This is Nicole, me and Tracy in Freiburg on the 15th of Oktober. Not sure why we took a picture in the dark, sorry there's not a lot to look at. But aren't those some nice bikes behind us?
31 October 2005
More proof I have friends
This is Nicole, me and Tracy in Freiburg on the 15th of Oktober. Not sure why we took a picture in the dark, sorry there's not a lot to look at. But aren't those some nice bikes behind us?
Volksfest in Stuttgart
Lets face it, I like going places where I can order liters of beer. This is Heather, me, Tracy and Carlie at Volksfest ... the second time we went.
So I'm not German handicapped...
I went to Frankfurt this weekend and realized that its not my fault I can't understand German. I blame the Germans.
Frankfurt German ... makes total sense. Clear, coherent sentences.
Stuttgart German ... feel free to add 'le' and 'ze' where you want, when you want. Also don't forget to drop the last syllable of every word. And the end result is something that barely resembles German as I've learned it.
The most discouraging part was when my German friends in Frankfurt told me that they can barely understand the dialect spoken in and around Stuttgart.
But anyways Frankfurt proved itself to be just as cool as I remember it, if not cooler. I'm going to try and post some pictures soon.
I also met up with my neighbor from home for dinner. So I've officially had my first visitor, what are the rest of you waiting for?
And finally Happy Halloween!!!! And Happy All Saints Day on November 1st to any one who can tell me what All Saints Day is. All I know is that I don't have class tomorrow. Fine by me.
Frankfurt German ... makes total sense. Clear, coherent sentences.
Stuttgart German ... feel free to add 'le' and 'ze' where you want, when you want. Also don't forget to drop the last syllable of every word. And the end result is something that barely resembles German as I've learned it.
The most discouraging part was when my German friends in Frankfurt told me that they can barely understand the dialect spoken in and around Stuttgart.
But anyways Frankfurt proved itself to be just as cool as I remember it, if not cooler. I'm going to try and post some pictures soon.
I also met up with my neighbor from home for dinner. So I've officially had my first visitor, what are the rest of you waiting for?
And finally Happy Halloween!!!! And Happy All Saints Day on November 1st to any one who can tell me what All Saints Day is. All I know is that I don't have class tomorrow. Fine by me.
27 October 2005
I hate the internet...
Week 3, Tuesday, Part 1: So for the thousandth time I try to explain to the yahoos in the internet office, in broken German with lots of hand gestures, what is wrong with my internet. Last week they were pretty certain it must be the modem. Now they tell me its probably the cords. They give me new cords and tell me to go home and set it up. Give it a half hour and if it doesn't work to come back down.
Week 3, Tuesday, Part 2: The cords don't make a difference. I spent half an hour in my room looking at the modem waiting for the light to stop blinking. It never did. So I march myself back over there and tell them that it didn't change anything. At which point the girl tells me that the problem must be the modem! So this is where I look like one of those cartoon characters with steam coming out of my ears. I ask her at this point in my friendliest English, because I'm sick of not being able to say mean, if she can check in the computer to make sure everything got entered in right and that they actually did turn my internet on.
She asks for my paperwork and then spends a full 25 minutes poking around the computer. Finally she comes back over to me and tells me she found the mistake and fixed it. Purely out of curiosity I ask her what the mistake was and she told me that the modem serial number was wrong. But in fact all she managed to do was change the serial number for the second modem she gave me back to the serial number of the first modem I had because the paperwork that I had on me only had the first modems serial number.
Is anyone still reading this? Its okay if you're not, I probably would have stopped by now. I know this story is long but I'm almost at the end sorta.
So when I point out, back in German at this point, I'm trying here, what she did and how she didn't find any mistake and didn't in fact fix anything she gets mad. So then she goes back and sits at her computer for a bit, clicks around, accomplishes nothing and comes back over.
At this point I don't even care so I'm not really listening to whats coming out of her mouth. What I did catch though was that the problem is most likely with the modem. However now they are all out of modems that they can give out, nevermind the pile of 20 or so modems behind her, I guess none of them work, just like the two they've given me. But she did tell me that ... are you ready for this, I should come back next week.
Now I get to wait a whole week again before I can go back there and do anything about my internet. So I'll be back there canceling my internet on Tuesday.
