So this past weekend there was a big festival in Wittenberg to celebrate the marriage of Martin Luther (sort of an important guy here) to Katharina von Bora. The streets of Wittenberg were packed with tourists and kiosks selling food, alcohol, and souvenirs. I would compare it to a prettier, cheaper, and yummier version of Musikfest.
The group of us went each of the three days, each day sampling new foods and other refreshments. It was quite an interesting experience, even if we still managed to spend most of our time at our usual hang out, the Independent, which is right across from our university.
Every day there was a parade of people in medieval costumes with weapons and instruments that also matched the time period. I only watched one of the parades and the other days we typically sat in the courtyard of the Leucorea and waited for it to end while we indulged on the food vendors in that area. There were also many concerts every day at different locations spanning the length of the old town, which takes forever to navigate when it's full of people.
Perhaps one of the most memorable experiences was going to try to find hot mead. Whose awesome idea was this? Eric's of course. The only place we could find selling it was at the field next to the Schloßkirche, and we started our adventure from Independent, which may mean nothing to the average reader, but that means we went from one side of the festival all the way to the end of the other. Without people it would take, maybe, 7-10 minutes. With people? at least 20. The most frustrating part is that once we found it, it was terrible. Absolutely disgusting. Worse than normal mead by far.
Other than that, the weekend was an ultimate success. I broke my record for most beers in 1 day (previously it had been 2, now it is 4, 3 of which were within and hour of each other. I have never had to go to the bathroom more often in my life). I had something else, but now I forget... hmm. If I think of it, I will randomly add it in.
I will try to list all of the food I had... Let's do this:
- Quarkbällchen
- Nutella Crêpe
- Thüringer Roster
- Rauchwurst
- Schokoknäpplchen (??? I forget the name, but I know it started in 'Schoko' and ended in 'lchen')
- This bread with ham and cheese baked in the middle. (So frickin' good.)
I guess that is all... it felt like a lot more... I know I sampled other people's things (z.B: Knobibrot). There was a lot of food, and it all was good. I also had Honigbier (honey beer), which was pretty good. It is Pils mixed with mead.
Anyway, I guess that is all for Luthers Hochzeit. OH I also saw kids from the other USC group there. They are taking part in a program called Checkpoint Charlie. I was walking out from school on Friday and heard someone call my name, which (obviously) shocked me. It turned out to be two kids I have had German class with before who were in town for the festival. What are the chances?
On a more recent note: today the girls didn't show up for Phonetik, so afternoon class was canceled. It was so great. I also presented my song today ('Dieses Leben' by Juli), and it went pretty well, though it was awkward just sitting in the front of the class in silence for over 4 minutes while the song played and Christoph jammed in the seat I usually occupy. I really hate public speaking of any sort, but I appreciated the fact that my classmates seemed intent on making me laugh. It made me feel less awkwalk (I don't really use this term, I promise. A kid from out program used it. We all acknowledge that it is the stupidest term of all time).
Yes well... 'Tis all!
Ciao!
Holland
20.6.11
15.6.11
Every Day Life in Wittenberg
So I figure I have been here a week and the time has come to write a blog entry dedicated to life in Wittenberg/my experiences at school.
I live really close to the city center about 10-15 minutes away from the Leucorea (our University) by walking. Another girl from my program, named Maggie, also lives in the same apartment, and we each have our own bedrooms, which is nice. Really, our biggest problem so far was the last of wifi in the house, but we bought internet-sticks from Vodafone and now have internet at home.
Our host family (a woman and her boyfriend) are all right. They are different than anyone else I have stayed with before, and she is definitely quirky, but now that we have the internet, there is an escape for the constant need to find something to occupy ourselves with. Honestly, if Maggie hadn't also been here, I would have been very unhappy, so I am really grateful for her. We don't spend much time at home anyway because school keeps us busy. We leave home around 8:45 and have school all day until (usually) around 3 PM. Afterwards there are often other activities or we students go to one of the nearby bars/cafés and just hang out for a while before heading home for dinner.
