Weil das ende in der nahe ist....

Haven't written in a while!!

Sorry :-) I know how you all love to hear my stories. Just as much as I love telling them.

We leave off on the 15. Well.. That weekend was a tad... eventful.

Every semester each student dorm and apartment building gets to throw a party. Its the largest one of the semester. Well. Steingarten (where I live)... we don't mess around :-) We threw a mafia party :-)

Jordan, Haesols boyfriend came from America to spend time with her so Hazel, Jordan, and Gillian were my guests. We dressed up Mafiosa like you wouldn't believeeeee!!!! We definately got the best respect that night.
Ok... Well... thats all for that story. HA. Lots of things happened that night including laptops being stolen from the 1st floor. (thankfully I live on the 6th) and Almir peed on my desk chair. (Long story) But overall it was fun. You will see pictures lol.

That Saturday was FANTASTIC!!!! Gillian and I and her boyfriend at the time (haha I love you Schnoox) Went to the championship Rugby game in Heidelberg. We watch Spain KILL, we watched Germany get beat in the last 1 minute to Portugal, (Who I knew would win anyway) and then we watched those penny gyps from ROMANIA KILLL KILLL KILL RUSSIAAAAAA. OMGGGG I have never seen Rugby played like that before! These guys were running around the field pulling tricks out like I have never seen before. Needless to say that Russia walked off the field with 0. and Romania took it home 36-0. What a game.

Well. That next week was nothing spectacular. Just alot of reading and writing, I even skipped the German night party at Zimmer. (thats a first for me).

That weekend 24-26 was the VISUM Berlin trip! I have lots to talk about!!

We left at about midnight and we took a double decker bus for our 8ish hour drive to Berlin. I was especially excited to see Berlin because of all that I already learned from Frau Dombrowskis class.
We got to Berlin at about 8 in the morning and the first thing I saw was..... DUNKIN DONUTS!!!! I WAS IN HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. It was awesome. They only have DD in Nordrhein Westfallen and Berlin. We got to the hostel , had some breakfast, and the first thing on our agenda was a city tour of Berlin. That was interesting because it was our first view of Berlin. The starting point was the American Embassy which was located right next to the Brandenburger Tor. I liked seeing that because It had a huge history behind it. The American Embassy was recently built and they have real exit signs.
Next to the American Embassy was the hotel where Michael Jackson hung a baby outside the window. That was an interesting part of the tour... Other things we saw were the siegesäule, (which I got to see in the movie Himmel über Berlin), the Berliner Dom, Alexander Platz, Potsdamer Platz, Reichstag, Holocaust Mahnmal, East Side Gallery, Judisches Museum, Checkpoint charlie, just to name a few, and some other really important sites.

After the tour we got to rome around for a bit. haha rome. I was just there!. I grabbed some lunch with friends and dunkin donuts of course, then we headed back to the Hostel to check in. The hostel was cool because of the way it was set up. Back in the day it was actually used as a boarding school for Jewish Girls. One of the VISUM events was going to a well known club in Berlin called the Fritz club. It was in what looked like an old factory with large rooms and bad music. (like most clubs in Germany). We didn't stay long, we went back and went to sleep. haha

The next morning we knew exactly what we wanted to see. HOHENSCHONHAUSEN!!!!!
I was excited to see this because this was an integral part of my favorite movie called Das Leben der anderen. This was an intense tour of the dark side of the former german democratic republic (ddr). Hohenschonhausen was a former remand prison of the stasi (ddr's state security). This tour was guided by former prisoners so you can tell how intense it was. We watched a movie about the history of the prison and its role in the system of political persecution in the ddr. Then we got to see the actual prison, and the submarine, which was a dark part of the prison where torture usually took place. We saw all the processes everything from internment to interrogation. This was cool because on the upper floor of the new prison, built next to the old, there were more interrogation rooms than holding cells. This was because they wanted to be efficient, we saw the room where they used to water torture people, and it was interesting because the set up of the interrogation rooms were all the same. We learned that several tape recorders were used at the same time, and the mind control techniques that the stasi used really did work. We got to see the tiger cages, which were small outdoor walking places,where prisoners were allowed to walk in circles with their hands behind their backs to get fresh air. This was because they weren't allowed to go outside, so when they did, they were only allowed to walk in a circle, with guards standing overhead.
This was an eery building. I could still smell the stench and the clammyness. I felt wierd being in this building, but it was definately worth it.

