Bookends

Hello everyone (all four of you)!


I apologize for not posting last week, I've been very very busy. Actually, I haven't been any busier than normal, I just just a little lazier.


To date, I've had four weekends in Germany (already?) and they have all been smashing. My very first weekend brought me to a fantastic jazz concert with Christian und Christine, I don't recall a single thing about my second weekend which means it must have been great, and now I will tell you about three and four.


The weekend of Oktober 17 and 18 was spent in Göttingen, about one hour north of Kassel. Christine grew up in Göttingen and her parents still live there. They kindly invited me to come with them for the weekend to celebrate her father's birthday. It was so nice to be with people, which I sure wouldn't have been if I had stayed in Kassel. That week, Maria und Knauffi were on vacation, and my roommate Qingqing hadn't arrived yet. So I would have sat in my apartment, thought about working on my paper, and felt a general malaise. Instead I spent two days with nine members of the Svenson family, played board games and legos with two German speaking kids, ate delicious food, discovered a new brand of Heffeweißen, learned a new card game, and saw a bit of Göttingen too.


Göttingen is famous for it's statue of the "goose girl" in the city center. Christine's mum told me that when students finish all their papers and graduate they walk from the Universität to the goose girl, drinking during the entire walk. When they arrive they are considerably less sober than when they began, so someone is charged with climbing up to the girl, putting flowers in her hand, and kissing her. Oh, did I mention that it's not just a little statue, it's high atop a large fountain? Right. As you can see from the photo, there were some drunk new graduates there very recently. I wish I had been able to see it.


Also, she is holding two geese. You may not be able to see that with the flowers wedged into her arms. I just wanted to clarify that; she's not called the goose girl as a commentary on her looks or disposition. As far as I know, she's never bitten any of those inebriated students, although I can't say none of them have never goosed her. (hey oh!)








Moving on, this past weekend I was invited to a show that Christian's brother Olli was playing. He is in a band that plays a lot of covers of punk and rock songs, but also punk and rock-like covers of pop songs. They played a few Britney songs, and I enjoyed them more than I ever had. The bar was called Fiasko, and it was packed. Christian and I were standing towards the back, but we had a little corner of the bar, so we were pleased. During intermission we got to go backstage since we are incredibly special and important. I met the members of the band and I asked Olli if I could play photographer at their next gig. He said sure, but he had no idea when the next gig would be. Well, I'll be waiting by the phone. After the show was over, we went backstage again and I talked a lot with Olli's girlfriend Kathi and her friend Daisy. I did my best to speak German, and they would answer me in English. It was good practice for all of us.


We all stayed backstage talking, and before I knew it, it was 5:00. IN THE MORNING. I don't think I have ever stayed out that late in my life. I got a little lucky because Saturday-Sunday was actually the day to fall back for daylight savings, so when I got home it was only 4:22, not 5:22. Yeah, that helped.


On Sunday I slept. It was great. I got up in the afternoon and got in the shower. However, I had forgotten that Sunday was the day my roommate Qingqing was arriving. Maria und Knauffi brought her in while I was in the shower, and so I had to dash around them in the hall in my towel saying "just a second! just a second!" while Qingqing looked confused and tried to shake my hand. Awkward.


Bizarre introductions aside, I think that she is very nice. She brought me a little gift, which was really kind. I had bought an ice cream cake for when she arrived, but I'm not sure if she liked it. It was cappuccino flavored ice cream, and if you don't like coffee, you might not enjoy it. She brought a lot of stuff with her, but she's staying here for two years, so I'm amazed she was able to bring it all without help. She got herself settled into her room, and I showed her our little flat. I introduced her to the vacuum, which she'd never used before. She asked if she could use it to clean her sheets, but I don't think it would work too well.


She started work right away, so I haven't seen her much. Her English isn't great, but I'm sure she'll improve, and I can imagine how exhausted and overwhelmed she must be. Plus, her English is way better than my Mandarin.


That's all the news from Lake Workbegon. I've been remarkably productive in my work on my paper. I'm not done yet, but I'm hoping to be done by the end of this week. I've got a lot of reading to do for my next class, and I don't want to be doing both.


Bis später!

Home Sweet Home

Well folks, I had a fantastic weekend in Göttingen which I will describe more at a later date. But the most important thing is that I finally have my room clean enough to share pictures.

It's not too fancy, but it's home.

My room:









A close up of the sign that Christine greeted me at the Bahnhof with


It says: Hertzlich wilkommen, liebe Amy!

Meaning, heart felt welcome, dear Amy!

She's the best.

