What to say about this week? I think it's been an uphill battle. Not that anything really went wrong; on the contrary, life is sliding along much as it was the week before. But now, I have letters from J and L sitting on my floor, unreplied, and new music to get excited about... but no one to share it with. I miss my best friends like they're my own limbs. But they're more than that, they're my own heart. They're the people who still hang out with me and understand me when I don't want to hang out with or understand myself. And I don't understand why they do, and that's ok, because if I did, then maybe it wouldn 't be such an honour to be friends.
So I guess my week has been clouded by that. I'm already daydreaming about the possibility of J visiting - even though, if that happens, it probably won't be until December. I still don't have any friends here who like the same music as me - and that's so important, because it's so much a part of who I am and how I define myself and the way I grew up. I'd by lying if I said that people here weren't nice... it's just that they're not my people. However, a highlight of this week was swimming on Tuesday night with Mi - she led me to the pool and even let me borrow her goggles. So I have plans to return soon, and make swimming a regular occasion, because it made me so damn happy to be in the water. I felt like life was ok again.
German class this week has been difficult. We had Herr K for three days because of the sad absence of our beloved H - she really is such a lovely, caring teacher for beginners. Don't get me wrong, I think Herr K is good too, and I love how dry his humour is. But he moved through things much too quickly, leaving me terrified that I didn't know what I was doing. So class on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday was, frankly, scary. We moved onto the past tense, which I know we weren't supposed to have started. And I still feel nervous about using Dativ. Today we had a test in hearing comprehension, which included new vocab (worst idea ever in a test)... I felt bewildered after the first two listens, because O had read the text so fast that I had no chance to write enough notes to answer the two sets of questions. I think she understood my panic, though, because she asked if she should read it a third time, and this time she was much slower. I think I did ok, but honestly, it wasn't worth the stress. I ate lunch in the Mensa, which was mediocre of course, but my blood sugar was low and I was feeling shaky. I was glad to get home and sit in bed for... an entire afternoon. Again.
I have issues with motivation here. I've paid for yoga and pilates, but with my nonexistant grasp on the language, I find it terrifying to go to classes. Next week, next week... I will bite the bullet and maybe even tell instructors that I'm retarded and can't understand them, so not to pick on me or expect me to understand verbal instructions. It's pretty hard to do yoga when you're expected to have closed eyes, or to relax when you're feeling edgy about how much you don't understand, even though you know it's probably just meaningless relaxation rubbish.
This week has seen the end of another temporary arrangement I've had running. The funny thing is, I knew it was coming and I didn't even care. But now I need to find another way to pass some time, and I'm sick of this town already. Yes, Pb, I think you are too small for me, because you don't hold my friends or my heart or my favourite places to visit. You don't even hold a fucking music shop. Or anywhere cool to buy clothes. Sigh. I'm not completely happy with living arrangements, but it's cheap so I should just quit my whinging and shut the fuck up.
I think I should maybe eat something and go out tonight. Yes, that would be a good idea.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Aachen and aachen!
Mi requested a balloon when another of our group went to see if the "Politischerwurst" were free... Speed (Polite) Dating and Stop People Dating were our favourite interpretations. :)
This was set into the ground of the chapel next to the Dom. Kinda makes me want to say "gnarly".
Inside the Dom.
...and of course, outside the Dom.
Dom again. Thanks Blogger, for the reverse-chronological, and for making it impossible to painlessly format a whole bunch of photos.
This is the door of the Church next to the Dom.Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in.
So: the update. I last wrote a week ago. That Saturday night I went to Markandu briefly; Chung-Hyo was playing with a band. So I went to that for an hour, chatted to C and T and D. Didn't chat to M, not sure if he knew I was there. I left to go to K's house, because he and I were planning to go to A's party. Truthfully I just didn't want to show up alone; especially seeing as how I wasn't allowed to drink thanks to the antibiotics. So I went over to K's house, but somehow we didn't end up leaving; we played computer games and started watching Season 1 of Heroes. Oh well, I probably didn't need to be drinking more, anyway.
Tues to Fri I had language class - that much is fairly standard. Tuesday we had our test and we got the results on Thursday - I got 14.5/15 for Comprehension and 34/39 for Grammar, so I'm very pleased. During our break one time S and I were sitting with a few ladies from the other class (the level above us) and D came to join us. I was so pleased for some different company. I guess I just get sick of the same people in the same class. It's not that they're not lovely people; it's that I just like to change it up sometimes.
Wednesday I had dinner with K - he came over here and I made kway teow. It was pretty delicious, but it reminded me that our electric stove is nowhere near capable of the heat required for certain Asian foods. We watched more Heroes and I had a reasonably early night. Thursday I slept through yoga (dammit, nap, you were supposed to last for an hour, not three!) which was disappointing, especially because I could have gone swimming with Mi if I'd known in advance that I wouldn't go to yoga. Friday I missed pilates and had an early night.
Saturday I got up before my alarm at 5:30am (you ever wake up continuously because you know you have to be up at some ungodly hour? Yep, that's me!) and met Mi and some others at the train station at 7am. We caught the train (well, several trains over 4 hours) to Aachen, where we met up with her friend R. He showed us around - or rather, was just good company while our group decided what to do. Our group weren't the sort of people I'd usually hang out with - except for Mi and R, actually. So it was a bit frustrating sometimes. No one would take a firm opinion about anything, so I'm hoping that Mi and I go back again sometime for a weekend visit. She'd be good travelling company, and I hope to visit her if I go home via the Czech Republic in June. It's a real pity that she leaved Pb in May.
