Today was my last day of work and it felt both good and strange. I was really pleased because I had finished everything that I had ever started or that was still on my to-do list. We had also cleaned up the office in the past week, so everything was bare, just waiting for me to leave in a way. It did feel strange though that I was finished and that I wouldn't be coming back to work again. I am going back on Monday to say good bye to everyone, and I'm really looking forward to that. Hopefully at that point, I'll really be ready to say farewell.
Yesterday was my last Fitness mit Musik. Not that I went extremely often, but in the last weeks I have been trying to go to this fitness class, especially with Hendrik. I really enjoyed it, especially with one trainer in particular, Dirk. He actually cares if people are doing the movements right and yells otherwise. Oh and he's good looking of course. Right when I was getting in the habit of going, I have to leave, damnit....
I've said my first good-byes, first to Carolin and then Hendrik. Things never hit me till I'm all the way home, and then I'm sure I'll lose it just a little bit.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Aachen Adventures...what have I been up to?
Now that it's down to the last 10 days (so excited!!), it's time to remember all the stuff I've been doing the last few weeks.
UROP officially ended on Wednesday, July 29th. It was amusing to hear all the students ask me if I was going to travel around now or relax since the program was over, considering I still had to go to work for another 1.5 weeks. Just because they're done and gone, doesn't mean there isn't lots to clean up or organize once they're gone. My job leading up to the final event was to organize the guest list, collect all the certificates and put them in the folders, along with lots of other stuff the students got back, organize tshirts, name tags, build and set up portable walls to hang the students' posters on, etc. It seems like a lot of busy work, which it was, but it was nice to do that for once, instead of working on the computer all the time.
The final event was a Poster Colloquium. Due to the large number of projects, forty-nine to be exact, we didn't want every student to have to formally present his/her project. Since there are 9 faculties at the RWTH Aachen, we put them in their respective groups, and asked that they prepare a short info bit about their faculty and then each briefly describe their project. Not every group had to do this though, just those pulled hroups out of hat at random. We heard from medicine, biology, waste managment, business and economics, and a few more. Afterwards there was time for everyone to hang up their posters and the guests to walk around and ask questions. To close the colloquium, we handed out the certificates. I'm not sure what other ideas Beate had had in mind in terms of how to structure the colloquium (last year there were only 23 students, so they all did powerpoints) but I know that I mentioned UM's UROP Poster Colloquium, so it felt good about contributing to the format and how to run things.
The colloquium went really well. The dress code was casual, though no flip flops, but I decided to wear a dress I had brought with me but hadn't had a chance to wear all summer. Good decision: I got compliments left and right, but mostly because I was probably more dressed up the the majority of people. In the evening we had a pizza party for everyone, which was actually quite nice. It last for three hours, which we didn't expect. Some students had planned a huge party for everyone later that night. I attended but left rather early (11:30ish).
Now my work consists of evaluating the surveys we sent out to the participants, cleaning the office, evaluating the summer, translating press releases, helping organize other programs Beate heads, etc. Classes will be interesting this fall as a result of this summer. My business German class should not be too new, considering all the formal letters and such I've been writing and reading, whereas my CompLit translation class will be completely different, since I'm used to translating nonfiction and logistical documents, not literature.
Socially I suppose I've been very busy lately, due to one person in particular. Hendrik (I've mentioned him in previous posts) and I have either spent a large amount of time together or just talk a lot. I'm not sure which. I think we just both have a lot of time, but we've watched movies together while drinking way too much amaretto, gotten lunch, met together with other friends, etc. I mean in the long run, it's not like we've done something every day, but he has been the most consistent and present friend here, even though we probably only met a month ago. He actually spent a year in Iowa as an exchange student and has gone back to the US since then. For that reason oddly enough, we almost always speak English, which is actually kind of nice. I don't even consider him my 'German' friend, rather just a friend.
