*from April 5
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Currently en route to Rome! First I'll try to catch up on the 3rd and 4th.
April 3rd (Tuesday) was orientation day. I met up with 2 of my friends in the lobby-ish area of our apartment building to head to the International Office to start orientation at 9am. We met the international student coordinator, some current students who are part of the HelpingHand, and our academic coordinator.
Orientation consisted of (not necessarily in this order):
-Introduction presentation.
-Filling out forms.
-We went out for lunch as a KU group with our international student coordinator and some of the students.
-Tour of campus.
-Went to Media Markt, where I got my international cell phone and SIM card.
-Paid for health insurance (i.e., gave them our money, signed a form, and got a pen, post-it tabs, and a planner in return. While waiting, the guys played with blocks--it was adorable haha.
I went to dinner with 2 friends at a pizza place down the street from campus, where I ordered a mushroom & ham pizza. Later that night, we met up with other international students & HelpingHand students for the pub crawl. We went to the first bar and I met students from the USA, New Zealand, Brazil, and of course, Germany. After that bar, the 3 of us left to go back to the apartment since we had class at 8am the next morning.
On Wednesday (April 4th), I had my first day of class. Met up at 7:45am with 2 friends to go to class. Our first class was fluid dynamics, and it seems like we have a good professor. :) Then we had Germany within Europe. I'll be working in a group with another classmate in the religion & church "expert group" for the timeline project.
We got out of class early, so I then had lunch with 3 KU students--I had some sort of meat (reminded me of Spam), salad, mashed potatoes, (alphabet!) soup, and Fanta.
Our next class was heat transfer. We have a nice professor, but he is sort of hard to understand. The classroom desk/chair set up is also really awkward.
After our day of classes was done, I went with some KU students, as well as one of our German classmates, to buy school supplies and groceries.
Since Monday, I thought my Rome plans weren't going to happen because I couldn't get in contact with my friend that I was supposed to be going with (he's also from KU, but studying at a different university in Germany). I was stressing over it a lot and pretty bummed out because I've been looking forward to it. I wasn't getting any response to the the Facebook messages or emails that I sent--I didn't know what to do. I started to look for flights/other trains. I talked to my mom because she knows that I've been wanting to go to Rome for quite some time now & she told me that I should go if I wanted to. I called & emailed the bed & breakfast that my friend made the reservation at to see if I could still check-in, so I planned to go to Rome--with or without my friend. I basically started a search party for him--and found some other KU students who are at the same university as him, via Facebook.
I activated my international cell phone (with my brother's help) and figured out train schedules. I Skyped with my parents, and then I went to bed around 4am.
This morning (Thursday, April 5th), I got ready for my 9:45am class--my only class of the day. After class, I printed out some travel documents--with the help of 3 German students. I then went back to my apartment to pack, eat, and finish getting ready for Rome.
I had a slight problem with my international phone--the texting was set to T9...in German. Luckily, I was able to find a German student in a computer lab who actually had the same phone and who was able to help me out. He helped with the T9 & also set my phone to English. SUPER helpful! I went back to my apartment to finish packing.
I left the apartment and walked to the train station. I reserved a bed on the train to Rome--but couldn't get a reservation for my friend (who I finally heard back from--turns out that he was having internet access problems.) When I arrived in Ulm, I bought a pretzel and a Sudoku book. I was able to call my friend...who was in class at the time...meaning he wasn't at the train station that we had planned to meet at. We decided that we will just meet up in Rome--and other people will be with him.
I took a train from Ulm to Munich, where I bought a bratwurst for dinner. I then got on the train to Roma Termini! :) I was on the top bunk in a cabin with 4 other people.
Side note: I keep finding myself saying, "Nein sprechen sie Deutsch," and asking, "Do you speak English?" I've found that most of the younger people do. I'm happy I've found people who are able to help me!
Today, I also keep finding myself on the verge of tears--for many reasons: lonely, a little afraid, missing home, and because I keep thinking about how awesome Rome is going to be! I still can't believe this is happening & that I'll be there for Easter. I am SO thankful.
"If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it." I feel like God will be putting me through tests like this during my time in Europe (& afterward) to show me that I'm stronger than I think I am. I am learning so much about myself and the world--it's incredible. I know that He is always with me. <3 I know that I am growing more as a person--physically (I will have calves of steel after all the walking I have been doing haha), emotionally, and--especially after this weekend--spiritually. I am so thankful that I have this opportunity.
I will get my Eurail pass back at 8am and I should be in Rome around 9am. Hopefully my phone works by tomorrow. The other 4 people are asleep--I should probably get some sleep, too.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -St. Augustine
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Traveling to & Arriving at My New "Home"
*From April 2
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This train ride is going to take almost 6 hours... A student from the university will be meeting me at the train station.