After that we went to a FABULOUS museum. We went to see an exhibit called signs of the city. This was an exhibit that tells about cities and the youths in them. Two kids made their way through their cities with digital cameras and cell phones with cameras and explored "signs" of their cities. They went through london, barcelona, berlin, and sophia (bulgaria). This was cool because you got to see each students perspective of different aspects of urban living, and the signs that we live by everyday.
This was really cool to see because you can see life through other peoples eyes, instead of your own. Quick story. I was sitting at the tram stop outside in the marktplatz and I had my earphones in. I also had a coffee in my hand. Well. An older lady was sitting next to me with a ciggarette. She then commented on how good her cigarette would taste with my coffee. She then told me to take out my earphones because she believed that students and younger people today don't open their eyes and ears to the world around them. (and all in german too! ). So I could see what she was talking about, because to the average observer these signs mean nothing, but to others they mean so much.

We hung out in Alexander platz and saw these guys on stilts... well... we couldn't resist :-) Pictures to come!
We also danced to the accordian players and pretended to be airplanes.

That night we went to the largest shopping mall in all of continental Europe called the KADeWe. It had a million floors with 500 Euro scarfs... Then of course that night Visum sponsered a party with lots of booze. I skipped out on the club that night, and didn't have much to drink. Instead I stayed up with the American guys and we went and had some Falafal at the cafe next door.

The next morning was Sunday and we go to sleep in. I woke up early and grabbed some friends and went to the East Side Gallery. That was so cool to see the actual wall and the amazing art thats... well... somewhat preserved. I can't stand how people can grafitti over other peoples grafitti! It was so upsetting to see peoples names and stupid remarks over the artists work. I got to stand on the east and the west side!

That monday was long... thats all I remember, and it was back to the daily grindstone of work and school and grammar.
I worked with Brian who helped me with Konjuctiv II vergangenheits form. I get it now.
The international dinner yesterday (Tuesday) was great because it is when everyone from all over the world prepares food and we all come together and try it. We had some great foods from Malaysia, France, Sweden, Italy, and of course America. The Americans represented and made some Jungle Juice! that was such a huge hit!!! Haesol made annies Macaroni and Cheese hahaha. Free Beer and great food. Can't get much better!

Thats pretty much it actually. I haven't been partying lately because I haven't been in the mood really. Drinking takes too much time, money and energy. Its gotten to the point in the semester where I like to read and study. That, and the weather has been constant rain!

For the rest of the week I plan on working on some presentations that are due... some case studies, and of course, some Grammer. (working on passive now and Konjuctiv I). So I can use all the study time I can get. Friday is Halloween and we plan on going to Frankensteins Castle in Darmstadt. This is cool for us because Frankensteins castle is cool! and it would be so awesome to go there on Halloween! But most people think we are corny :-) But we don't mind.


Enjoy the pictures!

Another Kugel of Gelato and a Panini please

Am letztes mal wir haben über Oktoberfest gesprochen... Dieses mal wir werden über ROMA sprechen! Roma war sehr schon und wir haben zo viel getan! Gibts' viele Sehenwirdigkeiten zum Beispiel die Arena, Trevi Wasserspiel etc. Wir haben alle schon gesehen und nur in 3 Tage!


The beginning of the week was alright. Don't remember much because time is going by really fast here.