A couple of weeks ago, Beate, Carolin, some of my coworkers and I had a picnic to enjoy ourselves outside of work. They're a really great group of people and I've meshed really well. It definitely influences my decision about coming back next year.
Yesterday I got together with friends to BBQ. I had a great time, though I'm sure the three different schnapps varieties (some honey one, Apfelkorn, and brandy) we tried helped a lot. That and a beer did me in the for the evening just enough. The evening was also quite successful, because I managed to open a beer bottle with a lighter for the first time. I hadn't tried too often before, but it really shouldn't that hard and should also be a skill everyone possesses. I had made it a habit to carry a lighter with me, out of convenience for smokers in a group or actualy bottle opening, but that doesn't mean I had actually used the lighter much myself.
For more info on that bottle opening method, see: http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Beer-Bottle-with-a-Lighter ( But I held the lighter a bit differently.)
Aachen is such a relatively small city that I've managed to meet enough people and run into them on the street. It's like getting part of my A2 life back. People who know me there will agree when I say that I run into almost too many people when out and about in Ann Arbor. It's a great feeling here, because it's like I built a life up from nothing and now I'm actually greeted on the street. Sometimes it's pure chance. I think I saw one person almost every day one week, each time in a completely different place.
In a way it's good timing that I'm leaving soon, because the exam phase has begun here. Students are really tested at all during the whole semester and then they have a huge exam at the end of the semester. Most students do no work until this phase and then spend ABSOLUTELY ALL THEIR TIME studying. I'm not exaggerating. That being said, almost no one is available to get together (except of course Hendrik, b/c somehow he's always available if he's in town.). I'd be quite bored the next few weeks. The exam phase started about a week ago and it goes till about the beginning of October, since the new semester starts mid-October. It kind of bugs me that students do this to themselves and limit their social lives, but when I actually gave it some thought, I realized I do something similar. Although I always try to be as social as I can and balance school, I never went out very often on the weekend just in general, always opting to do something else, including hw. Now that I don't have any schoolwork, I've been going out a ton. I can imagine that when I get back to school, I won't be going out as much as I have been, even if I want to, since I know I will definitely miss going out.
What will I be doing these last few days, you may ask?:
-Maybe going to the movies
- maybe going to the thermal baths with Hendrik, though probably not
- seeing Carolin
- packing, cleaning my room
-hopefully going to a local museum with Sarah to see an exhibit where everything is made out of chocolate (some things look like porcelain statues)
- going to the local fair ( you can see the grounds from my window, and I saw the ferris wheel being built!)
- throwing a going away party next weekend
- making rice krispie treats for the office (It's normal to bake when you're leaving, and I don't have a real oven nor do I want to buy ingredients I'm only going to use once, so rice krispie treats are a good option, plus they're super American. I made them for my class as an exchange student too.)
*By the way, don't you just love my ridiculously long sentences? I promise my academic writing is much better, or at least I hope it is.
The bottom photos are of the Aachen cathedral at night, a posable fountain, and a street in Aachen-kind of part the old town/inner city, pedestrian only, but it's not the main shopping pedestrain zone. Confusing I know.
UROP officially ended on Wednesday, July 29th. It was amusing to hear all the students ask me if I was going to travel around now or relax since the program was over, considering I still had to go to work for another 1.5 weeks. Just because they're done and gone, doesn't mean there isn't lots to clean up or organize once they're gone. My job leading up to the final event was to organize the guest list, collect all the certificates and put them in the folders, along with lots of other stuff the students got back, organize tshirts, name tags, build and set up portable walls to hang the students' posters on, etc. It seems like a lot of busy work, which it was, but it was nice to do that for once, instead of working on the computer all the time.