Anyway, we ate at a cafe (I felt kinda sick afterwards, actually), looked at the Dom and the Treasury, and eventually just sprawled on the grass at a park with sweets and beer. It was beautiful weather and we developed lots of in-jokes. I can't remember for the life of me who R reminds me of, but if I were in Australia, I'd swear that I knew him from somewhere. Thankfully he's German, so I avoid that dilemma. But he looks like someone, I just can't remember who.
On a completely unrelated topic, I'd like to mention how thankful I am that we have fashionable jeans in Australia. And that most young people don't wear polar fleece. I think that's all for now.
Ahem, back to Aachen. We farewelled R at the train station and caught the train back to Pb - we were all tired, so either slept or listened to music. I was glad to get home and collapse into bed... albeit after some fruit salad and a cup of tea. This morning I woke up at 7am, so I got out of bed then and had breakfast. Spoke to the parents on Skype and saw that Mum had emailed me the recipe for Anzac biscuits, which was awesome. I'd requested it because today is Anzac Day and it made me crave them. So I'll make them this evening.
Today is fantastic weather - sunny and 23 degrees. I went for a walk earlier, stopping in first at Backfactory for a snack, and then around the city to take photos of the Dom, etc. I had a couple of panini rolls on the way - I believe that's the rule if you buy bread that's still warm. Ahh, delicious. I stopped in a park on the way home and read some of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol I" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. I've got volume II also (thanks to Amazon) and also Julie & Julia, which I plan to read after the cookbooks. Should be interesting. Now I'm going to upload photos and hope that my laundry dries in this warmth.
Tues to Fri I had language class - that much is fairly standard. Tuesday we had our test and we got the results on Thursday - I got 14.5/15 for Comprehension and 34/39 for Grammar, so I'm very pleased. During our break one time S and I were sitting with a few ladies from the other class (the level above us) and D came to join us. I was so pleased for some different company. I guess I just get sick of the same people in the same class. It's not that they're not lovely people; it's that I just like to change it up sometimes.
Wednesday I had dinner with K - he came over here and I made kway teow. It was pretty delicious, but it reminded me that our electric stove is nowhere near capable of the heat required for certain Asian foods. We watched more Heroes and I had a reasonably early night. Thursday I slept through yoga (dammit, nap, you were supposed to last for an hour, not three!) which was disappointing, especially because I could have gone swimming with Mi if I'd known in advance that I wouldn't go to yoga. Friday I missed pilates and had an early night.
Saturday I got up before my alarm at 5:30am (you ever wake up continuously because you know you have to be up at some ungodly hour? Yep, that's me!) and met Mi and some others at the train station at 7am. We caught the train (well, several trains over 4 hours) to Aachen, where we met up with her friend R. He showed us around - or rather, was just good company while our group decided what to do. Our group weren't the sort of people I'd usually hang out with - except for Mi and R, actually. So it was a bit frustrating sometimes. No one would take a firm opinion about anything, so I'm hoping that Mi and I go back again sometime for a weekend visit. She'd be good travelling company, and I hope to visit her if I go home via the Czech Republic in June. It's a real pity that she leaved Pb in May.
Anyway, we ate at a cafe (I felt kinda sick afterwards, actually), looked at the Dom and the Treasury, and eventually just sprawled on the grass at a park with sweets and beer. It was beautiful weather and we developed lots of in-jokes. I can't remember for the life of me who R reminds me of, but if I were in Australia, I'd swear that I knew him from somewhere. Thankfully he's German, so I avoid that dilemma. But he looks like someone, I just can't remember who.
On a completely unrelated topic, I'd like to mention how thankful I am that we have fashionable jeans in Australia. And that most young people don't wear polar fleece. I think that's all for now.
Ahem, back to Aachen. We farewelled R at the train station and caught the train back to Pb - we were all tired, so either slept or listened to music. I was glad to get home and collapse into bed... albeit after some fruit salad and a cup of tea. This morning I woke up at 7am, so I got out of bed then and had breakfast. Spoke to the parents on Skype and saw that Mum had emailed me the recipe for Anzac biscuits, which was awesome. I'd requested it because today is Anzac Day and it made me crave them. So I'll make them this evening.
Today is fantastic weather - sunny and 23 degrees. I went for a walk earlier, stopping in first at Backfactory for a snack, and then around the city to take photos of the Dom, etc. I had a couple of panini rolls on the way - I believe that's the rule if you buy bread that's still warm. Ahh, delicious. I stopped in a park on the way home and read some of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol I" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. I've got volume II also (thanks to Amazon) and also Julie & Julia, which I plan to read after the cookbooks. Should be interesting. Now I'm going to upload photos and hope that my laundry dries in this warmth.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Easter Weekend
Apologies, but these are in reverse-chronological. It's just the manner of the Blogger uploading system. Oh well.
I know I certainly couldn't be bothered cutting this out of the rock.
This ornate bridge was possibly the most reliable structure amongst the rocks - the steps, however, were mighty rickety.
You can see most of the stones... and the busy walking path! Externsteinen.
This is Hermansdenkmal (The Herman Monument)
...And this is what it looks like when you look up his short skirt.
This is the inner courtyard of the Schloss at Detmold.
...and this is a planter box outside. Quaint, ne?
This is part of the Schloss from the outside. We weren't allowed to take photos inside the rooms.
This is the Kaiser Wilhelm monument, near Petershagen somewhere.
...and this is my bed, all decked out in green Ikea linen. Though the violet and green striped pillow is from a cute shop in town, in my defense!:)
Above the tracks- there is no mercy, there is no fear.