For school we have a big project that is due on the last day that I am really not looking forward to. It is a powerpoint presentation and it has to be 10-15 minutes long auf deutsch. Usually anything auf deutsch is no big deal, but I speak for quickly, that I will need, like, 20+ minutes of material for your average person. Oh well. I know my topic already, so I am not too overwhelmed. I am going to do a survey on technology usage/reliance in Germany vs in America and poll people as to how often they use internet/are on facebook/watch TV etc.
Anyway... School itself is really easy and basically just a review of things I have known for years. It gets boring at times, but my fellow students are funny and nice, so I am satisfied. Plus I get to practice speaking a lot more, and I definitely find myself more willing to answer someone auf deutsch without over-thinking, which I tend to do. Also, our teacher is also a pretty chill dude (did I just say that?). He puts up with all of our silliness, even if he doesn't understand it all, which is nice, I suppose.
Wittenberg itself is a really nice place. The Altstadt is very beautiful and went untouched during WWII (I think), so a lot of the buildings are originals. There aren't a lot of people, so I see a lot of the same faces everyday, but I like it. All it is missing is an H&M, but according to the one tour guide, they are getting one next year, to which I say it's about time.
This weekend is the Luthers Hochzeitsfest (Luther's Wedding Festival) to celebrate Martin Luther's marriage to a nun. Apparently well over 100,000 people show up, so it will be interesting to see Wittenberg full of people all dressed in clothing from the middle ages. I anticipate taking many pictures.
Cori and I are also thinking of attending a church service in the church (die Stadtkirche) where Luther used to preach. I am not religious at all, but the church is so beautiful, and we think it would be cool to say that we went to church where Martin Luther used to preach regularly. Even if not to attend church, I will definitely go back to take pictures.
Yes well, I need to go get ready to go out tonight!
Tschüß!
Holland
I live really close to the city center about 10-15 minutes away from the Leucorea (our University) by walking. Another girl from my program, named Maggie, also lives in the same apartment, and we each have our own bedrooms, which is nice. Really, our biggest problem so far was the last of wifi in the house, but we bought internet-sticks from Vodafone and now have internet at home.
Our host family (a woman and her boyfriend) are all right. They are different than anyone else I have stayed with before, and she is definitely quirky, but now that we have the internet, there is an escape for the constant need to find something to occupy ourselves with. Honestly, if Maggie hadn't also been here, I would have been very unhappy, so I am really grateful for her. We don't spend much time at home anyway because school keeps us busy. We leave home around 8:45 and have school all day until (usually) around 3 PM. Afterwards there are often other activities or we students go to one of the nearby bars/cafés and just hang out for a while before heading home for dinner.
For school we have a big project that is due on the last day that I am really not looking forward to. It is a powerpoint presentation and it has to be 10-15 minutes long auf deutsch. Usually anything auf deutsch is no big deal, but I speak for quickly, that I will need, like, 20+ minutes of material for your average person. Oh well. I know my topic already, so I am not too overwhelmed. I am going to do a survey on technology usage/reliance in Germany vs in America and poll people as to how often they use internet/are on facebook/watch TV etc.
Anyway... School itself is really easy and basically just a review of things I have known for years. It gets boring at times, but my fellow students are funny and nice, so I am satisfied. Plus I get to practice speaking a lot more, and I definitely find myself more willing to answer someone auf deutsch without over-thinking, which I tend to do. Also, our teacher is also a pretty chill dude (did I just say that?). He puts up with all of our silliness, even if he doesn't understand it all, which is nice, I suppose.
Wittenberg itself is a really nice place. The Altstadt is very beautiful and went untouched during WWII (I think), so a lot of the buildings are originals. There aren't a lot of people, so I see a lot of the same faces everyday, but I like it. All it is missing is an H&M, but according to the one tour guide, they are getting one next year, to which I say it's about time.
This weekend is the Luthers Hochzeitsfest (Luther's Wedding Festival) to celebrate Martin Luther's marriage to a nun. Apparently well over 100,000 people show up, so it will be interesting to see Wittenberg full of people all dressed in clothing from the middle ages. I anticipate taking many pictures.
Cori and I are also thinking of attending a church service in the church (die Stadtkirche) where Luther used to preach. I am not religious at all, but the church is so beautiful, and we think it would be cool to say that we went to church where Martin Luther used to preach regularly. Even if not to attend church, I will definitely go back to take pictures.
Yes well, I need to go get ready to go out tonight!