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I woke up, got ready, started packing my stuff & made/ate breakfast (strawberry yogurt--more edible than the plain yogurt!, bunny bread, braided bread, strawberries, and berry tea) while listening to choir recordings. While I was packing, I stuffed the chocolate (that our family friend got for me) in my luggage...and took a picture of it because I thought it was hilarious. :P (By the way, I usually don't like coconut, but these are good!)
My family friend came to the apartment and then the taxi came to pick us up to go to the train station. We got to the station, and found the ticket/information counter to get my Eurail pass validated. After that got taken care of, we went up to the platforms. She showed me the time tables (yellow for departures, white for arrivals) & how to know where the train will stop at the platform (A, B, C, D - 1st class/2nd class). She asked a guy to take our picture and then we talked to him while waiting for the train. He's from the USA (Dallas, TX), but originally from China. He was in Marburg for a conference & was taking the train to Frankfurt to head back to the US. The train came, so I said thank you & bye to my family friend and then I got on to the train, with help from the guy to get my luggage on board.
I found a seat next to someone, but the person in front of me had his chair back. I was just going to deal with it, but there was an empty seat across the aisle way next to another lady. I asked if I could sit there...she responded in German. After using signs/pointing at the leaned back chair, she nodded that I could sit next to her. The ticket person came by and I showed her my Eurail pass (the first of many times that I will be using my pass!). A couple minutes into the ride, the lady I'm sitting next to asked me something in German...she pointed to my backpack & I guess she asked me to move it...I'm pretty sure I had the best look of "I'm-so-confused-I-don't-know-what-to-say-or-do-since-we-can't-understand-each-other." I don't think she was very happy with me... She got up and I moved my backpack--from the context, I think she asked if I could move my bag so she can get up to go to the bathroom.
Side note: Last night, I realized how I've been a minority all my life--even now in Europe. I'm Asian, from the US, speak English, a woman studying engineering in Germany.
It's now ~4pm. Earlier, the lady said something else to me...not sure what though. maybe saying there's enough overhead room to put my backpack up? but I don't want to, because I like keeping an eye on my stuff. The train emptied out a little in Frankfurt am Main, so I just moved to another row. At one of the stops, 4 Americans came on the train--from Pennsylvania and Virginia--and one of them sat next to me. After they left, and at a different stop, another lady came on the train later & asked in German if she could sit by me--I just moved over to the window seat. I ate my lunch & fell asleep. I've been sleeping on & off.
A tear came when "Breath of Heaven" played on my MP3 player. The sun was shining, I was taking a cat nap (one of my hobbies, especially on sunny Sunday afternoons) & 2 songs about home played. *le sigh* I've seen some cute little villages here on the mountain, but I don't see myself living out in one of these secluded areas.
The train is stopped at Triberg right now. I ate my chocolate egg with the prize inside. The chocolate was good & the toy was a little race car that I got to put together. The lady that was next to me moved across the aisle earlier for more legroom... I don't know if she saw me taking pictures of my little car lol.
These views from the train on the mountain are breathtaking--so many trees & so much green grass. Thank You, God, for the world! It's definitely not like the landscape back home. Civil engineering is amazing, too--rail systems, tunnels, highways.
Sleeping on & off again--a little over an hour until I'm at my destination! :)
Random thought: What if babies' first words weren't really dada or mama, but their "random sounds" that they make are actually a word in a different language...
I arrived in what will be my "home" for the next 3 months! I went towards the taxis to meet with the student, Linda. It was nice to be welcomed by someone in the city! I got a welcome bag from the university, and she drove me to the apartment. I briefly met my roommate, and then went out with Linda to the grocery store after dropping my stuff off. I bought sugar, shampoo, and conditioner--surprisingly, they had my brand of shampoo/conditioner! We went to Linda's apartment to drop off her groceries & so I could borrow some mugs. I went back to my apartment & started settling in. My roommate (we have our own rooms but share the kitchen & bathroom(s)) helped me with the internet, and offered for me to have any of the food in the fridge. I Skype called my family to let them know I arrived, and was also able to video chat with some friends back at school in the USA.
I cooked the spaghetti that was in the welcome bag. The instructions were mostly in German...I was able to cook the pasta, but turning the tomato paste into sauce was a different story. I think I may have partially made tomato soup?
I Skype called and Facebook chatted with family & friends a little bit more. I have orientation in the morning. G'nite. Last thoughts/notes for the night: 1) listening to choir recordings. 2) tap water is okay to drink. 3) find a Catholic church.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Lead me. Guide me. Stand by me.
