Back to the Reeperbahn

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday we booked a hostel. I had spent all night seeking out our best options. We'd be staying three nights and wanted to be near city center so we wouldn't have to use the trains or busses. The best we could find were multy person dorm rooms. Everything else was extremely out of our budget. The way I saw it, I was going to Amsterdam, might as well make it the whole 'travel experience'! We booked two beds of a 12 bed room in a fairly well reviewed hostel. They had safe locked lockers and a bathroom for multiple rooms to share. It claimed to be centrally located. Hooray!

I biked around a bit today and did some shopping. I've actually gotten into the habit of drinking lemonade... of all things! I used to despise lemon flavor, even in sweets! And now, I not only drink it, but I squeeze it MYSELF and often from organic lemons. my gosh! What have I become! Alas, it seems to have treated me well. I don't have a scale here but my eyes and clothes tell me I've shed a few :) Which is an idea i welcome greatfully. I put off the freshman 15 pretty dang well only to plop it all on last year as a sophmore. :P


THURSDAY

Today was the last day of Unterricht (instruction) of the first 4 week course. The day went like any other day, but then at the end we all departed.
I:
1. tend to not be overly emotional on such occasions.
2. didn't get to know any of the people well enough to feel remorse from the separation (really nice folks, but long goodbyes? no thanks)
so we said our good byes in the room then i hopped on a computer to look up some Amsterdam information. I saw Derronnie later in the hallway and we exchanged some heartfelt well wishes and, "if i don't see you again, a great life experience!" Hofagoo and Fabiano shook my hand. In the kulturburo I gave Sinzi a hug and wished her well. I think we might try to be German penpals this year and I invited her out to kansas any time she has the urge.

With it being Matt's last week (the organ player student from Michigan and D.C., wants to be engaged) he gave me instructions to his place. Adrian and I agreed to meet at the bus stop and then head over around 9. When we got there, Matt met us on the street, apparently his house father wanted a quieter night, so we headed back to my apt. There we wasted about an hour and a half goofing off telling stories and listening to music. Adrian and I had plans to meet a group on the Reeperbahn at a salsa club. I had been talked into it, to say the least. I can't dance, let alone salsa, and everyone going would speak spanish together. Alas, i agreed anyway. Then i talked Matt into it too. :) Matt didn't have money with him so we had to go with him to get it and he barely made the train but he did! Unfortunately we were 15 minutes late to the meeting point and had no idea where the club was. :(

And then an impossible thing happened. We ran into Marco on the street. The Reeperbahn is shoulder to shoulder people at night but none the less we found them. Destiny! The club was a pretty big place. The group in total was Marco, Adrian, me, Maria, Gladys, her husband and Helmut her son. Matt didn't stay very long. Maria spent a lot of time teaching me to dance.... bless her soul. :) I honestly did have a lot of fun, i danced with Maria, Adrian and then Helmut too. A very fun night.

When Adrian and i decided we were wiped out we bid our farewells and headed back to my place. I crashed on the floor and gave him the bed, i pretty much had to fight him for it. Then around 5 when the busses were running he was able to go home and i got my bed back.

All in all, a good goodbye to the first month. :) Transition weekend: Amsterdam!

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