The final event was a Poster Colloquium. Due to the large number of projects, forty-nine to be exact, we didn't want every student to have to formally present his/her project. Since there are 9 faculties at the RWTH Aachen, we put them in their respective groups, and asked that they prepare a short info bit about their faculty and then each briefly describe their project. Not every group had to do this though, just those pulled hroups out of hat at random. We heard from medicine, biology, waste managment, business and economics, and a few more. Afterwards there was time for everyone to hang up their posters and the guests to walk around and ask questions. To close the colloquium, we handed out the certificates. I'm not sure what other ideas Beate had had in mind in terms of how to structure the colloquium (last year there were only 23 students, so they all did powerpoints) but I know that I mentioned UM's UROP Poster Colloquium, so it felt good about contributing to the format and how to run things.
The colloquium went really well. The dress code was casual, though no flip flops, but I decided to wear a dress I had brought with me but hadn't had a chance to wear all summer. Good decision: I got compliments left and right, but mostly because I was probably more dressed up the the majority of people. In the evening we had a pizza party for everyone, which was actually quite nice. It last for three hours, which we didn't expect. Some students had planned a huge party for everyone later that night. I attended but left rather early (11:30ish).
Now my work consists of evaluating the surveys we sent out to the participants, cleaning the office, evaluating the summer, translating press releases, helping organize other programs Beate heads, etc. Classes will be interesting this fall as a result of this summer. My business German class should not be too new, considering all the formal letters and such I've been writing and reading, whereas my CompLit translation class will be completely different, since I'm used to translating nonfiction and logistical documents, not literature.
Socially I suppose I've been very busy lately, due to one person in particular. Hendrik (I've mentioned him in previous posts) and I have either spent a large amount of time together or just talk a lot. I'm not sure which. I think we just both have a lot of time, but we've watched movies together while drinking way too much amaretto, gotten lunch, met together with other friends, etc. I mean in the long run, it's not like we've done something every day, but he has been the most consistent and present friend here, even though we probably only met a month ago. He actually spent a year in Iowa as an exchange student and has gone back to the US since then. For that reason oddly enough, we almost always speak English, which is actually kind of nice. I don't even consider him my 'German' friend, rather just a friend.
A couple of weeks ago, Beate, Carolin, some of my coworkers and I had a picnic to enjoy ourselves outside of work. They're a really great group of people and I've meshed really well. It definitely influences my decision about coming back next year.
Yesterday I got together with friends to BBQ. I had a great time, though I'm sure the three different schnapps varieties (some honey one, Apfelkorn, and brandy) we tried helped a lot. That and a beer did me in the for the evening just enough. The evening was also quite successful, because I managed to open a beer bottle with a lighter for the first time. I hadn't tried too often before, but it really shouldn't that hard and should also be a skill everyone possesses. I had made it a habit to carry a lighter with me, out of convenience for smokers in a group or actualy bottle opening, but that doesn't mean I had actually used the lighter much myself.For more info on that bottle opening method, see: http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Beer-Bottle-with-a-Lighter ( But I held the lighter a bit differently.)
Aachen is such a relatively small city that I've managed to meet enough people and run into them on the street. It's like getting part of my A2 life back. People who know me there will agree when I say that I run into almost too many people when out and about in Ann Arbor. It's a great feeling here, because it's like I built a life up from nothing and now I'm actually greeted on the street. Sometimes it's pure chance. I think I saw one person almost every day one week, each time in a completely different place.
In a way it's good timing that I'm leaving soon, because the exam phase has begun here. Students are really tested at all during the whole semester and then they have a huge exam at the end of the semester. Most students do no work until this phase and then spend ABSOLUTELY ALL THEIR TIME studying. I'm not exaggerating. That being said, almost no one is available to get together (except of course Hendrik, b/c somehow he's always available if he's in town.). I'd be quite bored the next few weeks. The exam phase started about a week ago and it goes till about the beginning of October, since the new semester starts mid-October. It kind of bugs me that students do this to themselves and limit their social lives, but when I actually gave it some thought, I realized I do something similar. Although I always try to be as social as I can and balance school, I never went out very often on the weekend just in general, always opting to do something else, including hw. Now that I don't have any schoolwork, I've been going out a ton. I can imagine that when I get back to school, I won't be going out as much as I have been, even if I want to, since I know I will definitely miss going out.