So really, I haven't done much this week, because I've been sick. How boring, I hear you say. Well, you're completely right, but I didn't really have much of an option. That sniffle that I had on Tuesday was a bit more than a sniffle... I didn't go out to F's house that night because I wasn't really feeling up to it, which was a bit disappointing, because she had a party and it would have been fun. Oh well. I don't know what I did for the rest of the week... I think I had a dinner or two with K, and didn't really do anything over the weekend. I was suppose to go to T's house and have a look at the bikes there, but I slept all weekend and it just didn't end up happening. I feel bad about having been such a flake, but such is life.
On Monday I had language class, and I don't know what else I did. Probably not much. By this point I'd gotten into the habit of afternoon naps in order to survive, so I bet that was on the cards.
On Tuesday I had language class, and then I ate the biggest and best (and most expensive, at 5 Euro!) salad I could create. Thanks, Mensa, you saved my starving self yet again. S came home from Scotland with a gift of Twinings Lady Grey tea for me, so I was one very very happy person. That night I went to the Eurobiz office at 10 because everyone was predrinking there before Markandu. I took one bottle of beer, more for the sake of not having to explain why I wasn't partying than for any actual drinking. I wasn't really feeling up to it, but it was nice to go for the sake of being sociable. When everyone caught the bus at midnight I decided it was well and truly time to head home - the cold air was hell on my lungs, so I developed a nice cough. Charming, I know. K was nice enough to walk me home before heading into the city himself. I was pleased to be able to crawl into my bed.
On Wednesday was class - S gave me a patterned cotton scarf, which was really sweet of her. I think it was because I'd been sick for a week. I felt a bit embarassed, though - I'm not good with things like that. I met F for lunch in the Mensa. It was lovely to catch up - I hadn't seen her since our chance meeting at the train station. So we caught up, and had coffee afterwards, and wandered home. We walked to her house, which is a bit out of my way on the walk 'home' so I went to Netto in the city and got a couple of things. K came over for dinner and I'd made the browned flour stew that mum's Granny Jane used to make. Or, rather, my own version of said stew. It was delicious, and S ate with us too, which was nice. K and I were both really tired, so after dinner we just lay on my bed for a while, watching movies... and fell asleep. You know you're tired when you fall asleep in your jeans! I woke up at about 11pm and got changed into pjs and went back to sleep. K left at about 4am (he can't sleep for long because of his back, and I'm surprised he could sleep for that long in jeans!) and I felt bad that he wasn't feeling good, but he assured me that he was fine once he got home and had his painkillers. So it's not like I was depriving him of sleep.
On Thursday I had the language class, of course. K had said for me to message him if I needed to see a doctor, but I was feeling a little better, so I didn't... which was unwise, because I started feeling wrecked again by the end of the class. I was glad to go home, really. Caught the bus to the city from uni after having a walk around the sport centre. I went to Backfactory for a snack and then to Netto for a few items. I had a few hours at home and ate some bread. I've been eating heaps of bread rolls lately, they're delicious! And lots of white rice too, so my stomach is settling down a little. There's a lot to be said for soluble fibre first when you have an empty stomach! Less growling, that's for sure. Anyway, I went to yoga class that evening from 5:30 to 7pm. It was good - slow and stretching. I felt like a bit of a tard for not knowing what the instructor was saying, but it'll be good for my German.
I had a missed call from K while I was in class. It was nice to be thought of - I think I needed the social contact after feeling somewhat isolated in a room full of women and yoga mats. He'd had a bad day at work, so we talked while I was on the bus home (yep, buses again! It's becoming a pattern...) and then made plans for me to go over to his house for dinner at 8:30. He likes to eat much later than I do, but it worked out ok because I didn't want to eat before yoga, so I was starving. We made That yellow curry, which was pretty tasty, and I headed home about 11pm. I was already exhausted, and was tired of sniffling all day - I knew it was time to get some sleep. So I came home, and went to bed.
This morning I didn't get up at 7am like I should have; I wasn't feeling too good. Albeit better than the other morning when I felt like I was going to throw up, but still not good enough to drag myself into the shower. (For the record, the shower works wonders when you feel like you're going to throw up. It works wonders for most sickness, physical or emotional, actually!) So I slept until 9am, planning to go to class at 11am, after the break. I sms'd K at 9am, asking him if he could take me to the doctor, which he'd been threatening to do all week. He called me straight away, and said he was about to go to work and would make an appointment for me for sometime in the afternoon. So I went to the language class, where I discovered that I'd been missing important information about Modal verbs, and just generally felt stupid. I couldn't even understand what the teacher was saying. It was a relief to leave - K had messaged me to say he could only get an appointment for 12:30, so I left the class just after 12 to meet him at quarter past.
So, walking to the Doctor, I discovered that in Germany, one needs one's health insurance documents. Christ. Definitely not like the electronic system in Australia! So we went there, and K sweet-talked the ladies at reception (ok, slight exaggeration, but he talked to them in German on my behalf) and they said they'd still fit me in that day if I got my health insurance papers and got back there before 1pm. That left me half an hour to catch the bus home, get my papers, and walk back to the surgery. I was in a panic the entire time, in retrospect. I definitely didn't want to have wasted K's time, or have to wait until Monday to see a doctor. So I made it there just before one, met K again, and he helped me fill out the necessary form. I was weighed and had my height measured by a nurse, who then took my blood pressure - she asked K later if I was nervous about being there because my pulse was racing. I had him explain that I'd just walked there... half-run there was more accurate, but hey, such is life.