I'm only a couple weeks into my journey in Europe, and I think I have already learned one of the most important lessons that I will learn on my adventures abroad...possibly one of the most important lessons that I will learn in life. I already knew this, but I guess it's just more apparent now:
Every weekend I have been here, I have made it a point to go to Mass--regardless of what language it is in. So far, I've been to Masses that were in German, Latin, or French. When I plan my adventures, I make sure that there is a Catholic church nearby so that I can go on Saturday or Sunday. Just give me a new city/country to visit, somewhere to stay, and a church to go to, and I'll be all set!
I really like going into European churches, too, because they are just so beautiful to see. The architecture is amazing, in addition to the pipe organs--hearing those being played is wonderful in itself.
I am never alone, because God is always with me.
Homesickness has taken its course many times, and I'm sure it will continue to do so every now and then. Even though I do have some friends here and I'm adjusted to this new lifestyle, I still miss home A LOT. There are times when I may feel alone, nervous, anxious...feelings that are unavoidable and are bound to come when being away from all that is familiar. But one thing never changes (except for being more prevalent)--God's presence in my life. My family & friends know that my faith is really important to me (...if you didn't, well, you do now haha).
Every weekend I have been here, I have made it a point to go to Mass--regardless of what language it is in. So far, I've been to Masses that were in German, Latin, or French. When I plan my adventures, I make sure that there is a Catholic church nearby so that I can go on Saturday or Sunday. Just give me a new city/country to visit, somewhere to stay, and a church to go to, and I'll be all set!
Marburg, Germany
Nice, France
I really like going into European churches, too, because they are just so beautiful to see. The architecture is amazing, in addition to the pipe organs--hearing those being played is wonderful in itself.
There's just something about being in a church that is comforting to me, and I love it. It's nice to be in God's house and take the time to be with Him and thank Him for keeping me safe, guiding my journeys, and blessing me with this awesome opportunity to study abroad and experience the world.
There have been times so far when I have thought that travel plans weren't going to happen (i.e. going to Rome--I'll write about this later!) or when I didn't know exactly what to do in a given situation (i.e. missing a train...when the next train wasn't coming for another 8 hours--I'll write about this later, too!), but somehow everything ended up working out just fine...because He is with me.
One song that I've been listening to a lot is "Stand By Me," as sung by the choir that I'm a part of back home. It reminds me that He is always with me--no matter what. It also reminds me that if He brings me to it, He'll bring me through it. This has taught me to be strong, and has made me realize that I'm stronger than I know. I've surprised myself with my traveling/adapting abilities/skills and my willingness to try new things. It also helps further my determination to make things happen and have a "Go for it!" attitude. And when things don't happen the way I would have liked them to happen, then I do my best to make the most out of what I have & enjoy my time abroad as much as I possibly can!
Before starting out on this new chapter in my life, I knew that my faith was going to grow. I am 100% thankful that it has! Throughout my next months in Europe, I know that I will continue to become closer to God, and I wouldn't have it any other way! :)
Peace. Love. Happiness.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
Monday, April 16, 2012
For My Family & Friends
Just a quick little post:
I miss you, love you, and think about you every day.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Mass + Views + Food + Communication = Last Full Day in Marburg
*from April 1
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I survived the night with no allergy problems--because I avoided going in the living room. :P I got up and got read for the day. I had breakfast which consisted of: bunny bread, strawberries+sugar, hard boiled Easter egg, berry tea, salami, and cheese.
Random notes:
-A friend from church will make sure all of the Holy Week music will be recorded for me. :)
-I will be taking the train tomorrow at 12:15pm and will arrive there a little before 6pm.
-Currently listening to choir recordings. :)
-Walking has made my jeans fit a little looser. Operation: Get-In-Shape-For-Germany-And-Life-In-General prepared me quite well by being able to change the incline on the elliptical.
-I've already been in Germany for 5 days! So crazy! I'm enjoying it, but still miss home.
-SO excited for Rome next weekend!
-Before I go to bed, I will now type up blog posts to post later.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
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I survived the night with no allergy problems--because I avoided going in the living room. :P I got up and got read for the day. I had breakfast which consisted of: bunny bread, strawberries+sugar, hard boiled Easter egg, berry tea, salami, and cheese.
I left the apartment and walked to meet our family friend.
Then we walked the rest of the way to church for Palm Sunday Mass. When we got to the church, I saw the boxes of "palms." Their version of palms are actually from bushes.
I met a friend of our family friend (lol) that studied at a college near my hometown back in the early 1950s, so that was pretty cool. The Mass was definitely in German. I was able to follow the layout of Mass, and I responded in English. I couldn't understand the readings or homily, but I did sing in German...or at least I tried to.