What will I be doing these last few days, you may ask?:
-Maybe going to the movies
- maybe going to the thermal baths with Hendrik, though probably not
- seeing Carolin
- packing, cleaning my room
-hopefully going to a local museum with Sarah to see an exhibit where everything is made out of chocolate (some things look like porcelain statues)
- going to the local fair ( you can see the grounds from my window, and I saw the ferris wheel being built!)
- throwing a going away party next weekend
- making rice krispie treats for the office (It's normal to bake when you're leaving, and I don't have a real oven nor do I want to buy ingredients I'm only going to use once, so rice krispie treats are a good option, plus they're super American. I made them for my class as an exchange student too.)
*By the way, don't you just love my ridiculously long sentences? I promise my academic writing is much better, or at least I hope it is.
The bottom photos are of the Aachen cathedral at night, a posable fountain, and a street in Aachen-kind of part the old town/inner city, pedestrian only, but it's not the main shopping pedestrain zone. Confusing I know.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Germany at last!
I've spent quite a few posts talking about travels but not about actual Germany. I apologize for that. I'm so used to life and culture here, I always forget what is truly different or foreign. I'm going to try to reflect here and talk about work, but also create a list of things I'll miss and won't miss, some specific to Germany, some not.
Things I won't miss:
-Expensive small (non-alcoholic) drinks
-Smoke, though I'm super used to it
-Students' questions that I've answered three times already (in reference to program participants)
-Lack of random acts of kindness
-Well dressed people
-A bottle of Coke going flat overnight
-Pandora among other sites being blocked
-The smell of pee and garbage
-Bottle caps and glass everywhere
-Foreign people - this sounds so bad, but it's true to a certain extent. In the US, everyone is foreign. It's the melting pot. In Germany, however, it is very easy to see who moved to Germany or who isn't native German. It may just be my negative experiences of being hit on, but when I see them (mostly guys) here, my guard goes up. I'm fairly certain I don't have the same reaction in the US. Some of you may respond with the fact that I'm technically foreign as well, but I have the luck and goal of being able to fit in and not stand out at all.
Things I will miss:
-Drinking
-The windows
-Going out to actual establishments to hang out
-New friends here
-Somewhat lack of responsibility that comes with being away for the summer
-German...though maybe not
-Apfelschorle (mineral water and apple juice, like cheap sparkling juice) I miss it every time.
-Well dressed people (It goes both ways, believe me.)
-Nice work building
-Milchkaffee
-Good smelling guys
-Super cheap cafeteria meals
-Trying to open beer bottles a myriad of ways (I'm finally able to open one with a lighter.)
-0.5liter cocktails to go for 3.50EUR
Some other observations:
Hair in Europe: People are much more liberal with their hair here, or at least it seems like it. Women of all ages will have crazy cuts and poor coloring decisions (if you ask me). Also the texture/quality of the hair is difference. If you look at girls, I swear most of them have realy fine, thinner, kind of fluffy hair. It's hard to describe, but if you ever come here, look around at the girls my age and you'll notice it.
Fashion: The fashion styles are definitely different here. Shoes are a big thing as well as jackets too I think. You would never see the uggs and leggings or long shirt trend here that you do in the US. People love to wear white here. It's incredible. I think everyone owns a pair of white pants, men included.
Tight pants: Men definitely wear tighter pants here, which is a nice change in some ways, but then again not. It's nice not to see sagging pants and boxers all the time, but sometimes, pants are just a little TOO tight.