So, that's when I really began to waste poor K's time, because I had to wait for an hour to be seen by a doctor. Both of us had hungry, growling stomachs. Anyway, when I got in there, the Doctor spoke English and was a lovely old man, whose name I don't think I ever learned. I explained how I'd been feeling like death, and that my sinuses and throat were giving me grief, and got the usual 'open your mouth and say "aah"', stethoscope on the lungs, and "oh yes, your throat is rather swollen" treatment. I also had a blood test, which was a pin prick on the finger (I explained that I was extremely bad with needles) and it was a bit embarassing that I was such a wuss about it. Either way, I didn't pass out, so that's promising. The results only took a few minutes to come back and I found out that I had a bacterial infection and got a script for some antibiotics. K took me to the pharmacy and explained how the health care system works - you send them the bill for the doctor and they'll pay for that and most prescriptions. Winner. So I was 25 Euro out of pocket in the pharmacy, but I'll get it back.
After that, K went back to work and I went to the library to meet M, who is from the Czech Republic and wanted me to look over a document she'd written in English. It was actually a cover letter about a conference being hosted, and I was pleased to be able to help. She had brought me an apple as well (she was eating one too!) which was absolutely brilliant because I was starved. I should make a sign: will work for food! I was really glad to be of some use, and she was absolutely lovely, plus the project she was working on was a good idea. So I just edited the letter with her, and then caught the bus home.
Back here, I ate the leftover stew and bread rolls that I had, and I was thinking about going to the supermarket for some bread and vegetables... but I'm not sure now. It can wait until tomorrow. I should be going to Pilates tonight but I'm feeling tired and I think I can afford to just give myself a night off... which is what I plan on doing for the next couple of nights, actually. This weekend is just for recovering. There's a couple of things I'd like to do on Saturday night but we'll see whether that works... maybe just no drinking. I don't think antibiotics and alcohol are a clever mix, somehow! The doctor said I should drink lots of tea and definitely no cold water. So I think tonight I'll try out the green tea that I bought at the supermarket the other day.
I think I should do something for K to show my appreciation for all his patience today, because I realise how it was a total pain in the ass for him. But the problem is that I don't know what; if it were one of my close friends at home, I'd know exactly what to do to show my appreciation. But here, with people that I'm still getting to know, it's more difficult. I don't know, I'll think about it. In the meantime, it's time for some green tea.
On Monday I had language class, and I don't know what else I did. Probably not much. By this point I'd gotten into the habit of afternoon naps in order to survive, so I bet that was on the cards.
On Tuesday I had language class, and then I ate the biggest and best (and most expensive, at 5 Euro!) salad I could create. Thanks, Mensa, you saved my starving self yet again. S came home from Scotland with a gift of Twinings Lady Grey tea for me, so I was one very very happy person. That night I went to the Eurobiz office at 10 because everyone was predrinking there before Markandu. I took one bottle of beer, more for the sake of not having to explain why I wasn't partying than for any actual drinking. I wasn't really feeling up to it, but it was nice to go for the sake of being sociable. When everyone caught the bus at midnight I decided it was well and truly time to head home - the cold air was hell on my lungs, so I developed a nice cough. Charming, I know. K was nice enough to walk me home before heading into the city himself. I was pleased to be able to crawl into my bed.
On Wednesday was class - S gave me a patterned cotton scarf, which was really sweet of her. I think it was because I'd been sick for a week. I felt a bit embarassed, though - I'm not good with things like that. I met F for lunch in the Mensa. It was lovely to catch up - I hadn't seen her since our chance meeting at the train station. So we caught up, and had coffee afterwards, and wandered home. We walked to her house, which is a bit out of my way on the walk 'home' so I went to Netto in the city and got a couple of things. K came over for dinner and I'd made the browned flour stew that mum's Granny Jane used to make. Or, rather, my own version of said stew. It was delicious, and S ate with us too, which was nice. K and I were both really tired, so after dinner we just lay on my bed for a while, watching movies... and fell asleep. You know you're tired when you fall asleep in your jeans! I woke up at about 11pm and got changed into pjs and went back to sleep. K left at about 4am (he can't sleep for long because of his back, and I'm surprised he could sleep for that long in jeans!) and I felt bad that he wasn't feeling good, but he assured me that he was fine once he got home and had his painkillers. So it's not like I was depriving him of sleep.
On Thursday I had the language class, of course. K had said for me to message him if I needed to see a doctor, but I was feeling a little better, so I didn't... which was unwise, because I started feeling wrecked again by the end of the class. I was glad to go home, really. Caught the bus to the city from uni after having a walk around the sport centre. I went to Backfactory for a snack and then to Netto for a few items. I had a few hours at home and ate some bread. I've been eating heaps of bread rolls lately, they're delicious! And lots of white rice too, so my stomach is settling down a little. There's a lot to be said for soluble fibre first when you have an empty stomach! Less growling, that's for sure. Anyway, I went to yoga class that evening from 5:30 to 7pm. It was good - slow and stretching. I felt like a bit of a tard for not knowing what the instructor was saying, but it'll be good for my German.
I had a missed call from K while I was in class. It was nice to be thought of - I think I needed the social contact after feeling somewhat isolated in a room full of women and yoga mats. He'd had a bad day at work, so we talked while I was on the bus home (yep, buses again! It's becoming a pattern...) and then made plans for me to go over to his house for dinner at 8:30. He likes to eat much later than I do, but it worked out ok because I didn't want to eat before yoga, so I was starving. We made That yellow curry, which was pretty tasty, and I headed home about 11pm. I was already exhausted, and was tired of sniffling all day - I knew it was time to get some sleep. So I came home, and went to bed.
This morning I didn't get up at 7am like I should have; I wasn't feeling too good. Albeit better than the other morning when I felt like I was going to throw up, but still not good enough to drag myself into the shower. (For the record, the shower works wonders when you feel like you're going to throw up. It works wonders for most sickness, physical or emotional, actually!) So I slept until 9am, planning to go to class at 11am, after the break. I sms'd K at 9am, asking him if he could take me to the doctor, which he'd been threatening to do all week. He called me straight away, and said he was about to go to work and would make an appointment for me for sometime in the afternoon. So I went to the language class, where I discovered that I'd been missing important information about Modal verbs, and just generally felt stupid. I couldn't even understand what the teacher was saying. It was a relief to leave - K had messaged me to say he could only get an appointment for 12:30, so I left the class just after 12 to meet him at quarter past.
