Weimar excursion 08-10-08

Today was the day of the Weimar excursion. I do have good memories of the beautiful architecture, but the problem is the batteries in my camera died and all I was able to get pictures of were the graves of St. Jakobs Kirche (St. Jacobs Church). My understanding is that it is where Goethe and Schiller are buried. I have picture of Goethe’s grave with the roses on it. I was also entertained by the fact that a black and white cat ran through the cemetery. (A cat was a protector of the underworld/the dead in Ancient Egyptian lore.) I’ve grown to accustomed to the cobble stone that paves the German streets to notice it in any other city, but for the sake of the tourists they had carriage rides clomping on the cobblestone and I can only imagine the sheer racket it must have been in olden times. How loud must all of those been? 4 at one time were deafening. I most definitely prefer the hum and swoosh of the cars. In Weimar we also stopped at Schiller’s house on Schiller Street, at J. S. Bach’s, the main square, main church, and the Rathaus. All of it was very pretty and covered in Graffiti art. I enjoy European Graffiti. They take so much more time and care in what they put on the walls. In Weimar there is the most picturesque park a lone tower at one corner, a couple of trees growing so close together they can no longer be told apart, a lake to the left with a white house beyond that, a grass patch to the right with two people sitting very close together and it was the picture of perfection even with the rain. After the tour though, to my dismay the Polish kids that I have been hanging around with wanted to eat Burger King. I was very glad that the manager spoke English because without even thinking about it I just launched into the American English ordering style. The breading on the chicken sandwich was different and the oil used to fry everything was also odd. Also, the place was done in a retro style I don’t know if it’s just been there that long, or if that’s how all European restaurants are done. From there we met up with the group at the theater square with a statue of Goethe on the left with the laurel wreath and Schiller on the right. We met there for the part that I have been dreading all day which really put a damper on my spirits. It was time for our trip to Buchenwald.

Bi-Polar Daz

Todaz has been just so bi-polar. I didnt want to wake up at all. Everz American here wanted to skip class or staz in bed or just flat out couldnt go. Nick woke up 2 hours late. The Amandas are sick, someone got stung bz a bee when he put his head back onto the pillow for 5 min more sleep, Chuck slept in, I have no idea what Frau Page did. I somehow doubt that she got up at her normal time. For me I worked on phonetiks with who ever that was and will be for the rest of the time Im here. Apparently, I speak a verz layz american form of German. Whoda thunk that?!?!? the onlz stuff i just flat out cant saz in words are the ö, ä, z. As for the classes, can we please just hit rock bottom alreadz and bust out the finger paint. Mazbe then the onlz waz to go will be up and I could actuallz learn something. But again the reveiw is good and I am picking up a few details I had missed before. Mz confedence is shot though. All of the Russian kids that I have been hanging out with have perfect german. Thez also have perfect english so thats what we communicate in. Mz German is not improving as fast as I had hoped. The onlz reason mz german is improving is because I am activelz doing it on mz own. Big surprise, right? Goodness knows thats the onlz reason I learned english. I went off on mz own and did what I needed to when I needed to. Time to get back to the work, hopefullz a full night sleep and some banging mz head against the books will be the best thing for me.

im a bad girl

You have know idea how much you guys are messing me up!!! Its so hard to go from english and straight back into good german!!! Also from here on out all y are to be replaced by z. Thez are switched on the kez board and i am not going to relearn those kez!!!! K? if not too bad. The food here is terrible. For lunch in the Mensa thez served liver and potatoes. So i had the vegitarian fried potatoes with onions and rice. But even though the food is soo bad I must go back to the mensa!!! Not because I dont have mz own food (goodness knows I have plentz) but because the people are that interesting!!! I had lunch with two Russians (girls- one is named Anna, the other I cant pronounce or spell), a Slovakian guz, and a Polish guz. Then after that I went to the remedial grammatik class and worked on modal verbs. The daz of the test (Mondaz) I choked so bad I couldnt remember a thing. Its a good review so im not going to complain, but at exactlz 3:00 I bolted out the door with 3 polish students leading the waz. I feel so bad for that but the whole time were in the room Im telling them all of the bad habbits of the americans like the wazs to fall asleep in zour seat and how to do zour work with zour feet propped up on something. i didnt mean to at first i was just trzing to get comfz. then thez started laughing and apparentlz it was funnz. i didnt get a thing done in that class. I was too busz explaining american habbits (not the good ones either). After that I ditched everzone and booked down to the book store and spent $40.00 or rather €20.00 on (alle auf deutsch): Faust, The little Priny, the curse of judas, a cook book, and todaz newspaper. Tomorrow I must spend another €100.00 on mz train tickets to everzwhere. Also i found a phone and internet cafe its onlz 19 cents for 3-4 minutes. the problem is that thez close at 6 here which is noon there. When would I call? So, Mom expect a call either Thursdaz or Fridaz between 9 AM and noon (Nothing is open on the weekends). NOT a second before and not a second after. If zou have plans change them!!! I am not spending € for a message on the answering machine!!! Verstehe?!?!? Also, I am being a verz bad girl. Im ditching the bowling excersion todaz. I ducked out of zestardaz tour of the town (I have a good excuse for that!! I have blisters on mz feet, Ive alreadz seen the town and we were meeting the mazor!! which is a big deal here!!) I also skipped the remedial grundkurs zestardaz. I was reading the newspaper and lost track of time (Ok so I didnt reallz loose track of time, but thats the storz and im sticking to it!!!) The good news is that the € is down or the $ is up which ever waz zou want to look at it. The reason I have blisters is that I walked to the citz swimming pool which is a half mile each waz and I wasnt wearing the right shoes for that. Plus, I am walking everzwhere now. In Cinci I can just catch a bus, but I cant do that here. I have to walk around the entire vallez or rather the "Ilm" (Ilmenau is in the mountains). (Ill add pictures over the weekend.) Also, Please send monez Im running out... Im a bad girl... Nick was sitting next to me working on his blog and he just said he was going bowling, clearlz Im still here tzping... Im a reallz bad girl!!

Deutschland

Hello im alive and typing on a german key board. its too hard. ill fill you in later.

The Bear

The Bear is supposed to be me while I'm away in Europe. It's a gift to Mom to keep her company.

comming together

Finally, it's all coming together. The hostels are booked, the money has been/is being paid. Now the only issue left is transportation and food.

counting down

I AM SOO HAPPY!!! I am leaving in 11 days for Germany!!! On top of that I may be going to Amsterdam!!! I only hope its not too late to jump on board for that one!!