After Mass, we walked around Marburg and I took pictures along the way, getting more views of the city like this one:
We walked up to the castle area and saw another amazing view of the city, as well as the St. Elizabeth's castle itself.
We went to our family friend's house, where I was able to get internet access! I was able to talk to my mom on the phone and Skype with my brother. Then we had a yummy lunch of spaghetti & salad. After lunch, I went online some more. A little later into the afternoon, we had tea with pineapple upside down cake and other sweets.
I was able to talk to my dad on the phone, and after that I was able to Skype with my dad and mom. It was great talking with/seeing my brother & parentals! :)
While at our family friend's house, I got to play a guitar. :) I played/sang "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," "Let It Be," and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." I also played the piano a little bit: "Chopsticks," Philippine National Anthem, and the parts I know of "Fur Elise."
I was about to sign off of Facebook, but got a response from a friend from church who I tried calling earlier in the day, but wasn't able to talk with because she was still in Mass. I got to call her & talk with her, too. :) The phone calls/Skype calls definitely made my day! :) I also Facebook chatted with other friends, so that was nice, too!
We left the house and stopped by Doner Kebab for food. I had a doner kebab (Turkish veal) sandwich with Turkish pop, which tasted like bubblegum. The doner taster good, and there was so much food! We talked about the way my brother & I grew up in the States, diversity, differences between German, Filipino, & American lifestyles/upbringings. After we were done eating, we walked back to the apartment for my last night in Marburg.
Random notes:
-A friend from church will make sure all of the Holy Week music will be recorded for me. :)
-I will be taking the train tomorrow at 12:15pm and will arrive there a little before 6pm.
-Currently listening to choir recordings. :)
-Walking has made my jeans fit a little looser. Operation: Get-In-Shape-For-Germany-And-Life-In-General prepared me quite well by being able to change the incline on the elliptical.
-I've already been in Germany for 5 days! So crazy! I'm enjoying it, but still miss home.
-SO excited for Rome next weekend!
-Before I go to bed, I will now type up blog posts to post later.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Last Day in Frankfurt & First Day in Marburg
*From March 31st
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I am writing this post for March 30th as well--let's see how much I can remember from Friday!
2) Main Tower: We went up to the top of the Tower (54 floors) and it was quite windy. We got to see an awesome view of the city.
5) Convenience store: We went here to find something to drink--I got apple flavored Capri-Sonne. It tasted like liquid green apple Jolly Rancher.
6) Goethe Haus: walked through Goethe's house.
11) St. Bartholomew Cathedral: I'm glad my friend was okay with us stopping to see it! (I later found out that he is Catholic, too.) While we were there, someone played the organ a little bit. I felt like I was at "home." There was something about being in a Catholic church/cathedral that comforted me. It was awesome & makes me even more excited for Easter at the Vatican!
12) We then went on an adventure to find somewhere to recycle/deposit my friend's water bottle. I learned that you get different amounts for glass, plastic, or metal bottles/cans. We went to 2 lotto stores and 2 grocery stores. My friend ended up getting 25 euro cents for returning one bottle.
13) We went back to the hostel, got my luggage, and then chilled in the lobby for a little bit, and then we went outside to the bust stop. The bus came at 4:01pm. My friend put my luggage on the bus & told the bus driver where I had to go. I thanked my friend and waved good bye. In retrospect, I probably should've asked if he had a Facebook, but I'm glad to have met him! It was great seeing Frankfurt with him since he could ask for directions in German & help translate words for me. :)
I got off the bus and went into the train station. It was way more active than I thought it would be! I made my way to a ticket kiosk. It took me a while to figure it out (I tried 2 machines), but I finally got my ticket to Marburg. The train came (before that I figured out the 1st and 2nd class notation on the train) and i was able to get a seat. A nice guy helped me carry my luggage up the stairs of the train.
I sat next to a lady who spoke to me in German at first. We didn't talk too much (because of the obvious language barrier), but she was nice and wished me a good stay in Germany. :)
I got off at the Marburg stop and found a friend of my family. We went out of the station--she stopped to buy bread, and then we took a taxi (Mercedes!) to the place where I was going to stay for the weekend. I got settled in and had some snacks: bread+butter, hard boiled Easter egg, water, strawberries+yogurt. Speaking of yogurt, when I was at the hostel, I discovered that I didn't like German yogurt too much since I'm used to sweeter yogurt in America.
That night, we went to a Persian/International cultural event. I met some new people there and ate some good Persian food. There was poetry, music, and dancing. Included were Persian, Peruvian, German Catholic dances and the rumba. There was also a duo that played music. They were very inspirational. One plays the violin & the other plays the drum--both of them are blind. They play with a lot of heart and enthusiasm, and it is wonderful to hear!