Tschüß!
Holland
14.6.11
Prague...
Words cannot properly describe this past weekend in Prague, but I will try my best.
Honestly it was one of the funniest and most memorable weekends I will ever have, I am sure of it. We all agree it will be hard to top when we go on our next adventure. Just like with any story, let's start from the beginning:
11. June 2011 (MEIN GEBURTSTAG!)
So we started the day leaving from Wittenberg to go to Leipzig, as was planned by our school program. That all went without a problem, minus the fact that Kyle was only a few minutes from missing our first train and dripping in sweat from this run to the station, but I digress. In Leipzig our teacher, Herr Wundke (but we just call him 'Christoph'. I will write another blog entry to talk about school, with more description of our teacher/overall program), led us around his home town. I had been in Leipzig last year, but I still got to see some new things, like the MDR tower and this one museum. It also was a day where a lot of people dressed in black, gothic outfits, which were entertaining. However, sadly we had to leave around 5 to catch our trains to Prague so we bid adieu to Leipzig and began making our way to Dresden for our connection.
Really everything here goes without a hitch. Yes, there were interesting conversations, but I cannot or rather should not put the contents of them on the internet. We take our trains and cross some bridges (an inside joke directed toward George and his misinterpreted love of bridges). In the train from Dresden to Prague we even had 2 whole compartments all to ourselves, which was awesome. Then we get into the Czech Republic...
The scenery on both sides of the border is absolutely breathtaking--it is hard to believe that people actually live there. We really were having a good feeling at the start of the trip, but then unser Reiseführer (Eric) led us astray. We just get in the Prague city limits and come to a train station called Holešovice and we get off at Eric's request. We notice something isn't right, but it is too late--the train is leaving. So here we are, in a sketchy Czech suburb. Eight Americans, none of whom speak Czech, looking to find our way to our Hostel in Lávdí. In Eric's defense, on the tickets it only gave the abbreviation HL for the station, and the name of the main train station, where we were supposed to get off is Hlavní nádraží, and both could be abbreviated HL.
Anyway we figure out that we are actually closer to our hostel than we would have been if we had gone to our real destination; however, we also now have to ride the subway, and to do so we need passes, which means we need Czech money, but in coin form. So we all go to the ATM, all the while being watched by a creepy guy wearing a wife beater and drinking beer. Then we go outside to these little food kiosks and buy stuff to get our money into coin form. Finally we all have enough crowns (100 each) to buy our tickets and make our way to Ládví.
So we arrive at the right place, and it is obvious that we are still lost. Luckily there was this really nice guy who offered to show us the way. Being the ever so personable person I am, I was the one talking to the guy, who about half way to the Hostel (which was actually really close to the Metro) asks 'So have you all heard of the American movie Hostel?'......... oh. Obviously he meant nothing by it, but we found it funny.
Once at the hostel we check in and go to our 8 bed dormitory. Then, because Kole and I were having birthdays, we decided we had to go out and get food and drinks, and by drinks I mean alcohol. So 6 of us go to the store and 2 stay back. On our way we try 3 different places, but by this time it is nearing 11 and everything is closing. However, we did see 2 wild hedgehogs. So freaking cute. Anyway, we learn that there is a Kaufland about 3/4 of a mile up the road that is open to midnight, so we head there.
After making sure the whole store knew who the loud and obnoxious Americans were, we eventually check out with a whole lot of food and drinks, which only ends up costing us about 872 crowns, or under $60. Who knew the Czech Republic was so cheap? We end up getting back to the room over and hour after we left and begin the festivities. I choose not to drink, but partake in the consumption of food. We went to bed at a relatively decent hour because we had big plans for the next day in Prague...
(This blog entry will be continued soon...)
15.06.11 - Continued...
So we got up early and our first plan was to go see this fountain that Eric had heard of. Considering who was leading, I'm sure you can figure out what happened--things did not go as planned.
We ended up having to go back to Holešovice to get to this "fountain". We get there without a problem, and up to this point the only complaint is that it is raining. However, from here we take a wrong turn, go for at least half a mile before realize our mistake, and then we had to go back and then continue on in the opposite direction. Eventually we get to the place where this fountain is supposed to be only to learn that it is actually more of a convention center, which was hosting a convention for tattoos at the time. oops. The only bright side is that the building itself was pretty.