Kassel Woche Zwei: The food

It’s been quite a week here in Kassel. Today I completed the class time for my first module, and I have to say that the subject matter was extremely interesting. We discussed higher education research, policy, and practical implementation, as well as the major actors in all these roles. None of it was a new concept to me, but there is a tremendous amount that I don’t know. There are intricacies of any field, and higher education is no exception. We were introduced to several concepts that will be more thoroughly discussed in later modules. As I look over the titles of the modules to come, I’m excited, nervous and only slightly overwhelmed.

I’m a lot less overwhelmed than I was at the beginning of the week, though. After a day of classes and introductory discussions, I was convinced that I would never be able to finish the program in one year, I would become depressed in the February darkness and fall into a pit of irreversible malaise. Plus I would have no time for eating bratwurst! I’m happy to report that I’m no longer teetering on the brink of insanity, but it’s true that I won’t be done in one year. The program can be done in two semesters or three, but there needs to be additional time allotted for the internship and the thesis writing and defense. So while I will bust my rear to complete all the classes in the next two semesters, I’ll have to spend much of the summer working at an internship, and then begin thesis writing. Whee.

But let’s back up, and I’ll tell you a bit more about this past week. One of the first things that had to be dealt with was the packages that I had mailed to myself from Rhode Island. I knew I couldn’t fit everything in my suitcase, so I packed up a few parcels and sent them by slow mail. Apparently, German Customs got suspicious because I had addressed the packages to my landlord, Maria. They suspected that she was buying goods on the cheap in the US and having them sent here to avoid paying duties. We had to go to the customs office to prove that I am actually the person who needs them, and I’m not supplying any contraband to Germans. It wasn’t a huge problem except that as a rule, the Customs office is open at the most inconvenient times. To add to the complexity, Maria and Knauffi left for their vacation on Saturday, so it had to be Christian or Christine who brought me. I owe Christian a platter of cookies or something for driving me over there at 7 AM, and then delivering the boxes to me later on.

On Tuesday, we had a German cultural welcome dinner in the evening. We had some presentations about Deutschland, and then lots of food. I mean LOTS of food. There were potatoes and cabbage and pork and egg and and bread and salad and more kinds of potatoes and cream sauce and of course sausage…augh! Well here. I took a picture of my plate:

And Liana’s plate- she has a cooler looking sausage:

Working on it:

I can’t do anymore:

It was… amazing. I’m actually drooling a little bit thinking about it. Ich zabere. Yeah, that means “I drool”. I’ve learned a heap of useful things hanging around with baby Lena…

Speaking of Lena, her parents gave me the best day after a birthday that I’ve ever had. I went to their place after class, and Christine greeted me with muffins. Chocolate chip muffins, no less. I snacked on one of those while we drank coffee and continued with the theme of making faces at Lena. When Christian got home we decided on a meal to cook: chicken with peanut butter sauce and rice. Christine and I went to the store to get supplies and then the fun began. First, the peanut butter sauce went totally wrong. We had the heat too high, which caused the oil in the peanut butter to separate. Then the rice burned. Christian went back to the store for more rice and I tried to clean up the damage. I really thought I could salvage the pot, but it was a lost cause. Burned beyond repair. When the meal was made the second time around, everything went well, except that when it came time to add the minced garlic to the sauce we minced it right into the dishpan in the sink. Too bad it was the last clove of garlic we had, so off to get more. In the end, though, it was delicious. Christine lit candles and spread some glass beads around for ambiance. Then she accidentally dropped some ambiance into the sauce. We fished it out and then dug in for one or two helpings. I was pretty full, but of course we had more muffins and cappuccinos. Christian only spilled a little bit on the floor and table.

After dinner, Christian’s brother Olli and Olli’s girlfriend Kathi came over to play cards. I had played cards with them last weekend, and they brought me a gift this time! It was so thoughtful of them, and I’m glad they were able to join us.

I spent the evening on the Svenson’s couch again (that’s four times for those who are counting) and left for school from their place in the morning. They have generously invited me to come with them to Göttingen this weekend for Christine’s father’s birthday party. I’ve heard wonderful things about the family, so I’m really looking forward to meeting them.

The weather here has been sporadic, but at least we haven’t had snow like you folks in New England have. (Although it did snow in northern Germany on Monday.) It’s rained a lot, but sometimes only in the morning, and then it clears up nicely. It’s hard to prepare for a full day clothing-wise, because you never really know what you’re going to be faced with later. Except wind. There is always wind. However, I have noticed that the fall colors are starting to change. It’s not as drastic as in New England or the upper Midwest, but it’s beautiful just the same. There is a large park in Kassel called the Königsaue, and there are paths, a river, a multitude of trees and of course, a castle. It’s not a real castle, it’s called the Orangerie, but it sure looks like one. Oddly, it’s yellow not orange. I’m hoping to take a little photo safari soon, to try and capture the incredible feeling of this park.