After lunch, we bought some postcards, went to Paperworld, and then went to the local copy store (similar to Kinko's) for the going away get together since the owners are leaving. I'm not sure if there are German names for the food that I tried (I guess I could call it bruschetta), but this is what I had: bread+butter+cheese+tomato, and bread+butter+smoked ham+red pepper. I met some people there, including someone who speaks English really well. :)
We went back to the restaurant and I got internet access! :) I Facebooked (added pictures) and worked on my blog. Then we had dinner--I had gnocchi+pork+tomato+cheese. It was delicious!
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I am writing this post for March 30th as well--let's see how much I can remember from Friday!
On Friday, I woke up around 7am. I went online and slowly got things ready to leave. I said goodbye to my roommate. After she left, I finished packing and such. I checked out of my room around 9am. Then I met up with my 1/2 German, 1/2 American friend in the lobby. After figuring out where to store my luggage, we went downstairs for breakfast. I had: bread+salami+cheese, hibiscus tea, fruit cocktail, oats/chocolate+yogurt, bread+Nutella pack (they should have these in U.S. restaurants!!), and fruit juice (kind of like V8).
After breakfast, we then started out on our day's adventure:
1) Saw the old Opera House.
2) Main Tower: We went up to the top of the Tower (54 floors) and it was quite windy. We got to see an awesome view of the city.
3) Frankfurt's Chamber of Commerce
4) Kleinmarkthalle: This was basically a farmer's market--my brother would love it! I took a picture of a sign that said "Asia-Latino." The stand owner saw me doing this and asked me where I was from. He told me that he is from Malaysia and that he sometimes sells Filpino vegetables.
5) Convenience store: We went here to find something to drink--I got apple flavored Capri-Sonne. It tasted like liquid green apple Jolly Rancher.
7) Frankfurt's Spring Festival: We went in search of rindswurst for lunch.
8) Galleria: It was kind of like a Macy's + Whole Foods + restaurant. We went up to the 5th floor to see another view of Frankfurt.
9) Mall with a lot of escalators/walkways/ramps.
10) Zeil Galerie: There was a line of people waiting to get into Hollister! :P
11) St. Bartholomew Cathedral: I'm glad my friend was okay with us stopping to see it! (I later found out that he is Catholic, too.) While we were there, someone played the organ a little bit. I felt like I was at "home." There was something about being in a Catholic church/cathedral that comforted me. It was awesome & makes me even more excited for Easter at the Vatican!
12) We then went on an adventure to find somewhere to recycle/deposit my friend's water bottle. I learned that you get different amounts for glass, plastic, or metal bottles/cans. We went to 2 lotto stores and 2 grocery stores. My friend ended up getting 25 euro cents for returning one bottle.
13) We went back to the hostel, got my luggage, and then chilled in the lobby for a little bit, and then we went outside to the bust stop. The bus came at 4:01pm. My friend put my luggage on the bus & told the bus driver where I had to go. I thanked my friend and waved good bye. In retrospect, I probably should've asked if he had a Facebook, but I'm glad to have met him! It was great seeing Frankfurt with him since he could ask for directions in German & help translate words for me. :)
I got off the bus and went into the train station. It was way more active than I thought it would be! I made my way to a ticket kiosk. It took me a while to figure it out (I tried 2 machines), but I finally got my ticket to Marburg. The train came (before that I figured out the 1st and 2nd class notation on the train) and i was able to get a seat. A nice guy helped me carry my luggage up the stairs of the train.
I sat next to a lady who spoke to me in German at first. We didn't talk too much (because of the obvious language barrier), but she was nice and wished me a good stay in Germany. :)
I got off at the Marburg stop and found a friend of my family. We went out of the station--she stopped to buy bread, and then we took a taxi (Mercedes!) to the place where I was going to stay for the weekend. I got settled in and had some snacks: bread+butter, hard boiled Easter egg, water, strawberries+yogurt. Speaking of yogurt, when I was at the hostel, I discovered that I didn't like German yogurt too much since I'm used to sweeter yogurt in America.
That night, we went to a Persian/International cultural event. I met some new people there and ate some good Persian food. There was poetry, music, and dancing. Included were Persian, Peruvian, German Catholic dances and the rumba. There was also a duo that played music. They were very inspirational. One plays the violin & the other plays the drum--both of them are blind. They play with a lot of heart and enthusiasm, and it is wonderful to hear!