Things I won't miss:
-Expensive small (non-alcoholic) drinks
-Smoke, though I'm super used to it
-Students' questions that I've answered three times already (in reference to program participants)
-Lack of random acts of kindness
-Well dressed people
-A bottle of Coke going flat overnight
-Pandora among other sites being blocked
-The smell of pee and garbage
-Bottle caps and glass everywhere
-Foreign people - this sounds so bad, but it's true to a certain extent. In the US, everyone is foreign. It's the melting pot. In Germany, however, it is very easy to see who moved to Germany or who isn't native German. It may just be my negative experiences of being hit on, but when I see them (mostly guys) here, my guard goes up. I'm fairly certain I don't have the same reaction in the US. Some of you may respond with the fact that I'm technically foreign as well, but I have the luck and goal of being able to fit in and not stand out at all.
Things I will miss:
-Drinking
-The windows
-Going out to actual establishments to hang out
-New friends here
-Somewhat lack of responsibility that comes with being away for the summer
-German...though maybe not
-Apfelschorle (mineral water and apple juice, like cheap sparkling juice) I miss it every time.
-Well dressed people (It goes both ways, believe me.)
-Nice work building
-Milchkaffee
-Good smelling guys
-Super cheap cafeteria meals
-Trying to open beer bottles a myriad of ways (I'm finally able to open one with a lighter.)
-0.5liter cocktails to go for 3.50EUR
Some other observations:
Hair in Europe: People are much more liberal with their hair here, or at least it seems like it. Women of all ages will have crazy cuts and poor coloring decisions (if you ask me). Also the texture/quality of the hair is difference. If you look at girls, I swear most of them have realy fine, thinner, kind of fluffy hair. It's hard to describe, but if you ever come here, look around at the girls my age and you'll notice it.
Fashion: The fashion styles are definitely different here. Shoes are a big thing as well as jackets too I think. You would never see the uggs and leggings or long shirt trend here that you do in the US. People love to wear white here. It's incredible. I think everyone owns a pair of white pants, men included.
Tight pants: Men definitely wear tighter pants here, which is a nice change in some ways, but then again not. It's nice not to see sagging pants and boxers all the time, but sometimes, pants are just a little TOO tight.
More about Paris
I have more thoughts about Paris as well as pictures. if you'd like to see additional pictures, just enter these htmls.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128354&id=640716288&l=96048db4b9
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128367&id=640716288&l=b8cab5dfdb
In general Paris is truly quite a large city, with each arondissment having its own personality. Despite all this though, like Brussels, it is quite a comfortable city. It is bit odd though, because most buildings are the same height and the city is even all the same color, some shade of white. The city is extremely easy to get around, which I must say is a relief.
The next time I go to Paris, it'll definitely need to be more under the surface, i.e. catacombs, museums, really exploring the city, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128354&id=640716288&l=96048db4b9
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128367&id=640716288&l=b8cab5dfdb
In general Paris is truly quite a large city, with each arondissment having its own personality. Despite all this though, like Brussels, it is quite a comfortable city. It is bit odd though, because most buildings are the same height and the city is even all the same color, some shade of white. The city is extremely easy to get around, which I must say is a relief.
The next time I go to Paris, it'll definitely need to be more under the surface, i.e. catacombs, museums, really exploring the city, etc.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Paris! Non veut dire non, n'est-ce pas?
Well I suppose the sooner I write this the better. There's lots to say and show, so if I don't go into detail, just comment or ask me and I'd be happy to elaborate.
A friend of mine, Becca, invited me to go along with her and three other Asians (sorry, but it was just a topic all weekend..) to go to Paris. This was only possible due to a wonderful thing in Germany (and surrounding ares) called Mitfahrgelegenheit or "ride along opportunity". It's a website where people post drives they'll be making, offering to take people along over certain destinations, for a small fee. It most usually is much cheaper than the train. I managed to find some people who were going to Paris on Saturday and then some others who were coming back on Monday. Luckily everyone still had seats, and I was good to go. It's kind of like non sketchy hitchhiking, and it's completely trustworthy, though, of course, some experiences are better than others.