I left for Rome on Thursday night and we took a bus to Frankfurt Hahn airport- flew to Chimpano Rome and then we went to our hostel. our hostel was called M&J hostel and was the best one i've stayed in yet! The staff was awesome, one of them was even from New York. The thing I love about hostels is that you meet so many travelers, and people from all over. For instance, we met Tom, who was freaking awesome, and the girl from Norway that Ashley is going go visit before December. We managed to see alot and in only 3 days. We first started by taking one of those stupid touristy bus things that everyone tells you not to go on... but we did anyway. It was a nice double decker. Of course we sat on the top. We did this because Rome is so large, we took the entire tour once without getting off (its was a hop on hop off) and we did this to see locations of everything.then to make a priority list of things we wanted to see first). Ok... so the second time around we started seeing the things on our list. We ended up seeing everything in the first 2 days. We also studied for a bit each day, and we chose places we wanted to go sit and read. The last day was the best because we went to the spanish steps and sat there and read... well... I started too but then fell asleep in the sun on the steps infront of the trevi fountain.

We ate Gelato... alot.. I think we both ended up eating 8 or 9 Kugeln of Gelato in 3 days. The pizza in Rome is also good. and the Paninis are to die for!.

Let me tell you about the last day we spent in Rome..

The first day we went to the Vatican City they wouldnt let us in because Ashley was wearing shorts (Strict dress code in the Vatican). So we went back on a Sunday. Just joking around we said that it would be soo cool to see the Pope at the Vatican on our first time in Rome on a Sunday... Sure enough. As soon as we get to the Vatican the music starts and the procession begins... Little did we Know the Pope was giving a mass! That was the coolest thing ever to see the Pope giving a mass and all the people from all over the world that were there! It was soo cool!

Well. The scenery was breathtaking. The Colleseum (Romans call it arena) was magical at night. I think instead of talking about it im just going to put up pictures. They speak a thousand words... down to the last Kugeln of Gelato we ate to Fabio, our Arena tour guide.

Enjoy the pictures.

Now then.. the week after Rome just seemed to fly by!!!!!

I write today, which is Monday, one week since I´ve been back and not too much has happened.

Classes have been good. Getting ready to write some Final exams. I think i am really enjoying these law classes because Its a way for me to see the German words (as long as they are) and to see proper grammer and to actually hear and see what its upoosed to look and hear like. I can almost understand word for word some of the laws in the Bügerliches Gesetzbuch! Which is the law students bible here.
German grammar class is going.... indifferent about how its going. I just keep up. learning my Konjuctiv II and my adjecktiv deklinations. We will see on my final exam. I am also working with some American friends on a presentation about the Health care system in Germany for our German business class.

I really think that the classes not dedicated to teaching me about the German language are helping me really learn it... If that makes any sense.

Ok now the fun stuff you REALLY want to hear about.

The mafia party.

Every semester each Studentenwohnheim gets a chance to throw a huge party for all the students in school. hehe.
It was our turn.
To date, it was the best party of the year!
The theme this year was a mafia party. EVERYBODY came with guns and suspenders and hats and glasses, and black clothing... we looked... so darn good.
From what I remember the music was good...
From what I remember the drinks were good...
Thats all I can really remember...

Oh I forgot to mention that I got my hair cut... short.. in Rome. It looks good.

Anyway. I have been studying alot lately so I decided to take aload off and party a little. I mean.. I lived where the party was so there was no reason not to take advantage of that... hehe.

I know these are some pretty scattered stories, next week will be better.

This week is all dedicated to reading and writing and getting ready for finals, and presentations and such because the next month will be a tad hectic.

Adam comes next month. WOOOOOO! Even though we broke up...
I´m not going to blast our business on the internet... however I AM taking a poll...
Who here actually listens to bad advice that friends give? I didn´t think so...
If your friends told you to eat a handfull of nails would you ? ( The jumping off a bridge cliche was getting old...)