We went back to the place where I was staying at and had some tea. That night, I think I finally admitted that I am allergic to cats (the cat that lives there wasn't there that weekend though)--thankfully loratadine came to the rescue! :) I was attempted to watch TV...I say attempted because all of the channels that I came across were in German. While I was flipping through the channels, I found "South Park" dubbed in German, and continued to change it because I don't watch that show in English anyway. I found MTV--which had "Jersey Shore" dubbed in German. Hilarious. I watched a couple minutes of that, and the show that was after was a concert show that was in English! :) It was nice to hear something that I could understand. Then I got ready for bed and then listened to choir recordings while looking through pictures.
Today, I got ready for the day in Marburg. For breakfast, I had bread+Nutella!, strawberries, tea, and a hard boiled Easter egg. Our family friend came and then we went grocery shopping. We dropped the groceries off at the apartment and then went out around the town. We went to the restaurant where her daughter works so that I could leave my laptop there to use later tonight. I also got to get a view of the city from the balcony.
Then we walked through the town--I saw a brush shop, pottery shop, among other stores. We also went in to St. Elizabeth's Protestant church.
Then we went to lunch at a little pizzeria that is owned by the husband of one of her friends. I had Hawaiian pizza and a Coke. It was kind of cool to her German + Italian + Filipino + English going on. It was actually a comfort to hear people speaking Filipino! After lunch, we bought some postcards, went to Paperworld, and then went to the local copy store (similar to Kinko's) for the going away get together since the owners are leaving. I'm not sure if there are German names for the food that I tried (I guess I could call it bruschetta), but this is what I had: bread+butter+cheese+tomato, and bread+butter+smoked ham+red pepper. I met some people there, including someone who speaks English really well. :)
We went back to the restaurant and I got internet access! :) I Facebooked (added pictures) and worked on my blog. Then we had dinner--I had gnocchi+pork+tomato+cheese. It was delicious!
At dinner, when we were talking and looking at pictures, I started missing home. I am now listening to choir recordings (including "Stand by Me") because I miss home. I'm okay now, but it hit me that I'm not going to be with them for a while.
I uploaded pics from my camera and am finally caught up with my journal. Hopefully I can work more on my pics/blog tomorrow...or rather, later today. I'm meeting with our family friend tomorrow for church. Now, I will listen to a little more music and go to sleep.
Side note(s): I also miss driving! At dinner, she asked me if I would move to Germany. My response: probably not. I love the area where I live too much! It is also very slow moving around here & it's very overcast most days...I need sunlight! I also miss smiling at people in stores and such...and getting a smile in return. I don't mean smiling in a creepy way, but just a friendly smile that acknowledges one's presence. It reminds me of a quote that is somewhere along the lines of: "Smile!...you never know--that could be the only smile that person sees today." I've seen more Fords since Wednesday. :) Focus, Fiesta, and saw my first Mondeo today! Alright, nighty night.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
Monday, April 2, 2012
A Day o' Exploration & Internet!
*From March 29th
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I had a great night's sleep. :)
My roommate left around 8am, and shortly after, I got up and went to breakfast downstairs, where there were a lot of people. I got my food (bread, salami, Swiss cheese, cereal + oats/chocolate + milk, hibiscus tea, fruit cocktail). I found an open seat next to some Germans (I think). I sat and ate...and observed. I felt like the awkward American. Maybe it was because I was still waking up, or because I didn't want to interrupt their conversations, but I didn't say anything to them. Part of me wishes I said something, but part of me is okay with keeping to myself. I do get shy sometimes--okay, maybe most times--around big groups of people & I tend to just observe. After one of the groups left, 3 French-speaking girls came to the table, which then furthered my thought of "I feel old." :P Aside from who I assume are teachers or parents, I didn't really notice any college students--they seemed like highschoolers...again, I could totally be wrong—After all, people guess my age incorrectly all the time!
After breakfast, I bought a day of internet. I finally got online & checked Facebook/email. I was happy to see notifications from my family & friends. :P I mean, it is honestly kind of lonely over here right now. Hopefully, it'll be alright when I go out later. I realized that today is Thursday, meaning its choir rehearsal...goodness, I miss them, too! Alright, going to get ready & hopefully distract myself from homesickness. (Also, I got my class schedule…and it is pretty much awesome!)
Well, so much for getting ready. :P I ended up taking a ~1 hour 40 minute nap haha & woke up at 12pm. (I actually woke up before that when the cleaning lady opened the door. Uhm, yea, definitely was not expecting that lol, but she was considerate and left.) I went online again and was able to Facebook chat with some family & friends. Then I got ready and left a little before 1:30pm. As I was getting ready, the cleaning lady came back again to empty the garbage can. I attempted to look up Youtube videos to learn how to tie a scarf in a “European” way...I settled with the usual way I wear a scarf lol.
I made my way to the old part of Frankfurt in search of decently priced food, more specifically, a bratwurst. I kept walking and ended up where the Fruhling fur Frankfurt 2012 was taking place. I found a bratwurst—something familiar, but something definitely German!