I got into Paris and met my friends who had taken the train. Two of them had created an amazingly detailed itinerary, complete with maps, metro stops and directions, prices, most of the important places, etc. Gotta love Google and Wikitravel. The first important thing to note is that in Europe, one pays by person in a hotel. I'm not sure how it works in the US, but I remember putting my whole a family in a room and not paying for 7 people. We had booked a room with a double bed, thus technically only two of us were allowed. The other members of the group had gotten good as sneaking additional people into hotel rooms earlier in the summer, so by this time they were pros at it. This includes scoping out the hotel during check it, taking our bags with them, or as much as they could, and then us entering the hotel in waves at night, and the same in the morning. The sleeping arrangements were quite amusing. We slept four on the bed horizontally and one on the floor, for whom we had to request an extra blanket. During the day, we put up the do not disturb sign, so that no maid would notice the ridiculous number of toothbrushes out, etc. You may wonder why we didn't use a hostel. There are lots of reasons, but this was probably the cheapest. I only paid 23EUR for lodging the whole weekend (two nights).
Saturday consisted of roaming around the Louvre gardens, the Tuileries, and then going on a New City free Paris Tour. There is a company that does free tours of certain European cities and you just tip what you feel appropriate at the end. The tour guides are all young people, mostly made up of foreigners who have been living there and have come to love the city. Most tours are 3-4.5 hrs long. Ours didn't necessarily include a lot of walking, since we stopped a lot to hear what our guide had to say. She was great, and I learned much more about Paris than I ever knew, which isn't saying much, since I didn't know much to begin with. :) We met at Place St. Michel in the Latin quarter ( so named b/c it's where Sorbonne University is, and when it was first founded, Latin was the only language spoken there.) and continued to the police station, Pont Neuf, Ile de la Cite, Louvre, Tuileries, Champs Elysees, etc. We must have stopped at more, but she also showed us a lot from the distance. I would definitely recommend the company if you ever go to Europe.
Afterwards we headed out to dinner in the St. Germain area, which is a great place to hang out in the evening. Not the most expensive food but not the cheapest. From there we went to the Eiffel Tower. We didn't have time to go up that day, so we just walked around and laid out on the lawn. It was so surreal. It's the one icon of Paris, and yet while lying under it, I still couldn't believe I was there.
The next day we headed to Versailles. It's ridiculously expensive to go tour, especially because at this point they have certain water/music shows in the garden, making the garden cost extra, which it ususally doesn't. It's a very odd feeling walking around this palace, knowing what took place in certain rooms. Palaces are similar to cathedrals, in that once you've seen one, you've basically seen them all. I read a lot about Marie Antoinette, so this palace meant a lot to me. However, when standing in the hall of mirrors, it doesn't seem quite as majestic anymore. I'm not trying to be negative. It was still awesome being there, but as a friend pointed out once, sometimes the reality of locations dreamt about don't perform up to par. Versailles has been a dream and when it became reality the clouds and distant longing disappeared. It became what it truly is, instead of a figment of my imagination. I think this had to do with the fact that no one lives there anymore. I'd like to see what effect Buckingham Palace has on me. In the end, I think a previous revelation of mine fits this scenario. Although I like traveling, I much prefer living in certain places for longer amounts of time and trying to become a 'local'. In that way, I'd much rather be a part of history or relive it than walk hallowed halls.
Due to time constraints we weren't able to make the catacombs, so we headed over to Notre Dame. I had bits and pieces of my first trip to Paris still in my memory, and everything was the same, down to the altar and candleabra on it. The structure is of course incredible, most especially the side transepts. Apparently it was the first cathedral to use flying butresses...shows what I know. We spent relatively little time there and headed over the Eiffel Tower to actually go up this time. It was like waiting in line at Cedar Point, I was in such a good mood. We only went up to the second floor, as opposed to all the way to the top (13th I think?), in order to save money. It was kind of amusing picturing where Tom Cruise proposed to Katie, but in general, it was very exciting to go up, because this was something I hadn't been able to do during my first stay in Paris.