Week 3, Tuesday, Part 2: The cords don't make a difference. I spent half an hour in my room looking at the modem waiting for the light to stop blinking. It never did. So I march myself back over there and tell them that it didn't change anything. At which point the girl tells me that the problem must be the modem! So this is where I look like one of those cartoon characters with steam coming out of my ears. I ask her at this point in my friendliest English, because I'm sick of not being able to say mean, if she can check in the computer to make sure everything got entered in right and that they actually did turn my internet on.
She asks for my paperwork and then spends a full 25 minutes poking around the computer. Finally she comes back over to me and tells me she found the mistake and fixed it. Purely out of curiosity I ask her what the mistake was and she told me that the modem serial number was wrong. But in fact all she managed to do was change the serial number for the second modem she gave me back to the serial number of the first modem I had because the paperwork that I had on me only had the first modems serial number.
Is anyone still reading this? Its okay if you're not, I probably would have stopped by now. I know this story is long but I'm almost at the end sorta.
So when I point out, back in German at this point, I'm trying here, what she did and how she didn't find any mistake and didn't in fact fix anything she gets mad. So then she goes back and sits at her computer for a bit, clicks around, accomplishes nothing and comes back over.
At this point I don't even care so I'm not really listening to whats coming out of her mouth. What I did catch though was that the problem is most likely with the modem. However now they are all out of modems that they can give out, nevermind the pile of 20 or so modems behind her, I guess none of them work, just like the two they've given me. But she did tell me that ... are you ready for this, I should come back next week.
Now I get to wait a whole week again before I can go back there and do anything about my internet. So I'll be back there canceling my internet on Tuesday.
25 October 2005
Internet wollen machen
So the ever elusive internet is remaining ever elusive.
I've been trying unsuccessfully for the last 3 weeks to get the internet hooked up in my room. The internet office is only open Monday evening from 6 to 7. This is sorta how it went...
Week 1: I fill out paperwork that I don't understand (probably sold my soul to the devil or enlisted in the German National Army, not sure which) and they give me a modem. I take it home with this crazy pronged plug thing and about 15 cords and hook it all up. It then proceeds to do nothing for the rest of the week, never once does my computer pick up a connection.
Week 2: I go back to the office the following Monday explain to them in my horribly horrible German that the modem or something isn't working and this light flashed all week long. That isn't supposed to happen so they give me a new modem. I take it back home, reconnect this new modem to the 15 cords and the crazy pronged box deal, and it still doesn't work. The new modem flashes just like the old one did. Guess where I'm going to be next Monday?
Week 3: I attempt to go to the internet office again to give them a few choice words in German but the Arschlochs now have a sign up that the office hour, singular, has been moved to Tuesday night.
Week 3, Tuesday: So tonight I'm headed back over to the internet office to give them a piece of my mind auf Deutsch. Conveniently they moved their office hour to the one night of the week I have an evening class and naturally its the one class where the professor went on and on about how attendance is mandatory.
I can't win. Maybe this whole internet thing wasn't meant to be.
I've been trying unsuccessfully for the last 3 weeks to get the internet hooked up in my room. The internet office is only open Monday evening from 6 to 7. This is sorta how it went...
Week 1: I fill out paperwork that I don't understand (probably sold my soul to the devil or enlisted in the German National Army, not sure which) and they give me a modem. I take it home with this crazy pronged plug thing and about 15 cords and hook it all up. It then proceeds to do nothing for the rest of the week, never once does my computer pick up a connection.
Week 2: I go back to the office the following Monday explain to them in my horribly horrible German that the modem or something isn't working and this light flashed all week long. That isn't supposed to happen so they give me a new modem. I take it back home, reconnect this new modem to the 15 cords and the crazy pronged box deal, and it still doesn't work. The new modem flashes just like the old one did. Guess where I'm going to be next Monday?
Week 3: I attempt to go to the internet office again to give them a few choice words in German but the Arschlochs now have a sign up that the office hour, singular, has been moved to Tuesday night.
Week 3, Tuesday: So tonight I'm headed back over to the internet office to give them a piece of my mind auf Deutsch. Conveniently they moved their office hour to the one night of the week I have an evening class and naturally its the one class where the professor went on and on about how attendance is mandatory.
I can't win. Maybe this whole internet thing wasn't meant to be.
20 October 2005
Jeans!!!