After eating, I went inside St. Catherine's Lutheran Church. Then I continued my journey back to the hostel. Along the way, I bought kettle corn and then stopped at a card store. I was then in the old part of town, and I went to a couple souvenir shops to scope out prices. While I was in those shops, it made me realize that I'm really not in the USA/MI anymore; it also made me feel like a tourist lol.
I took the other bridge back across the river, and I'm glad I did. I saw all the padlocks that are there. It kind of makes me want to leave mine there when I leave Germany/Frankfurt in July! [**A couple days later, I found out the meaning of the locks…they’re called love padlocks, and married couples put them on bridges to symbolize their unending love for each other…upon finding this out, I retract my previous statement about my lock!!**]
I still find it interesting how they listen to American music over here. When I was having lunch, I heard "Jenny from the Block"! Old school!!! I also heard "Womanizer" & "1-2-3".
I'm back at the hostel (currently almost 4 pm) and am chatting with a friend on Facebook. He kind of helped me figure out how to put Google back into English lol. I'm eating my kettle corn, too...which is more like lite caramel corn or glazed corn...in any case, it's good. :) I saw that they had elephant ears at the festival, too. I might go back later to find something for dinner.
Random observation from last night: they have a lot of hookah (shisah) bars here. People also tend to smoke a lot more here than they do in the States. I've heard it's more of an accepted part of their culture, but I’m definitely not a fan of it.
I'm not really in the mood for a museum & I'm not too sure what I should do...I'm contemplating another nap.
I ended up typing up blog posts. My roommate came back for a little bit, but had to go out again for a lecture. A little while after, I decided to go out & find some dinner. After walking a little & checking (or trying to check) out different places' menus, I chose a little shop near the old part of town. I got some sort of chicken sandwich. He miscounted my change, so I went back to get my money back. (I'm glad he spoke English...) I saw a group of people doing Tai Chi in the plaza area. I walked back, but decided to stop and eat some of my sandwich on a bench in the main circle area of the town. I ate while looking at the Romer building (City Hall). It was getting chilly and was going to be dark soon, so I headed back to the hostel and took the bridge with the locks again.
I made it back at around 7:45pm. I've been finishing my sandwich, Facebook chatting with my brother :) and 2 friends.
Random factoids/question:
1) Hulu doesn't let me watch shows since I'm not in the US, so I have resorted to watching “Friends” clips on Youtube.
2) I’ve heard quite a bit of English (British & American) today—which is actually comforting.
3) I started to make plans to meet up with another friend who is studying in Europe!
4) It is sometimes (a.k.a. most times) difficult to decide what food to order when you don’t know what the menu says.
5) I feel like euro are so easy to spend—it seems like Monopoly money…perhaps they're easy to spend since 1 & 2 euro are in coin form...
6) Do all European ambulances/fire trucks sound the same?
It is now almost 9:30pm, and I am on Facebook & Youtube, checking emails, working on my blog, going through pictures, and eating kettle corn…nothing too thrilling, but definitely relaxing so I’m okay with that.
I was waiting in the lobby for a phone call, and I saw the guy from Cologne (my roommate’s friend’s roommate). After I got the call I was waiting for, he and I hung out in the district and talked about the US, Germany, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. We got back to the hostel and planned to meet in the lobby for breakfast and then go to the festival tonorrow.
My roommate and I are now Facebook friends. :) She’s waking up at 6:30am, so I’m going to try to get up that early, too…We’ll see how that goes…
I’m Facebook chatting with friends now for a little bit before bed. Anyway, checking out in the morning & I will try to make the 16:50 train to Marburg tomorrow! G’nite!
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
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I had a great night's sleep. :)
My roommate left around 8am, and shortly after, I got up and went to breakfast downstairs, where there were a lot of people. I got my food (bread, salami, Swiss cheese, cereal + oats/chocolate + milk, hibiscus tea, fruit cocktail). I found an open seat next to some Germans (I think). I sat and ate...and observed. I felt like the awkward American. Maybe it was because I was still waking up, or because I didn't want to interrupt their conversations, but I didn't say anything to them. Part of me wishes I said something, but part of me is okay with keeping to myself. I do get shy sometimes--okay, maybe most times--around big groups of people & I tend to just observe. After one of the groups left, 3 French-speaking girls came to the table, which then furthered my thought of "I feel old." :P Aside from who I assume are teachers or parents, I didn't really notice any college students--they seemed like highschoolers...again, I could totally be wrong—After all, people guess my age incorrectly all the time!
