of their beautiful home (pictures to come later) we went through a two hour rundown of how to operate everything in my new accommodations.

My new room (half unpacked).

After that I unpacked and finally regained internet access from my new room. I concluded the day with a quick tour of the neighborhood with Harold. I also met one of my new roommates, a Greek native named Nikos. We sat down to dinner with our landlords and had a very long conversation, interrupted only slightly when Harold left to pick up our final roommate, a Chinese girl named Zhao. Nikos spoke very little English and very little German, though he was quickly improving his German. We had a short, grammatically-frayed conversation in Denglish that required all of his concentration to understand what I was saying, and all of my concentration to phrase things as simply as possible and try and guess the meaning of his half-sentences.

After I had relaxed for a little bit, Harold returned with Zhao and she was given a quick introduction to the building and to us. By this time it was 11:00 pm and everyone was ready for bed. Zhao seemed like a very typical Chinese girl. Very polite, and shy, though not too shy about asking questions. After her introduction I headed for bed. All day I had been riding a roller coaster of utter exhaustion and second winds, so I was anxious to finally try and get my biological clock back on track with a good night's rest.

Departure!

So the big day is finally here. I really can't believe that in just under 8 hours I will be sitting on a tarmac in Chicago, waiting for it to take off for London. It really is a surreal feeling. I've been trying not to think about this moment all week. Everyone keeps telling me I'll have a blast and won't want to come home but whenever my thoughts have turned to my impending trip I don't really want to leave. Its weird how I grow attached to places. I think the real appeal of them however is the people in that particular place rather than the place itself.

I'm sure I'll be fine. The feeling is probably similar to the stage fright I experienced just before stepping onstage. Just before I walk out my mind is a blur, my hands are shaking, and there's a tight knot in the pit of my stomach. But once I step out on stage and begin acting, the feeling sinks away to be replaced by a sheer joy and satisfaction.

The worst part I think will be the time I have to spend in O'Hare waiting for my flight to be prepped and readied. Then the reality of what I'm facing will really sink in. Then it will just be me and my thoughts and that is something I'm not looking forward to. I'm also not looking forward to going through the hassle of checking baggage and airport security but that really can't be helped.

The only other time I've flown internationally I had someone with me. It made the trip so much more bearable and two minds (freaked out and excited as they may be) are always better than one (that one mind in this case will definitely be freaked out and hopefully excited).

Despite all of these fears the thought of not going only crossed my mind once, as I was beginning to pack two days ago. The thought was not only shot down immediately, but it was torpedoed, raked by derisive machine gun fire, and then for good measure thoroughly crushed under the heel of the logical part of my brain. There was never a question of turning back. Not during the application process, not during the agonizing wait to see if I would be accepted into the program, and certainly not now that everything is so close.

I'm going to Europe. I'll keep ya posted.