So, walking to the Doctor, I discovered that in Germany, one needs one's health insurance documents. Christ. Definitely not like the electronic system in Australia! So we went there, and K sweet-talked the ladies at reception (ok, slight exaggeration, but he talked to them in German on my behalf) and they said they'd still fit me in that day if I got my health insurance papers and got back there before 1pm. That left me half an hour to catch the bus home, get my papers, and walk back to the surgery. I was in a panic the entire time, in retrospect. I definitely didn't want to have wasted K's time, or have to wait until Monday to see a doctor. So I made it there just before one, met K again, and he helped me fill out the necessary form. I was weighed and had my height measured by a nurse, who then took my blood pressure - she asked K later if I was nervous about being there because my pulse was racing. I had him explain that I'd just walked there... half-run there was more accurate, but hey, such is life.
So, that's when I really began to waste poor K's time, because I had to wait for an hour to be seen by a doctor. Both of us had hungry, growling stomachs. Anyway, when I got in there, the Doctor spoke English and was a lovely old man, whose name I don't think I ever learned. I explained how I'd been feeling like death, and that my sinuses and throat were giving me grief, and got the usual 'open your mouth and say "aah"', stethoscope on the lungs, and "oh yes, your throat is rather swollen" treatment. I also had a blood test, which was a pin prick on the finger (I explained that I was extremely bad with needles) and it was a bit embarassing that I was such a wuss about it. Either way, I didn't pass out, so that's promising. The results only took a few minutes to come back and I found out that I had a bacterial infection and got a script for some antibiotics. K took me to the pharmacy and explained how the health care system works - you send them the bill for the doctor and they'll pay for that and most prescriptions. Winner. So I was 25 Euro out of pocket in the pharmacy, but I'll get it back.
After that, K went back to work and I went to the library to meet M, who is from the Czech Republic and wanted me to look over a document she'd written in English. It was actually a cover letter about a conference being hosted, and I was pleased to be able to help. She had brought me an apple as well (she was eating one too!) which was absolutely brilliant because I was starved. I should make a sign: will work for food! I was really glad to be of some use, and she was absolutely lovely, plus the project she was working on was a good idea. So I just edited the letter with her, and then caught the bus home.
Back here, I ate the leftover stew and bread rolls that I had, and I was thinking about going to the supermarket for some bread and vegetables... but I'm not sure now. It can wait until tomorrow. I should be going to Pilates tonight but I'm feeling tired and I think I can afford to just give myself a night off... which is what I plan on doing for the next couple of nights, actually. This weekend is just for recovering. There's a couple of things I'd like to do on Saturday night but we'll see whether that works... maybe just no drinking. I don't think antibiotics and alcohol are a clever mix, somehow! The doctor said I should drink lots of tea and definitely no cold water. So I think tonight I'll try out the green tea that I bought at the supermarket the other day.
I think I should do something for K to show my appreciation for all his patience today, because I realise how it was a total pain in the ass for him. But the problem is that I don't know what; if it were one of my close friends at home, I'd know exactly what to do to show my appreciation. But here, with people that I'm still getting to know, it's more difficult. I don't know, I'll think about it. In the meantime, it's time for some green tea.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
It's cold, and I have a cold.
So, to pick up where I left off... I got my chores done here (ok, I didn't wash any clothes, but I'll do that tomorrow) and ate dinner. Went over to K's house at about 7pm and we hung out for a bit before eventually driving to his parents' house. We stopped at the Kaiser Wilhelm monument along the way, and I got some awesome photos in the darkness. It was absolutely freezing, so we didn't stay long, but we thought it was nice that there was some kind of small Easter choir group singing at the top. I'll post photos when I remember to upload them.
I don't know what time we got to his parents' house... which is somewhere near Minden and Petershagen, for the record. It's nice little farms and green, lush pastures. I saw the home of Melitta coffee. The parents were away caravaning (apparently a very popular pastime in Germany) which explains why K had the car. We lazed about for the evening, didn't get around to the fruit we said we'd eat (we agree on how awesome fruit is, even though we seem to have very different ideas about optimal nutrition), and actually, I slept pretty well, even though usually I sleep awfully in strange beds.
The next morning was really lazy. Went downstairs for a late breakfast, joined by his sister (and the dog, who was hoping for snacks). She was more shy about her English than she needed to be, but she was really nice, so breakfast was pretty relaxed. It was the typical German breakfast that I know about but never eat myself; rolls with meat and cheese, and boiled eggs. Score one for the parents' kaffeemaschine; awesome crema. Bread and jam wasn't that filling, though.
After breakfast K and I went for a drive around the area. We drove around the farms, smelled the fresh air and enjoyed watery rays of sunshine. At one point we stopped just to hear the peace and quiet; the only noises were leaves rustling in the breeze and birds singing. It was really nice, so tranquil, and I can see why it would have been a nice place to grow up. We looked around Minden and Petershagen, K had an icecream, and I got excited about Spring flowers. I saw the place where K did his civil service, and realised he was telling the truth about feeding large birds. (He tried to convince me the other day that a volcano we saw a picture of was in Germany, so you can see why I know better than to trust him entirely!) I discovered that BackFactory is a vicious chain, but I'm not sure if that will stop me from snacking there occasionally. And there is another Butlers! The one in Pb has served me so well. We were lucky with the weather; it only rained while we were in the car, not while we were walking.
