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Note: This message was written at 11pm, Sunday evening (May 13)
I smell like drunk men. Even after I’ve washed my hands five times. Why, do you ask? Well, it’s a rather long story, but here’s the short version: after a pleasant visit to Bonn, my travel buddies and I got stuck on a train ride back with drunken soccer hooligans. Didn’t matter which car you were in, you couldn’t escape them. The car in which we happened to find seats also featured a CD player blasting German football songs—complete with loud, drunken hooligan singers—and enough beer cans to fill a landmine in Vegas. Literally.
To make our experience even more enjoyable, five Irish guys behind us—drunk, of course—were pleasantly and robustly singing/telling the IRA where they could shove their ideology (hint: it’s a body part). Might I add that they were also generously throwing beer cans in the air (full or empty, it didn’t matter) as a gesture of friendship to anyone who dared to look them in the eye? Needless to say, I’m burning my shirt tomorrow because of the stench. Also, a very nice young man—also drunk—began to tell me (and those who would listen)
what was wrong with the United States. He said that he wasn’t talking about me, ‘cause he liked me, you see, and he could tell that we saw eye-to-eye on things, and did I really grow up in Vienna? Oh, that’s interesting, because a friend of him is Turkish-German and he lived in Vienna a bit with his family near the big church with the tower or whatever and what was he talking about again? Oh yes. That’s right. Global warming.
*Sigh*… I write this with amused frustration. Really. I’m not upset or offended, just tired. Meaghan, one of the girls who went on this trip to Bonn, remarked that she didn’t get anything out of the train ride home (she had hoped to study). Oh, I got something out of the train ride home: a migraine. And now, as I sit here and look back on this crazed 3-hour descent into a very, very loud abyss, I’m glad that I can reflect in such a positive manner about such a wild and slightly annoying experience. Because… overall, I’m quite content here.
Here’s a recap of my past week, and maybe you’ll also see why: Monday- Went to class,
met some really interesting people, sight-see. Tuesday- found the Mensa (cafeteria) where everyone at the University of Marburg eats… I couldn’t believe how cheap it was! For Kaesebrot (mein Lieblingsessen) a salad, and an Apfelschorle (it’s Apfelsaftgespritzt, you durn Northern folk!), I paid only 3 Euros. Thank you, German government subsidizing! Wednesday, met some girls for dinner (Bandita is from Nepal, Fitri from Indonesia, and Luisa from Columbia), learned about this Uni-Tandem thing which I’ll explain in a minute, and learned about cheap calling cards! They do exist! Thursday, signed up for this Uni-Tandem thing. Basically, the University of Marburg has a program where you can sign up to practice your German with university students. The Uni students in turn are there to practice their English. So you meet, speak one hour in English, one in German, and you both get what you want.
Anyway. I now have four Uni-Tandem partners! Hooray! Two guys, two girls. I’ve met with the guys already. There’s Sven (an absolute puppy), who wants to study psychology at Boston University next fall. And Eike, who dresses like Gary Thobaben (some of you know who I’m talking about) yet acts like this teenage kid from
Marktplatz in Marburg
On Saturdays, various vendors come with their local vegetables and cheeses to sell. Yum! NYC or something. It’s really weird… But fun! We talk about music ( we both like the same bands-the Shins, Death cab for cutie, etc.) and I’m learning about German soccer teams all over again. It’s the reeducation of soccer-loving Kira, really. He also is slightly obsessed with German medieval history, so I’ll get to study some of that, too. Normally, history starts around 1400 for me. Eike also informed me that Mozart was a German, and that I shouldn’t listen to those crazy Austrians. At the time that Mozart was born, Salzburg belonged to Germany, so Mozart was a German. He also told me a joke that I found funny. In Germany, there are 16 states, right? Well, they call Austria the 17th, and Mallorca, Spain, the 18th. HA! Love it! Gosh, I’m such a dork… Anyway…
Basically, I’m having fun. I’m meeting people, I’m starting to feel that panicky feeling again when I’m trying to squeeze in too many people and events into the same day…. I like that feeling… A full social calendar. Yes. So I have one of those…. And I’m still not sick of Doner Kebabs, or fresh bread from the local bakery.
Oh! And before I forget, I did want people to know that if they ever are thinking about going to Bonn, they most certainly should! What a neat town! It’s like Vienna, but with hope. It has the same style of architecture and street designs (think shopping on the Ringstrasse), but everything’s bright, sunny… This isn’t a bitter, aged Vienna, slowly dying of lung cancer because of years of smoking (leaving Vienna slightly disfigured) and living the hard life.
In Bonn, Meaghan, Beth, April, and I went to the Beethovenhaus, which was rather similar to the Mozarthaus in Salzburg. The instruments inside were cool (some Amatis and Guarneris, for example), and they had some facsimiles of Beethoven’s, like the Heligenstadt Testament, and other things. And of course, no trip to a composer’s haus would be incomplete without…da da daaaaaaa!: the random exhibit of their hair. Which still kind of bothers me, personally. In the Mozarthaus, they have some of Mozart’s hair in a glass-enclosed case; in Bonn they had Beethoven’s. Heaven forbid when I go to Leipzig, I see a real wig of Bach’s! Anyway. It’s just…slightly strange.
So we all had a good time in Bonn, as
the pictures will show you. Our ride home was…um…eventful, to say the least. But even that wasn’t too bad. I mean… it’s a story to pass on to people, right? Right. I need to go to bed. But continue sending me messages/emails, etc.! I always look forward to them. And if you have any requests for food, etc., please let me know, too! By all means, take advantage of the fact that I’m here and can exploit the global market for all it’s worth!
Have a good evening!
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Connie
non-member comment
Always encounters with drunk men and football, eh?
**plays footie anthems in the background** Oh, the out-of-control Nationalism. Ha. I'm so glad that your first weekend after the start of classes was full of adventures and good company... thank you for taking the time to upload all of these pictures... they're wonderful! As always, I wait patiently for more wonderful updates... enjoy your language partners and cheap lunches at the Mensa. Love you.