Anyway, we then headed back to the metro station and continued on to the stop called 'Muzeum', from which you can access many of the main sights of Prague. For most of the rest of the day there are very few issues. We went the wrong direction a few times, but there was always something to see instead. Other than the fact that my feet were killing me, I had really no complaints.
After checking out the museum, the first major thing we did where we had to pay for access was the old Jewish quarter, where we went into a few synagogs and then the old cemetery. It was really quite beautiful, and I even got a permit to take pictures of the cemetery, and I am glad I did--it is a very unique place.
When we were done there, we went and sat at a park for a little while before getting lunch at a nearby café. Really there is about an hour period of time that is pretty boring before we take the tram up the hill to get to the castle.
The castle is so immense that it is impossible to describe, and arriving later in the day meant we were going to have to come back the next day to see everything we couldn't fit in the day before. The views of the city from the castle are amazing, and the Cathedral is by far the largest one I have visited (unless Strasbourg was bigger... I don't think so). I'm an not religious in the least, but the architecture and detail in such cathedrals always amaze me, and I love to see them. This one is particular was impressive, and I hope to go back.
Sadly the castle was beginning to close, so we left and went to the Charles Bridge. For those of you who don't know, it is a huge pedestrian only bridge spanning the Elbe River. It was very crowded and full of tourists and various street vendors/artists, but it was also very enjoyable and had amazing views of the city on both sides of the river.
Then, at Eric's recommendation again (notice a theme), we go to see Congress, which is outside the center of town... We expected a large and beautiful building, but when we arrived there was soviet-block style buildings with major corporation logos on top of them. While disappointed, it was also very funny. However, luckily there was also a church/fort complex nearby that we walked to. It was there that I ended up getting some pretty nice sunset pictures, so overall it was a success.
After that we went back to the hostel and had another in-room party. This time I actually drank a beer (all on my lonesome!). It was truly a hilarious night, especially since they had dared to buy some... stronger alcohols. While I didn't have any, it was funny to see their reactions to their first tastes of said beverages.
The next day we went back into the city since our train didn't leave till 2:30. A group of us went back to the castle to see the palaces that had been closed the day before. It was mostly an uneventful day, and once again we ended up not finding something Eric wanted to see (this time it was the astronomical clock).
Sadly the weekend had to end and we found ourselves back on a train to Germany much earlier than I would have liked. It was a very memorable experience, and I am sure I will looked back on it fondly for years to come.
On the bright side: We already have booked a hostel in Berlin for June 24-25! Hopefully it will be at least half as fun as Prague!
Das ist alles!
Holland
Honestly it was one of the funniest and most memorable weekends I will ever have, I am sure of it. We all agree it will be hard to top when we go on our next adventure. Just like with any story, let's start from the beginning:
11. June 2011 (MEIN GEBURTSTAG!)
So we started the day leaving from Wittenberg to go to Leipzig, as was planned by our school program. That all went without a problem, minus the fact that Kyle was only a few minutes from missing our first train and dripping in sweat from this run to the station, but I digress. In Leipzig our teacher, Herr Wundke (but we just call him 'Christoph'. I will write another blog entry to talk about school, with more description of our teacher/overall program), led us around his home town. I had been in Leipzig last year, but I still got to see some new things, like the MDR tower and this one museum. It also was a day where a lot of people dressed in black, gothic outfits, which were entertaining. However, sadly we had to leave around 5 to catch our trains to Prague so we bid adieu to Leipzig and began making our way to Dresden for our connection.
Really everything here goes without a hitch. Yes, there were interesting conversations, but I cannot or rather should not put the contents of them on the internet. We take our trains and cross some bridges (an inside joke directed toward George and his misinterpreted love of bridges). In the train from Dresden to Prague we even had 2 whole compartments all to ourselves, which was awesome. Then we get into the Czech Republic...