I shall post some more pictures when I get home. For now... Tschüß

Leben: Es macht eine erweiterung notwendig. Ich geht, und der Rest von uns wartet hier...

Looking at my calendar.. the last time we spoke I went to the Mannheimer Volksfest, which was awesome...

Moving on... Every weekend Visum has theme parties, so that each group from certain geographic locations around the world get to celebrate... This week was Caribbean night. I had fun. haha. It was also Pub quiz night at Murpheys law! Our team always does the best, and we have loads of fun! We did really well in the categories of religion and classical music (surprising eh??!) Its really a good brain tester.

This past week was really filled with adventures.

On Thursday I have my favorite class: International Economic Law. In this class we talk alot about the WTO and laws and regulations. The professor always has me read the legal texts because I can understand them the best :-) that, and he says my English and legal pronunciations are superior (I should hope so... it IS my native tounge...) anyway. We split into 2 groups (there is only 8 of us...) and we had a debate about pro child labor and human rights advocation. I was on the money hungry capitalist side... I did well there. The group chose me as the leader because when we were discussing I was using big words and putting it into perspective like no ones business (holla!) however, I don't like speaking infront of classes (why im always whispering out answers) haha. Regardless my team clearly won that debate (even though we were essentially advocating the use of child labor... we worded it very nicely) haha. After class we had what the professor calls a "drink tank." Do you know what a think tank is? Its when a group gets together and talks... Well we had it at this fun little bar/restaurant called Tomate which is around the corner from school. We sat for about an hour and a half and had neuewine, which is wine of the season, and it tastes like apple cider, it was delicious! and he ordered us all Zweibeln pie... its like Quiche... but better! This was an awesome drink tank because we were talking about what kind of law we really wanted to get into, and what we would change about the way the NTO and WTO are run... it was interesting. But im a nerd like that. I was the only American... the rest of the class comes from France... Boo.

So after the Drink tank I raced home to a kitchen full of friends waiting my gallant arrival! They had Annies Mac and cheese ready for Dinner! That was a special night because at 4 a.m. that morning we would depart for our most adventurous weekend yet... OKTOBERFEST!!!!!!

We got to the train station at the right time... however the annoying voice overhead kept announcing 180 minuten spät... every ten minutes!!! so it kept pushing the time of arrival 180 minutes later! this concerned us because if you aren't at the beer tent before it opens there is no chance in hell you're getting into the tent... it is the goal of oktoberfest to get into the best tent.
So we finally got on the train and i secured a comfortable spot on the floor. This was a severely packed train because everyone was going to Münich for Oktoberfest... and everyone was wearing Drndls and Lederhosen!!!! I met an awesome kid from Texas who was studying in the Netherlands, and who had been on the train for 9 hours already just for the event... crazy kid.
We had fun for 6 hours. I didn't sleep much because the guy in the booth kept snorning. Gillian didn't sleep either because she kept getting kicked by the snoring man... and Sydney and Hazel got some sleep, but they were also in the car with the snorning man...

WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SINGING AND DANCING AND DRINKING WEARING TRADITIONAL CLOTHING!! it was really something you would have had to be there to get it. It was soo cool. It felt a little touristy... but whatever. Its all in good fun.
So we walked down the street from the Haputbahnhof to the festival. I relate this Oktoberfest to the Germans version of St. Pattys day... where everyone is drunk wearing wierd clothing... and an overall excuse to be belligerent. I already saw some kid throwing up...and it wasn't even 9....

So we decided to go to the Himmel über Bayern tent...it looked good. We waited for about an hour before they even opened the door to the public... well... we pushed and shoved to the front of the fence thing and as soon as they took down the barriers it was like mass chaos... who the hell let the dogs out... it was cool though because we all ran like bats out of hell to get to the real entrances of the tent... well... we waited yet another hour to try and be let into the tent.... (if you don't have reservations its a grace of God to be let in.) well.. we wanted to take that chance.. realize we would never get it... decided to sit outside at one of the biergarten tables and we had our Oktoberfest beer! It was pretty ok. It was raining horribly, but we stuck it out like troopers. I even had my big Bavarian pretzel! People kept taking pictures of us because we were really sitting out there with our umbrellas getting soaked drinking beer out of our humongous Krügs.