It was a really nice, lazy day. We went back to the house in the afternoon. We did later discover that we didn't have much time for dinner; I was starving. So we made food, and ate quickly, and were ready for the 7pm train. K took supplies from his parents' freezer (as every sneaky child does!) and his sister drove us to the Bahnhof. I travelled for free for the first time, courtesy of my semesterticket. We changed trains once, and saw Easter fires from the windows. My only regret is that we had to leave too early to attend an Easter bonfire; it sounds like a tradition that meets with my approval. I was really tired by the time we got back to Pb, and walked home safely under my umbrella, because the weather had finally turned on me.
On Monday (the reason why we had to be back in Pb on Sunday night) I attended the Eurobiz day trip to Detmold. At 9am (ouch, so early!) we met at the Hauptbahnhof and caught the train to Detmold, then split into English and German groups. I think you can guess which one I was in. We saw the Schloss, and had a tour around the rooms that are open to tourists. Very pretty; I wouldn't mind living there, that's for sure! Again, photos to follow. We then caught a bus to the Hermannsdenkmal; a monument built where the Germans fended off the Roman Empire. Very cool monument; the stairs up were treacherous, though. And it was freezing cold and windy up the top.
We took another bus, this time to a natural (?) rock formation, which I've completely forgotten the name of. The treachery of the stairs up definitely made the Hermannsdenkmal look meagre in comparison. Again, it was cold and windy, but this time my true feelings towards heights made me a little uneasy. Oh well. Anyway, we were tired by then, and opted to catch the train straight back to Pb. So we got back at about 4pm; I saw F as I was leaving the station, because she had been visiting her parents over Easter. We walked together as far as we could, exchanging juicy details and discussing our present situations. She invited me to a party at her apartment tonight, but I'm feeling under the weather at the moment, so I haven't attended. I'm a bit sad about it, but I think sleep is a safer option.
So, this morning was back to Uni after the long weekend. And really, it was a good weekend; I was worried that I'd be bored and lonely, but K definitely came to my rescue. I really do owe him the dinner that I said I'd make tomorrow; better make something impressive. The Deutschkurs was pretty good, and afterwards I went via the Rewe to buy some fruit and a toothbrush; I left mine at K's parents' house. Home again, still with the sore foot that has been plaguing me, and had lunch. I was feeling really tired and was sick of sniffling and sneezing, so I napped for a few hours. Got up and made spicy pasta salad for dinner, plus enough leftover for another two meals. Now it's back to bed; I should just try to sleep off this cold. If it is even a cold; hopefully it's just a sniffle and I'll be fine tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Pictures coming soon.
I don't know what time we got to his parents' house... which is somewhere near Minden and Petershagen, for the record. It's nice little farms and green, lush pastures. I saw the home of Melitta coffee. The parents were away caravaning (apparently a very popular pastime in Germany) which explains why K had the car. We lazed about for the evening, didn't get around to the fruit we said we'd eat (we agree on how awesome fruit is, even though we seem to have very different ideas about optimal nutrition), and actually, I slept pretty well, even though usually I sleep awfully in strange beds.
The next morning was really lazy. Went downstairs for a late breakfast, joined by his sister (and the dog, who was hoping for snacks). She was more shy about her English than she needed to be, but she was really nice, so breakfast was pretty relaxed. It was the typical German breakfast that I know about but never eat myself; rolls with meat and cheese, and boiled eggs. Score one for the parents' kaffeemaschine; awesome crema. Bread and jam wasn't that filling, though.
After breakfast K and I went for a drive around the area. We drove around the farms, smelled the fresh air and enjoyed watery rays of sunshine. At one point we stopped just to hear the peace and quiet; the only noises were leaves rustling in the breeze and birds singing. It was really nice, so tranquil, and I can see why it would have been a nice place to grow up. We looked around Minden and Petershagen, K had an icecream, and I got excited about Spring flowers. I saw the place where K did his civil service, and realised he was telling the truth about feeding large birds. (He tried to convince me the other day that a volcano we saw a picture of was in Germany, so you can see why I know better than to trust him entirely!) I discovered that BackFactory is a vicious chain, but I'm not sure if that will stop me from snacking there occasionally. And there is another Butlers! The one in Pb has served me so well. We were lucky with the weather; it only rained while we were in the car, not while we were walking.
It was a really nice, lazy day. We went back to the house in the afternoon. We did later discover that we didn't have much time for dinner; I was starving. So we made food, and ate quickly, and were ready for the 7pm train. K took supplies from his parents' freezer (as every sneaky child does!) and his sister drove us to the Bahnhof. I travelled for free for the first time, courtesy of my semesterticket. We changed trains once, and saw Easter fires from the windows. My only regret is that we had to leave too early to attend an Easter bonfire; it sounds like a tradition that meets with my approval. I was really tired by the time we got back to Pb, and walked home safely under my umbrella, because the weather had finally turned on me.
On Monday (the reason why we had to be back in Pb on Sunday night) I attended the Eurobiz day trip to Detmold. At 9am (ouch, so early!) we met at the Hauptbahnhof and caught the train to Detmold, then split into English and German groups. I think you can guess which one I was in. We saw the Schloss, and had a tour around the rooms that are open to tourists. Very pretty; I wouldn't mind living there, that's for sure! Again, photos to follow. We then caught a bus to the Hermannsdenkmal; a monument built where the Germans fended off the Roman Empire. Very cool monument; the stairs up were treacherous, though. And it was freezing cold and windy up the top.