So, with that I must bid you auf wiedersehen. I’ve got some research to do for my first homework paper. I’m writing on the World Bank’s major policy papers on higher education since 1995. If you have any thoughts, please do let me know.

I hope you all have ein schönes Wochenende, and enjoy the snow.

Tschüss!

Kassel Week One: The Bureacracy

Hello friends- I apologize for the lack of posting over the past week, but I have been without internet until yesterday. I'm still here in Kassel (that's a good sign) and I've a lot of important things to accomplish, but now that I have internet access I can do all the slacking off I haven't been able to do for the past week.

But of course, the official important things must take precedence, and so I've been running all over Kassel. I figured that my first step should be to register at the University. This is important for all the obvious reasons, but I also want my student ID card. With that card I can ride all the transportation in Kassel for free. So, off I went to the Studentenwerk and waited in line for about half an hour. When I got in to see the director, she told me that I couldn't register because I didn't have health insurance yet. Ahh. So, off I went to the local health insurance provider, A-OK, to enroll in health insurance. When I spoke to the agent, he informed me that I could enroll in the health insurance yet, because I didn't have a bank account. Ahh. So, off to the bank where, after waiting about half an hour, (notice a pattern here?) I finally met with someone. He informed me that since I was over age 27, I was not eligible for the free Studenten account. Ok, off to another bank. I waited there too, and then I was told that I couldn't get a bank account yet, because I hadn't registered with the Rathaus (city hall). Ahh. So, off to the Rathaus to wait again, only to be told that I needed my signed rental contract in order to register. Well then. That evening, Maria and Knauffi and I sat down, signed the rental contract, and the next day I set out to do it all in the right order. And I have to say, once you have everything that is required, it really is quite efficient.

I'm also starting to settle into my new home. I'll post pictures soon, but frankly, my room is still a bit messy so that will have to wait. It is lovely here, though. It's very quiet, except when the freight trains go by. But they aren't loud and screechy, and I actually quite enjoy it. As I mentioned, Maria and Knauffi are my landlords, and they are wonderful. They are funny, kind, and extremely helpful. It's a good thing too, because the Orientation tutors at the Uni are the exact opposite. M&K also have a dog, Miles, who I adore (big surprise). He's calm and sweet, and very affectionate with me. It's perfect. My apartment is on the other side of the city from the Uni and the city centre, which is OK with me. I sort of like being a bit detached. I've got supermarkets and public transportation all around me, and now that I have a bike I can roll wherever I like.

I've also been spending a lot of time with my friends Christian and Christine. They are German, and they both went to Uni Kassel. Christian studied in Lowell with Tom for a semester, and then Tom and I visited them while we were in Marburg two years ago. They are just wonderful people, and I really enjoy being with them. They have a new baby, Lena, who is three months old. Christine is home on maternity leave with her now, and while Lena is adorable and wonderful, Christine gets a bit bored. I've spent a lot of time at their apartment, watching DVDs of "Friends", having coffee, making dinner, drinking wine, etc etc. And of course making ridiculous faces at Lena. I've had six nights in Kassel so far, and I've spent two of them on Christian and Christine's couch. It's a good place to be.

The past few days have been busy, as I said, but tonight I have nowhere to be. I'll make some dinner and then clean up this room and finally put everything away. I will feel much more at home once everything is in it's place. I hope some interesting things will happen to me soon, and I'll be sure to rush right home and share them with you. Or not. But I'll keep the blog updated, and I will do my best to remember everything interesting.

Bis dann,
Tschüss!

Wilkomen aus Deutschland!

Well folks, I made it in one piece. Actually, in four pieces, if you're going to count up all my luggage. I've gotten a lot of snarky looks due to the size of my gargantuan suitcase, but I'm here for a year, so everyone can just shut up.

I am currently sitting in the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof at a T-mobile hotspot, waiting for my 12:00 PM train. It's only 10:45, so I think I may have overshot how long I would need to get off the plane. Ahh well. It gives me some time to reconnect with the other side of the Atlantic.

My flights were uneventful, which is all one can hope for, but I will say that Air Canada is the least organized airline I have ever encountered. If you can avoid them, do. See, we look out for you here at Blogwurst. Letting you learn from our mistakes. Oh God, We've fallen into the "Royal We", haven't we? Shieße.

I don't have much to report at this point, except that me and my four other pieces are sitting quite comfortably. Once I arrive in Kassel, sleep for 8 days and unpack, I will try to update again and hopefully post some pictures of my new home.

Until then, everyone enjoy your Friday!