Ok... so after we finished one Krüg we walked to another table and met some really awesome German people who were hiding under a huge plastic tarp... so they invited us "in" and we sung songs with them and made new friends! I guess it turned out alright. I realized you don't need to be inside the tent to have a good time :-) We made the best of it.

So, soaked as we were we got our huge cookies (pictures to follow) and we decided to leave Oktoberfest. We had had our fun.
After we left the festival Gillian had a tour of Münich planned out for us :-) Thank you fearless Reiseführer! She showed us the Gardens, where Hitler was arrested, the Lucky lions, and the clock tower, which at 5 oclock has a show! This tower was amazing because it had all the Glockenspiel men that came out and danced at 5!!! Before the show we went to the Paulaner Haus to have dinner. Paulaner is also a famous brew house.

We took the train to Stuttgart where we would meet a friend, Nick. Nick lives in Stuttgart and graciously let us stay there for 2 nights while we went to the Stuttgart festival. The festival in Stuttgart is the second largest and most popular beer festival, next to oktoberfest.
So Nick met us at the Hauptbahnhof where he gave us the keys to his house.... (he was going to a party which we were definately not up for...)
We went to his house, walked into the warmmmm living room, where he had left food for us and made us really comfortable beds!!!!!

That morning we had a great breakfast (did I mention we woke up at around 1??! ) I love Nutella! and we filled our stomachs... this was because we were going to have an awesome day drinking beer. haha
We got to the festival and thought we were going to have to wait in line for hours again! but apparently nick knew the guy at the tent door so he let us right in!!! IT WAS SOO COOL!!!

so we got into the most popular tent at the entire festival, the Hofbräu haus!. We danced on tables like the Germans, and sung songs like the Germans, met amazing people!!!! had such an amazing time... it's times like this that I'll remember for the rest of my life!!!!! The pictures I post will explain a lot, but it was really a magical time.
Nick made us go to the bar after that... but the girls and I werent feeling it so we went home and left nick there... who then stumbled in at 7 am!! so at 7 am we laughed hysterically as this 7 foot tall man was being put to bed, while singing along to the Marvin Gaye who he was blasting from his room... it was hysterical.

Ended up sleeping till 2 that next afternoon... got on our ICE train. and headed back to Mannheim.

What an amazing weekend.

Now... we get back to Mannheim and the train stops at Paradeplatz... there was a commotion... but I was so tired to get off and see what it was... but Sydney was immensely curious and made me get off.. I'm glad she did! there was a tightroper!!! and a guy that was driving a bicycle on a tightrope the entire way across the courtyard!!!!!! It was soo cool! Apparently Mannheim had a small Herbst fest that day. We walked around to some of the tents they had. It was nice!!!

Let me tell you about my Doing Business in Germany class. There is 3 Americans in the class, the most of them are from Norway... and theres 2 Russian girls, 1 Korean kid, and 1 from Taiwan, who the teacher keeps telling him he is from China...
WELL!!! This teacher hates our guts!!!!! The way he spoke, he personally blamed us 3 Americans for the collapse of the economy and the bankruptcy of an entire country (Iceland). hahahahahaha. We find this funny. So now my friends joke that I better get back to America and fix it! HAHAHAHAHA. We were talking in class about the economy and i really find it interesting how each country is dependent to the other country. Yet I must admit that America started the domino effect with our housing crunch and poor credit. It really is an interesting class. My group and I are now doing a presentation on the health care system in Germany, which I learned alot about already from doing my independent study this past semester. We are going to do the best presentation, then the professor can't say shit to us.