The scenery on both sides of the border is absolutely breathtaking--it is hard to believe that people actually live there. We really were having a good feeling at the start of the trip, but then unser Reiseführer (Eric) led us astray. We just get in the Prague city limits and come to a train station called Holešovice and we get off at Eric's request. We notice something isn't right, but it is too late--the train is leaving. So here we are, in a sketchy Czech suburb. Eight Americans, none of whom speak Czech, looking to find our way to our Hostel in Lávdí. In Eric's defense, on the tickets it only gave the abbreviation HL for the station, and the name of the main train station, where we were supposed to get off is Hlavní nádraží, and both could be abbreviated HL.
Anyway we figure out that we are actually closer to our hostel than we would have been if we had gone to our real destination; however, we also now have to ride the subway, and to do so we need passes, which means we need Czech money, but in coin form. So we all go to the ATM, all the while being watched by a creepy guy wearing a wife beater and drinking beer. Then we go outside to these little food kiosks and buy stuff to get our money into coin form. Finally we all have enough crowns (100 each) to buy our tickets and make our way to Ládví.
So we arrive at the right place, and it is obvious that we are still lost. Luckily there was this really nice guy who offered to show us the way. Being the ever so personable person I am, I was the one talking to the guy, who about half way to the Hostel (which was actually really close to the Metro) asks 'So have you all heard of the American movie Hostel?'......... oh. Obviously he meant nothing by it, but we found it funny.
Once at the hostel we check in and go to our 8 bed dormitory. Then, because Kole and I were having birthdays, we decided we had to go out and get food and drinks, and by drinks I mean alcohol. So 6 of us go to the store and 2 stay back. On our way we try 3 different places, but by this time it is nearing 11 and everything is closing. However, we did see 2 wild hedgehogs. So freaking cute. Anyway, we learn that there is a Kaufland about 3/4 of a mile up the road that is open to midnight, so we head there.After making sure the whole store knew who the loud and obnoxious Americans were, we eventually check out with a whole lot of food and drinks, which only ends up costing us about 872 crowns, or under $60. Who knew the Czech Republic was so cheap? We end up getting back to the room over and hour after we left and begin the festivities. I choose not to drink, but partake in the consumption of food. We went to bed at a relatively decent hour because we had big plans for the next day in Prague...
(This blog entry will be continued soon...)
15.06.11 - Continued...
So we got up early and our first plan was to go see this fountain that Eric had heard of. Considering who was leading, I'm sure you can figure out what happened--things did not go as planned.
We ended up having to go back to Holešovice to get to this "fountain". We get there without a problem, and up to this point the only complaint is that it is raining. However, from here we take a wrong turn, go for at least half a mile before realize our mistake, and then we had to go back and then continue on in the opposite direction. Eventually we get to the place where this fountain is supposed to be only to learn that it is actually more of a convention center, which was hosting a convention for tattoos at the time. oops. The only bright side is that the building itself was pretty.
Anyway, we then headed back to the metro station and continued on to the stop called 'Muzeum', from which you can access many of the main sights of Prague. For most of the rest of the day there are very few issues. We went the wrong direction a few times, but there was always something to see instead. Other than the fact that my feet were killing me, I had really no complaints.
After checking out the museum, the first major thing we did where we had to pay for access was the old Jewish quarter, where we went into a few synagogs and then the old cemetery. It was really quite beautiful, and I even got a permit to take pictures of the cemetery, and I am glad I did--it is a very unique place.
When we were done there, we went and sat at a park for a little while before getting lunch at a nearby café. Really there is about an hour period of time that is pretty boring before we take the tram up the hill to get to the castle.
The castle is so immense that it is impossible to describe, and arriving later in the day meant we were going to have to come back the next day to see everything we couldn't fit in the day before. The views of the city from the castle are amazing, and the Cathedral is by far the largest one I have visited (unless Strasbourg was bigger... I don't think so). I'm an not religious in the least, but the architecture and detail in such cathedrals always amaze me, and I love to see them. This one is particular was impressive, and I hope to go back.
Sadly the castle was beginning to close, so we left and went to the Charles Bridge. For those of you who don't know, it is a huge pedestrian only bridge spanning the Elbe River. It was very crowded and full of tourists and various street vendors/artists, but it was also very enjoyable and had amazing views of the city on both sides of the river.Then, at Eric's recommendation again (notice a theme), we go to see Congress, which is outside the center of town... We expected a large and beautiful building, but when we arrived there was soviet-block style buildings with major corporation logos on top of them. While disappointed, it was also very funny. However, luckily there was also a church/fort complex nearby that we walked to. It was there that I ended up getting some pretty nice sunset pictures, so overall it was a success.
