Today a Picture, Tomorrow a Post

Classes... eins, zwei,... zehn? Wie ungefähr acht?

Classes I'm taking to learn more German:
*Grammatik (Grammar)
*Deutsch für Studium und Alltag (German for Studying and Everyday Life)
*Ausspracheschulung (Pronunciation)
*Konversation (Conversation)

Classes I'm taking in German:
*Idealismus und Empirismus (Idealism and Imperialism)

Graduate Courses I'm taking in English:
*Post Human Bodies: Men, Women and Machines in Literature, Film and Music Video (This course is a cross between English and philosophy, needless to say, I love it.)
*The World's Eye: Ralph Waldo Emerson (This course, as far as I can tell, deals with Transcendentalism, Kant's influence on Emerson, and Emerson's influence on American thought and culture.... Emerson was said to have written our "Intellectual Declaration of Independence.")

Additional Courses:
* Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (Focusing on theory and method primarily while incorporating a few historical perspectives to see exactly how politics have influenced how we teach.)

Courses I was going to take but dropped for one reason or another:
*Cross Cultural Voices: German & American Literature (I was less than impressed by the sub-par grad student who, from what I could see, was using the class as supplemental research for her dissertation.)
*Honors Seminar: Translating the Poetry of June Jordan (I guess this is an invitation only course, and having been invited I'm a little upset with myself for turning it down. On the other hand, I don't know if I'm ready to translate poetry [actually I know I'm not] and by not taking it, it keeps my Wednesday evenings free.)

... more on this later (I have to go get my laundry)...

Crackers and Cigarettes

October 23rd 7:45 a.m. - Dortmund, Germany

I'm awake. I don't have class until noon, and I didn't go to bed until four.

Why? So I can buy a roast... so later tonight... my friends won't have to eat deep fat fried schnitzel sh*t or some other unidentified swine product.

Why? Because some part of me must really care about these people if I'm waking up this early (I'd rather go to the dentist than wake up early). After all, it was suggested last night by a chain smoking non-food eating friend of mine that I should just say screw it. He said, "If I had to get up that early to go pick up a roast for dinner I'd sleep in and just serve crackers and cigarettes."

So I lost my purse...

To make a long story short...

David was in Scotland for a week.
I missed David.
I unexpectedly met him at the train station.
I got excited.
I left my purse on the train.
I got my purse back.
The end.

Luckily, some kind wonderful soul took my purse (with my drivers license, school ID, insurance card, two visa bank cards, my German bank card, and library card... which believe it or not has been vital to my survival here...) and brought it to the train station's lost and found office. I was shocked. Amazed. Dumbfounded. Astonished. Flabbergasted.

Anyway, having decided that today was my lucky day I decided to celebrate with a nice stiff glass of... water. (Hi Mom.)


Like the good people on NETV alway say, "Fun's not hard with a library card!"

Please Send Slippers?

Apparently, my flat-mates find it very odd that I don't wear house shoes/slippers when I'm at home.



But I'll be damned...

Thank You IKEA

BIG NEWS: Today, October 9th 2007, I unpacked and put away the rest of my clothes.

I also got Harold a girlfriend, a Hedera Helix (commonly the English Ivy), whom I have named Maude. I also got a castanospermum australe sapling (Australian chestnut). Right now it's about sixteen inches tall but I guess it will eventually be about 18 meters (59 feet) tall and produce poisonous fruit. Gwendolyn went with me and we decided that Finnius was a good name for it seeing as it was the 86th most popular boys name in Australia in 2005. On an unequally exciting note, I also picked up a lamp, some hangers, a window shade, an extra duvet, and tweezers. I know, it's exciting stuff living abroad... try to contain yourself.

Speaking of containing yourself, I spoke with my mother today... for those few of you who haven't met Deb...


This is us... and I miss her....


... and yes Sam... my mother has children of the corn eyes...

Vilppu

Should be doing his laundry (or perhaps learning to smile) instead of reading this blog. ;)

Actual Blog Subject(s): Yesterday; the last day of our language course, breath mints, and Harold.

Yesterday was the last day of our language course; thank you baby Jesus! I'd rather go to the dentist for three an a half hours every morning than go through that again. You may be in pain after you leave, but at least the dentist gives you a prize or a new toothbrush or something. I just spent the last four weeks of my life learning about breakfast in different countries. Ok, so I admit there was a little more to it than that but if you were to ask me to list the five most vivid things that I remember about the last four weeks of class it would be as follows:

#1 - Breakfast
#2 - Mrs. Robinson/Oedipus Complexes
#3 - Adjective Endings
#4 - A Complete Lack of Professionalism and
#5 - Package

Yesterday evening we all went to Limericks for a while and then to Hachenay (this is spelled wrong). The male Finn's (Vilppu and Jarkko) decided to introduce us to "Fisherman's Friend" which as far as I'm concerned is LETHAL. Basically you take a bottle of vodka and drop a package and a half of this "Fisherman's" breath mint into it. Then you let it sit and dissolve for about twenty-four hours. The result is a muddy coffee colored vodka that tastes like a Hall's cough drop. On the other hand, it doesn't burn or taste like hairspray. There, I think that's enough alcohol education for my friends and family.

Last, but certainly not least, Harold. Harold is a cactus. I bought him a few days ago. My room needed some additional life.

Deutsche Bahn On Strike... Again

I guess the German train system is calling (yet again) for a national strike which will be in full effect tomorrow. Suzanne had to wait for an hour to get a train today (usually one comes about every ten minutes). Tomorrow is the official start day of the strike though, so it's expected to be much worse. I guess the Bahn workers were upset about the 10% raise they received (they were lobbying for a 30% raise).