I managed to accomplish the impossible today. I bought jeans and they aren't acid wash and they don't have ugly stitching and they don't have rhinestones. It was truly miraculous, because no offense to the Germans but they do have quite possibly the worlds worst fashion sense. I'm just really proud of myself. Had to share.
19 October 2005
"Friday"
So its my Friday...
And I couldn't be happier. I managed to make it through a couple more classes though and I managed to run scared from a couple more as well. Did you ever have a bad first day at school when you were little? It sucked right... Now imagine that really bad day times three and in German. You would then have a rough approximation of my first week of classes.
The one class that did go well was my Einführung in das Alte Testament (Intro to the Old Testament). Which, by the way I am 100% positive is taught by George W. Bush's German body double. But thankfully he teaches his class like a sermon, really slowly and with lots of long pauses, so I'm able to understand most of it. I even caught a joke or two.
Now I am going home to do anything not related to sitting in class and trying to pick out the few German words I do know. Which most likely means I'm going to go home, eat Gummi Bears and read.
P.S. Hopefully I'll get internet in my room one of these days. Then I can upload some pictures and this blog won't suck too much.
And I couldn't be happier. I managed to make it through a couple more classes though and I managed to run scared from a couple more as well. Did you ever have a bad first day at school when you were little? It sucked right... Now imagine that really bad day times three and in German. You would then have a rough approximation of my first week of classes.
The one class that did go well was my Einführung in das Alte Testament (Intro to the Old Testament). Which, by the way I am 100% positive is taught by George W. Bush's German body double. But thankfully he teaches his class like a sermon, really slowly and with lots of long pauses, so I'm able to understand most of it. I even caught a joke or two.
Now I am going home to do anything not related to sitting in class and trying to pick out the few German words I do know. Which most likely means I'm going to go home, eat Gummi Bears and read.
P.S. Hopefully I'll get internet in my room one of these days. Then I can upload some pictures and this blog won't suck too much.
17 October 2005
First day of class...
I successfully made it through one class, Spanisch, and rather unsuccessfully made it through another, some Mozart class.
Spanisch made sense, more or less, although I don't really think its best to learn a third language, in your second language. But the professor kept saying Mucho Gusto over and over and over. And I could really go for some Mexican food right now.
The Mozart class however, I somehow managed to miss the first hour and a half of the apparently three hour class. Which is fine by me, it was hard enough sitting there for an hour and a half not understanding anything. I'm pretty sure the professor is some rare breed of ventriloquist. He could talk without even opening his mouth. So all I heard was one long hour and a half slurred sentence.
Belhk lk eroiu wekj Möglichkeiten jkjlkw uoqac. Wlkjw peret xawpi ölewe äaede Bilder in Bilder dargestellt. Nlkk oiur lkjlkj Vergliech kjlkjf Einfluss, gowipe soiitg sich selbst zu portratieren. Qkgsaj pioiwe cclksaa wheslk Ordnung.
And so on and so on. Its nice to know after 6 years of german I was able to pick out every 35th word.
Spanisch made sense, more or less, although I don't really think its best to learn a third language, in your second language. But the professor kept saying Mucho Gusto over and over and over. And I could really go for some Mexican food right now.
The Mozart class however, I somehow managed to miss the first hour and a half of the apparently three hour class. Which is fine by me, it was hard enough sitting there for an hour and a half not understanding anything. I'm pretty sure the professor is some rare breed of ventriloquist. He could talk without even opening his mouth. So all I heard was one long hour and a half slurred sentence.
Belhk lk eroiu wekj Möglichkeiten jkjlkw uoqac. Wlkjw peret xawpi ölewe äaede Bilder in Bilder dargestellt. Nlkk oiur lkjlkj Vergliech kjlkjf Einfluss, gowipe soiitg sich selbst zu portratieren. Qkgsaj pioiwe cclksaa wheslk Ordnung.
And so on and so on. Its nice to know after 6 years of german I was able to pick out every 35th word.
Germany...
I've been here for over a month and a half, but now I actually have the internet, sorta. So I'm going to try this blog thingy, sorta.
I'm not saying that I do anything all that interesting or that anyone should really care its just that I've got a lot of free time on my hands, so why not blog?
I'm not saying that I do anything all that interesting or that anyone should really care its just that I've got a lot of free time on my hands, so why not blog?
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