After that we went back to the hostel and had another in-room party. This time I actually drank a beer (all on my lonesome!). It was truly a hilarious night, especially since they had dared to buy some... stronger alcohols. While I didn't have any, it was funny to see their reactions to their first tastes of said beverages.
The next day we went back into the city since our train didn't leave till 2:30. A group of us went back to the castle to see the palaces that had been closed the day before. It was mostly an uneventful day, and once again we ended up not finding something Eric wanted to see (this time it was the astronomical clock).
Sadly the weekend had to end and we found ourselves back on a train to Germany much earlier than I would have liked. It was a very memorable experience, and I am sure I will looked back on it fondly for years to come.
On the bright side: We already have booked a hostel in Berlin for June 24-25! Hopefully it will be at least half as fun as Prague!
Das ist alles!
Holland
10.6.11
oops.
So I didn't have internet for a while, but now I have it and can update this blog. However, it is almost bedtime, and we are going to Prague this weekend. I promise to update afterward!! =]]
8.6.11
Meet at Gate 10 at 10... loljk
Sooo.... the flight itself was pretty uneventful. There was your usual crying baby, and I kept notes in a little journal on some of the other characters present. The seats were 3 and 3, and the one in between me and my neighbor was empty. That was nice. However, the person behind me seemed to love to dig their knees into my back. Not enjoyable. I made a diagram of my dinner in my journal. Maybe I will try to post a picture of that later.
The adventure really starts with the Tegel Airport in Berlin. I was the first person to arrive, which I assumed to be no big deal... Until I actually entered Tegel. I give them credit for making the process quick, but it's not like any airport I have ever been to before. Passport check was right after you got off the plane, and I mean RIGHT AFTER.... just two dudes chillin' in cubes. then immediately after that was baggage claim, which was meant only for planes at that particular gate, meaning you couldn't just wait there for everyone else to arrive because their baggage claim was elsewhere and blocked off by a wall. So I leave baggage claim and realize that this airport has 0 seating and is laid out somewhat like a mall. I find out what gate my teacher's flight will arrive at and conclude that I will go there and await his arrival. And so I waited. And watched until the very last person had come out and the area was shut down by a security guard. No teacher.... um... what?
Starting to get nervous, I find the gate for the arrival of a flight I know a fellow student is on. I head over there. So I'm sitting and sitting when I see a familiar face out of the corner of my eye--a kid I had met at one of the program meetings. And by 'at one' I mean 'the only one'. So we link up. Long story, but he is also accompanied by his close friend's grandparents after accidentally arriving too early. He tells me that the teacher was planning to meet at gate 10 at 10 AM. This was never sent out in an email, but was later confirmed by the only other student we found at gate 10 within and hour of 10. Apparently they both had called him for several reasons, but I still ask, why no email?! How was I supposed to know?
So 10 rolls around... and 10:15... and 10:30... no one, and the van comes to take us at 11. In the end we manage to gather 5 students and soon thereafter learn what happened--our teacher and the other students missed their Frankfurt connection. Oops. They are apparently in Berlin or on their way here as I write this from a conference room at the Institut.
So we are driven to Wittenberg and then walked to the school, which is really pretty, by the way. We get some nifty gifties and then people are starting to be taken away by their hosts. Except me. loljk, Holland, you have to wait till 3 PM all on your lonesome. Actually it's fine and the staff is really sweet. I chose to stay in and try to call my mom and to update this blog and check facebook and email instead of going outside. I am just way too tired for anything physical.
I guess that is all for now. Maybe an edit later to talk about mi familia?
Ciao!
Holland
The adventure really starts with the Tegel Airport in Berlin. I was the first person to arrive, which I assumed to be no big deal... Until I actually entered Tegel. I give them credit for making the process quick, but it's not like any airport I have ever been to before. Passport check was right after you got off the plane, and I mean RIGHT AFTER.... just two dudes chillin' in cubes. then immediately after that was baggage claim, which was meant only for planes at that particular gate, meaning you couldn't just wait there for everyone else to arrive because their baggage claim was elsewhere and blocked off by a wall. So I leave baggage claim and realize that this airport has 0 seating and is laid out somewhat like a mall. I find out what gate my teacher's flight will arrive at and conclude that I will go there and await his arrival. And so I waited. And watched until the very last person had come out and the area was shut down by a security guard. No teacher.... um... what?
