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| A good start to my first day in Germany |
1. Trams are a great invention. Buses, not so much.
2. German bureaucracy is almost the same as the American kind.
3. My sense of direction is not self-callibrating.
4. Snow is much better when fully caffeinated.
I spent my first weekend in Germany roaming around Duesseldorf with Lisa. We spent a few very caffeinated days roaming through the various parts of the city, visiting the old castle and gardens, the promenade, the old city, many cafes and saw the Bryan Adams photo exhibit. It was interesting to see how the old city went from quiet during the day to crowded in the evening. Also, apparently a lot of older people stay out in the old city with the young'uns. Or it was just because I was there and needed to make sure my creepy-people-meter was still working. It's odd getting ID'ed to enter a club then getting asked to dance by a man resembling Elmer Fudd....none the less is was still enjoyable.
On Monday I hopped a few trains and made it into Giessen. This lead to 3 problems. 1. The university is all over the city so there are no signs clearly stating where to go, especially not on the bus route signs. 2. I don't know how to work the bus system. 3. I only had until 3: 00 to move into my room and I arrived a little before 1. This is why I love trams. They go in circles. Buses involve numbers and finding the right ones that link to get to the right place. A few frantic calls and a taxi ride later and all was resolved. I did get moved in on time and was given a laundry list of things to get done to fully register.
Hence bureaucracy. Visa, bank account, student ID, insurance, register address. They all need to be done and in just the right order. Also I was told this all had to be done right away. The very nice lady at the secretary of students office told me I couldn't do much until April and to go home and relax and sleep. Wonderful angel of a woman.
Most of you probably know my sense of direction already leaves a lot to be desired. Well in a foreign country it is that much worse. I've spend a good bit of the last 3 days lost in the city or roaming around, pretending to not be lost. I think I have it figured out now...I think. If little kids can roam around and get on the bus by themselves, I can do it too. Just make sure I have my coffee.
And lastly, I seem to have brought the snow with me. They seem to be a little lax on the salting and plowing part of dealing with snow over here. It is rather nice to watch from your window and you enjoy your first cup of coffee at 2pm and when it's not hitting you in the face with pelting force.
On a good note, I did most of my bureaucratic discussions in German. I left thinking I would have a lot of work to do with my speaking and I am happy to say I no longer think that. It also surprises many of the locals when I say I've been learning the language for 9 years and came here to learn more. So I leave this post with a ticket to Vienna in my bag and more confidence in being able to get by.
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| View from my flat. |
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| Same view 24 hours later. |
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| Castle in Duesseldorf |
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| Bacon Pancake. Yes, it's a thing. |