After breakfast, I bought a day of internet. I finally got online & checked Facebook/email. I was happy to see notifications from my family & friends. :P I mean, it is honestly kind of lonely over here right now. Hopefully, it'll be alright when I go out later. I realized that today is Thursday, meaning its choir rehearsal...goodness, I miss them, too! Alright, going to get ready & hopefully distract myself from homesickness. (Also, I got my class schedule…and it is pretty much awesome!)
Well, so much for getting ready. :P I ended up taking a ~1 hour 40 minute nap haha & woke up at 12pm. (I actually woke up before that when the cleaning lady opened the door. Uhm, yea, definitely was not expecting that lol, but she was considerate and left.) I went online again and was able to Facebook chat with some family & friends. Then I got ready and left a little before 1:30pm. As I was getting ready, the cleaning lady came back again to empty the garbage can. I attempted to look up Youtube videos to learn how to tie a scarf in a “European” way...I settled with the usual way I wear a scarf lol.
I made my way to the old part of Frankfurt in search of decently priced food, more specifically, a bratwurst. I kept walking and ended up where the Fruhling fur Frankfurt 2012 was taking place. I found a bratwurst—something familiar, but something definitely German!
After eating, I went inside St. Catherine's Lutheran Church. Then I continued my journey back to the hostel. Along the way, I bought kettle corn and then stopped at a card store. I was then in the old part of town, and I went to a couple souvenir shops to scope out prices. While I was in those shops, it made me realize that I'm really not in the USA/MI anymore; it also made me feel like a tourist lol.
I took the other bridge back across the river, and I'm glad I did. I saw all the padlocks that are there. It kind of makes me want to leave mine there when I leave Germany/Frankfurt in July! [**A couple days later, I found out the meaning of the locks…they’re called love padlocks, and married couples put them on bridges to symbolize their unending love for each other…upon finding this out, I retract my previous statement about my lock!!**]
I still find it interesting how they listen to American music over here. When I was having lunch, I heard "Jenny from the Block"! Old school!!! I also heard "Womanizer" & "1-2-3".
I'm back at the hostel (currently almost 4 pm) and am chatting with a friend on Facebook. He kind of helped me figure out how to put Google back into English lol. I'm eating my kettle corn, too...which is more like lite caramel corn or glazed corn...in any case, it's good. :) I saw that they had elephant ears at the festival, too. I might go back later to find something for dinner.
Random observation from last night: they have a lot of hookah (shisah) bars here. People also tend to smoke a lot more here than they do in the States. I've heard it's more of an accepted part of their culture, but I’m definitely not a fan of it.
I'm not really in the mood for a museum & I'm not too sure what I should do...I'm contemplating another nap.
I ended up typing up blog posts. My roommate came back for a little bit, but had to go out again for a lecture. A little while after, I decided to go out & find some dinner. After walking a little & checking (or trying to check) out different places' menus, I chose a little shop near the old part of town. I got some sort of chicken sandwich. He miscounted my change, so I went back to get my money back. (I'm glad he spoke English...) I saw a group of people doing Tai Chi in the plaza area. I walked back, but decided to stop and eat some of my sandwich on a bench in the main circle area of the town. I ate while looking at the Romer building (City Hall). It was getting chilly and was going to be dark soon, so I headed back to the hostel and took the bridge with the locks again.
I made it back at around 7:45pm. I've been finishing my sandwich, Facebook chatting with my brother :) and 2 friends.
Random factoids/question:
1) Hulu doesn't let me watch shows since I'm not in the US, so I have resorted to watching “Friends” clips on Youtube.
2) I’ve heard quite a bit of English (British & American) today—which is actually comforting.
3) I started to make plans to meet up with another friend who is studying in Europe!
4) It is sometimes (a.k.a. most times) difficult to decide what food to order when you don’t know what the menu says.
5) I feel like euro are so easy to spend—it seems like Monopoly money…perhaps they're easy to spend since 1 & 2 euro are in coin form...
6) Do all European ambulances/fire trucks sound the same?
It is now almost 9:30pm, and I am on Facebook & Youtube, checking emails, working on my blog, going through pictures, and eating kettle corn…nothing too thrilling, but definitely relaxing so I’m okay with that.
I was waiting in the lobby for a phone call, and I saw the guy from Cologne (my roommate’s friend’s roommate). After I got the call I was waiting for, he and I hung out in the district and talked about the US, Germany, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. We got back to the hostel and planned to meet in the lobby for breakfast and then go to the festival tonorrow.
My roommate and I are now Facebook friends. :) She’s waking up at 6:30am, so I’m going to try to get up that early, too…We’ll see how that goes…
I’m Facebook chatting with friends now for a little bit before bed. Anyway, checking out in the morning & I will try to make the 16:50 train to Marburg tomorrow! G’nite!
Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR
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