I love all my classes. I really do. I'm doing well in the German classes, however the grammar class is kind of hard. Its not hard material.. its just how fast she speaks.. I'm not really that used to being taught German.. in the German language...
I experienced a little of that in the summer academy but it wasn't that fast... and his accent wasn't crazy like Natalie's is... (my professor). Shes really cool. I stayed after with her for a little while and we went over Konjuktiv II. (which I despise.... )

The communication class is ok.. I like that one the least because she gives us assignments and we spend too much time preparing our answers... which in turn only end up being less than 1 minute... more time should be spent on just....speaking..
We had a debate in that class too about the use of cell phone... I was on the con side... I rocked house... I'm used to debates in german class. In Frau Dombrowski's class we had them all the time... She rocked as a teacher!

Last night was also a VISUM international party, it was French night... the party was big but it wasn't that great... maybe because people don't like the french?? haha

Today was a good day because Roses' boyfriend Will flew in from North Carolina!!!!!!!!! He is here for a week. He's such an awesome guy! Rose organized a dinner so all of us can meet him. We went to this restaurant called the Spaghetti Opera, which was reccomended to Rose by a German she randomly met on the Straßenbahn... What a great place it turned out to be! Homemade pasta and really fresh ingredients!.

So to go off on another tangent. Rose, trina and Ena went to Vienna this past weekend and had an amazing time! I made a list of all the places they HAD to see when they got there including Jugendstil aka Art Noveau (i really like it but don't tell Dan). and the Hundertwasser haus.... and of course the Hofborg... Everytime I hear someone mention Vienna my face lights up because it is most definately one of my favorite places in the world :-) . Sydney just left (literally) for her trip to Vienna and I gave her an extremely detailed list of places to go.. things to eat... and clubs to go to :-) hey... girls gotta have fun right?!

My trip this weekend is to ROMEEE!!!!!! I am very excited to see the Parthenon and the Spanish steps! I am going with an awesome girl Ashley who also comes from America. We're gona have a blast! I even made a list of all the Italian phrases I need to know, places we have to see, and i even drew a small map... (loooserrrr)


Ok so heres the thing. I really don't want to say this again. YES I AM STUDYING, YES I AM LEARNING GERMAN! However. there is one thing everyone needs to understand. I am not who they think I am... I am not who the wan't me to be... and I will not change.
I have a good head on my shoulders... I get my shit done, and I do it well... those of you that are concerned with my drinking, or the fact that i'm quote on quote traveling too much???!?!?!?! how can you travel too much!!! Listen... I am in Germany and it costs less than 30 U.S dollars to fly round trip to Italy... ireland...etc... why the hell would I not travel to these places?? I am here to learn about Europe... its called Globalization kids. and the most I know about the world, they way the world works, the way the people are and their culture... the better off I will be in life... I'm sorry that I can't bring you with me.. i'm sorry that all you can do is sit there and hear stories and look at pictures... would you prefer it if I didn't tell stories? show you pictures?
I wan't to share with you my elation and how much I enjoy seeing the world and everything in it. You wonder... where the hell did she come from? She doesn't want the American dream? Does she not want to graduate college, find her a money bag husband and have a cute little house and a picket fence with 2 kids a dog and a nanny?!?!?! nah...
I want a studio apartment somewhere coastal.. A hybrid car... I want to build my parents an adirondack house in the woods of NY. and I want to live happily ever after traveling and speaking my languages. I love learning, I really do... so, why would I want to waste this opportunity and mess up with school??? Now, if you feel the need to tell me again and again that I need to study more...then you really don't know me at all.

It is now 3:25 in the morning.. and I need some sleep. I finished all my work and even got to read some more of my Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch and some GATT articles. I wrote my own version of Rotkäppchen, and studied some Konjuktiv II. I am all ready to enjoy the weekend.


Thank you for tuning in.