We took another bus, this time to a natural (?) rock formation, which I've completely forgotten the name of. The treachery of the stairs up definitely made the Hermannsdenkmal look meagre in comparison. Again, it was cold and windy, but this time my true feelings towards heights made me a little uneasy. Oh well. Anyway, we were tired by then, and opted to catch the train straight back to Pb. So we got back at about 4pm; I saw F as I was leaving the station, because she had been visiting her parents over Easter. We walked together as far as we could, exchanging juicy details and discussing our present situations. She invited me to a party at her apartment tonight, but I'm feeling under the weather at the moment, so I haven't attended. I'm a bit sad about it, but I think sleep is a safer option.
So, this morning was back to Uni after the long weekend. And really, it was a good weekend; I was worried that I'd be bored and lonely, but K definitely came to my rescue. I really do owe him the dinner that I said I'd make tomorrow; better make something impressive. The Deutschkurs was pretty good, and afterwards I went via the Rewe to buy some fruit and a toothbrush; I left mine at K's parents' house. Home again, still with the sore foot that has been plaguing me, and had lunch. I was feeling really tired and was sick of sniffling and sneezing, so I napped for a few hours. Got up and made spicy pasta salad for dinner, plus enough leftover for another two meals. Now it's back to bed; I should just try to sleep off this cold. If it is even a cold; hopefully it's just a sniffle and I'll be fine tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Pictures coming soon.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Easter Saturday
So, I've been here for four whole weeks now. It honestly doesn't feel like that long, but I guess I'm settling into the routine of things now. I meant to write earlier, but of course, things never work out quite like that. I'll blame my sore foot: it makes me move more slowly, therefore it takes me longer to get home, which means that I have less time to write. Sure.
So, to pick up where I left off, last Friday: I didn't end up going out. I was much too tired and I honestly couldn't be bothered. I'm not sure what I did on Saturday during the day, but in the evening I went to a party at G's house... was really tired, though, and everyone came really late, so I left not too long after the bulk of people arrived. T had invited me to drinks at his house, but I was lazy and didn't want to drink more, so I used that as a convenient excuse to bail and then walked home. I'm still walking everywhere, even though my foot hurts. It'll either get better or get worse, so I'll just wait and see.
On Sunday, I did exciting things like laundry... of course. Sunday night I went over to K's house, because he had a friend from out of town visiting - she was really lovely. The problem was that we stayed for a while too long. In fact, a while extended itself to 7am. Too much talking! I'm still surprised that I dutifully got up after 2 hours sleep, and went to the orientation for the language class. It was pretty difficult to stay awake for the day... and it was a really long day. But we got free lunch, and I finally paid for the course (after a really, really long wait in line in the International Office) and was pleased to finally go home. Needless to say, I had an early night.
Tuesday was my day off; no uni activities because classes started on Wednesday. So, I went with F and H to Ikea. We had an awesome time; I spent 100 Euro on stuff for my room, which is fine by me because my room is starting to look really awesome. I just need to hang my curtains and put things up on my walls, and everything will be great. H found a shopping list in a display kitchen and wrote "3kg Peniswurst" on it, and replaced it in its original position. I cried because I laughed so hard. We had snacks and it was an awesome trip, and I was pleased that F accepted some petrol money, because I know she's a poor student too! I still owe her dinner. And she helped me carry all my things inside, which was nice, too. Tuesday night I chose not to go out with all the Int students, and slept instead. Wise decision.
Wednesday was my first language class. It went really well, and the teacher, H (another H!) is really lovely. She knows M too, from when she taught him in German classes many years ago, and gave me her number and said I should come over for dinner sometime. So friendly! I was a little overwhelmed. Either way, class was great. I met F and H and Fr for lunch, and we ate at the Mensa before getting coffee at the pub and sitting outside in the sunshine for a while. It was a nice afternoon. I went to the Int Office and finally got my student ID and my Semesterticket, so now I have free transport within the state. Pretty exciting! That night I went to Marktkauf and stocked up on food for the weekend (Easter - everything is closed!) and bought white asparagus, which was definitely a highlight. I ate sauteed asparagus and french beans for dinner, just a massive bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Delicious!
Thursday was language class again - F bailed on lunch, but I didn't mind eating alone, for the peace and quiet. The Mensa food was awful, though, so I made plans for a healthy dinner. S gave me a little lindt bunny for Easter, which was sweet, even if it's milk chocolate. I went to the Visa office and finally got my residence permit, which was good. M came over for dinner; we ate polenta with Moroccan-style veg (cumin and tomato-based sauce), asparagus and beans, and fried eggplant as well. Pretty delicious! We also had dessert; I'd done the custard-layered dessert using chocolate custard, raspberries and biscuit base. We finished it off, so it was definitely delicious. We sat around talking until midnight, by which time I was yawning, and then I went to bed. It was nice to hang out again; I wasn't sure if I'd hear from him, but was pleased to, anyway.
Yesterday was Good Friday, which of course meant that everything was closed. I was woken by a call from K at 8:30am (I'd like to note that he went back to sleep, but I was too awake and got up when we got off the phone at 9) - bright and early! Neither of us knew where we wanted to drive to, in that he has his parents' car for the weekend, and decided we'd have some lunch and make up our minds later. I filled the morning with baking; made the cookies that J gave me the recipe for, albeit with many substitutions, but they were amazing. So I went over to K's apartment at one, and had lunch made for me, which was awesome. We spent the afternoon lazing, and didn't quite get around to our day trip... but that was ok. We didn't realise how late it was, and ate leftovers from lunch for our dinner, then hurried off (via the uni to pick up E) to the BBQ at Benhauser.
Hung around for a few hours at the BBQ, chatting to people and freezing when the bonfire settled down... played guitar in the basement for a few minutes, which was good. I miss guitar. I shared the cookies with people, and everyone loved them. Managed to offend C by telling him honestly how much he offended me sometimes. I can't be bothered dealing with the consequences. T said they have some broken bikes, so I could take one and get it fixed... awesome idea. K dropped me home and I ate another four bikkies and had a cup of tea before bed. I needed the comfort and warmth.