Starting to get nervous, I find the gate for the arrival of a flight I know a fellow student is on. I head over there. So I'm sitting and sitting when I see a familiar face out of the corner of my eye--a kid I had met at one of the program meetings. And by 'at one' I mean 'the only one'. So we link up. Long story, but he is also accompanied by his close friend's grandparents after accidentally arriving too early. He tells me that the teacher was planning to meet at gate 10 at 10 AM. This was never sent out in an email, but was later confirmed by the only other student we found at gate 10 within and hour of 10. Apparently they both had called him for several reasons, but I still ask, why no email?! How was I supposed to know?
So 10 rolls around... and 10:15... and 10:30... no one, and the van comes to take us at 11. In the end we manage to gather 5 students and soon thereafter learn what happened--our teacher and the other students missed their Frankfurt connection. Oops. They are apparently in Berlin or on their way here as I write this from a conference room at the Institut.
So we are driven to Wittenberg and then walked to the school, which is really pretty, by the way. We get some nifty gifties and then people are starting to be taken away by their hosts. Except me. loljk, Holland, you have to wait till 3 PM all on your lonesome. Actually it's fine and the staff is really sweet. I chose to stay in and try to call my mom and to update this blog and check facebook and email instead of going outside. I am just way too tired for anything physical.
I guess that is all for now. Maybe an edit later to talk about mi familia?
Ciao!
Holland
7.6.11
Traveling
I currently find myself sitting at gate C81 at the Newark International Airport. There seem to be a few more people here, even when compared to only a few minutes ago. A father just had his kids look out the window to see the Empire State Building. I thought that was cute. I currently have about 2 and a half hours until my plane boards, and do I will use this to pass some of that time.
My impressions of EWR? It's all right. I suppose I like Philly better because I know Philly well by now, but this is nice. Very large, somewhat difficult to get to (we got lucky and had light traffic, but we still had to do a loop through the hotel parking lot to get back on the road) and there are a lot of shops to go into. I'm not complaining. I'm just glad to have gone through security without use of the body scanner. (It was out of order. aw shucks.) Velvet track suit and a black leather cowboy hat. Got to love airport fashion. I write this as it comes to me, so I'm sorry if it seems jumpy.
I find myself a lot more calm now that I am all checked in, but I am still nervous about the flight--I never enjoy flying. Who does, I guess? I sort of wish I had someone to fly with... oh well.
There is a chance that the seat next to me will be vacant on the plan. As of... around noon it was still unoccupied. If that is the case, I am ecstatic. I moved my seat up from the 30th row to the 10th row yesterday, and I checked again today to make sure it was still the case. I REALLY hope seat 10B is vacant to me and my buddy in 10A can enjoy the extra space. I'll let you know when I update in about 12 hours from Berlin....
Talking to my mom on the phone.... will update more later.
My impressions of EWR? It's all right. I suppose I like Philly better because I know Philly well by now, but this is nice. Very large, somewhat difficult to get to (we got lucky and had light traffic, but we still had to do a loop through the hotel parking lot to get back on the road) and there are a lot of shops to go into. I'm not complaining. I'm just glad to have gone through security without use of the body scanner. (It was out of order. aw shucks.) Velvet track suit and a black leather cowboy hat. Got to love airport fashion. I write this as it comes to me, so I'm sorry if it seems jumpy.
I find myself a lot more calm now that I am all checked in, but I am still nervous about the flight--I never enjoy flying. Who does, I guess? I sort of wish I had someone to fly with... oh well.
There is a chance that the seat next to me will be vacant on the plan. As of... around noon it was still unoccupied. If that is the case, I am ecstatic. I moved my seat up from the 30th row to the 10th row yesterday, and I checked again today to make sure it was still the case. I REALLY hope seat 10B is vacant to me and my buddy in 10A can enjoy the extra space. I'll let you know when I update in about 12 hours from Berlin....
Talking to my mom on the phone.... will update more later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)