Today, I got out of bed at 10 (I woke at 8 but went back to sleep) and now, two hours later, still haven't eaten breakfast. I'm going to go to the supermarket later, and get some more veg. And I'm going to wash my sheets today, and put on the new green ones that I bought at Ikea. K called. We're going for our drive tonight; he's going to transport a load of stuff to his parents' house for storage, and I think we'll stay there for the night, because it'll be too late to come back. Plus then we can see the countryside a bit the next day. So I'd better get moving, eat something, and do my laundry before I go to the Marktkauf. :)
So, to pick up where I left off, last Friday: I didn't end up going out. I was much too tired and I honestly couldn't be bothered. I'm not sure what I did on Saturday during the day, but in the evening I went to a party at G's house... was really tired, though, and everyone came really late, so I left not too long after the bulk of people arrived. T had invited me to drinks at his house, but I was lazy and didn't want to drink more, so I used that as a convenient excuse to bail and then walked home. I'm still walking everywhere, even though my foot hurts. It'll either get better or get worse, so I'll just wait and see.
On Sunday, I did exciting things like laundry... of course. Sunday night I went over to K's house, because he had a friend from out of town visiting - she was really lovely. The problem was that we stayed for a while too long. In fact, a while extended itself to 7am. Too much talking! I'm still surprised that I dutifully got up after 2 hours sleep, and went to the orientation for the language class. It was pretty difficult to stay awake for the day... and it was a really long day. But we got free lunch, and I finally paid for the course (after a really, really long wait in line in the International Office) and was pleased to finally go home. Needless to say, I had an early night.
Tuesday was my day off; no uni activities because classes started on Wednesday. So, I went with F and H to Ikea. We had an awesome time; I spent 100 Euro on stuff for my room, which is fine by me because my room is starting to look really awesome. I just need to hang my curtains and put things up on my walls, and everything will be great. H found a shopping list in a display kitchen and wrote "3kg Peniswurst" on it, and replaced it in its original position. I cried because I laughed so hard. We had snacks and it was an awesome trip, and I was pleased that F accepted some petrol money, because I know she's a poor student too! I still owe her dinner. And she helped me carry all my things inside, which was nice, too. Tuesday night I chose not to go out with all the Int students, and slept instead. Wise decision.
Wednesday was my first language class. It went really well, and the teacher, H (another H!) is really lovely. She knows M too, from when she taught him in German classes many years ago, and gave me her number and said I should come over for dinner sometime. So friendly! I was a little overwhelmed. Either way, class was great. I met F and H and Fr for lunch, and we ate at the Mensa before getting coffee at the pub and sitting outside in the sunshine for a while. It was a nice afternoon. I went to the Int Office and finally got my student ID and my Semesterticket, so now I have free transport within the state. Pretty exciting! That night I went to Marktkauf and stocked up on food for the weekend (Easter - everything is closed!) and bought white asparagus, which was definitely a highlight. I ate sauteed asparagus and french beans for dinner, just a massive bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Delicious!
Thursday was language class again - F bailed on lunch, but I didn't mind eating alone, for the peace and quiet. The Mensa food was awful, though, so I made plans for a healthy dinner. S gave me a little lindt bunny for Easter, which was sweet, even if it's milk chocolate. I went to the Visa office and finally got my residence permit, which was good. M came over for dinner; we ate polenta with Moroccan-style veg (cumin and tomato-based sauce), asparagus and beans, and fried eggplant as well. Pretty delicious! We also had dessert; I'd done the custard-layered dessert using chocolate custard, raspberries and biscuit base. We finished it off, so it was definitely delicious. We sat around talking until midnight, by which time I was yawning, and then I went to bed. It was nice to hang out again; I wasn't sure if I'd hear from him, but was pleased to, anyway.
Yesterday was Good Friday, which of course meant that everything was closed. I was woken by a call from K at 8:30am (I'd like to note that he went back to sleep, but I was too awake and got up when we got off the phone at 9) - bright and early! Neither of us knew where we wanted to drive to, in that he has his parents' car for the weekend, and decided we'd have some lunch and make up our minds later. I filled the morning with baking; made the cookies that J gave me the recipe for, albeit with many substitutions, but they were amazing. So I went over to K's apartment at one, and had lunch made for me, which was awesome. We spent the afternoon lazing, and didn't quite get around to our day trip... but that was ok. We didn't realise how late it was, and ate leftovers from lunch for our dinner, then hurried off (via the uni to pick up E) to the BBQ at Benhauser.
Hung around for a few hours at the BBQ, chatting to people and freezing when the bonfire settled down... played guitar in the basement for a few minutes, which was good. I miss guitar. I shared the cookies with people, and everyone loved them. Managed to offend C by telling him honestly how much he offended me sometimes. I can't be bothered dealing with the consequences. T said they have some broken bikes, so I could take one and get it fixed... awesome idea. K dropped me home and I ate another four bikkies and had a cup of tea before bed. I needed the comfort and warmth.
Today, I got out of bed at 10 (I woke at 8 but went back to sleep) and now, two hours later, still haven't eaten breakfast. I'm going to go to the supermarket later, and get some more veg. And I'm going to wash my sheets today, and put on the new green ones that I bought at Ikea. K called. We're going for our drive tonight; he's going to transport a load of stuff to his parents' house for storage, and I think we'll stay there for the night, because it'll be too late to come back. Plus then we can see the countryside a bit the next day. So I'd better get moving, eat something, and do my laundry before I go to the Marktkauf. :)
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