We then headed to Sacre Coeur, which some people claim is more beautiful from Notre Dame, at least from the outside. It's a church in the Byzantine style situated atop Montmartre. It is quite beautiful and calming. I believe that while there, one would like nothing more than to sit on the steps and lawn and look over Paris or picnic. It is remarkable how quiet people are inside. Absolutely no one breaks the rules in this basilica, which leads one to ask why and why it's not possible in other churches. I could spend countless hours in Montmartre, as could most people, I think. As you may have guessed, I love going to places that I've read about or studied. Thus Montmartre had a special place in my heart due to my CompLit class last semester on the Harlem in Paris. It would have been nice to track down specific establishments, but alas, time did not allow for such reminiscing.
Monday, the rest of the group left early in the morning (read checked out of hotel at 5:345am), while I stayed the rest of the day. This means I got to wander around the city for a LONG time. This was also the epic day of being hit on. Thus the title of the entry, "No means no, right?" I think I got hit on about 4 times, and that doesn't include some guy's second attempt. Since our hotel was a block away from the Bastille, I just headed down that way before heading into town. Pick up attemt number 1. Some Arab guy who wanted to get coffee with me and sing Arabic to me. At 6am I was more than not interested. He actually would not leave me alone and somehow managed to give me a kiss on my forehead before I escaped (and yes that is the appropriate verb, since that is what it felt like). I think I'm WAY too nice to strange men, but so far I'm safe....
I then headed down to the Champs Elysees, so that I could see the Arc. It was quite nice being there so early in the morning, as I got to see the sun rise and there was absolutely no traffic around, which basically doesn't happen otherwise. On my way down back into more central Paris, this black guy started talking to me. He was actually quite nice and much less pushy or insistant than the other guy. He's merely worth noting for keeping track purposes and that these two guys occured within probably 20-40min of each other. I wanted to head down to the Sorbonne campus, and although I didn't find it/was too lazy to trek the entire way without knowing if I was actually going to find it, I managed to see more of the Latin quarter.
Later I ended up sitting in the Louvre gardens again and just tried to enjoy the sun and take a small nap, since I was exhausted. Thus begins pick up number three. I seriously think I was asleep when he was calling to me. I opened my eyes to see someone bothering me from my slumber, and although some people would call him good looking, I was not a happy camper, also knowing what was coming. I don't even know what the conversation contained anymore, just that he wins for most bizarre and uncomfortable offer. He wanted to get something to eat and shower together. My French is good enough to know I didn't misunderstand. He would not leave. At some point he squatted down and tried to get me to give him a good bye kiss, which I thankfully avoided. He said I was mean. Finally he left (I left a lot out...), at which point I decided to move to a different location because of him and the sun had moved. I accomplished the latter and found more sun. Unfortunately said guy came back and found me. ( I wasn't THAT far away from before, but still...)He said he missed me and continued to give me the same offer as before. I told him there were other pretty ladies in Paris, but he said I was the prettiest (whether or not that was true :P doesn't matter...) I just ignored him this time till he left. He basically put me in a pissy mood for the rest of the day, and at that point I just wanted to be home. Unfortunately is was only like 11am. The rest of the day is not worth retelling. All in all the trip to Paris was a lovely success, but there is much to be accomplished in the future there.
A friend of mine, Becca, invited me to go along with her and three other Asians (sorry, but it was just a topic all weekend..) to go to Paris. This was only possible due to a wonderful thing in Germany (and surrounding ares) called Mitfahrgelegenheit or "ride along opportunity". It's a website where people post drives they'll be making, offering to take people along over certain destinations, for a small fee. It most usually is much cheaper than the train. I managed to find some people who were going to Paris on Saturday and then some others who were coming back on Monday. Luckily everyone still had seats, and I was good to go. It's kind of like non sketchy hitchhiking, and it's completely trustworthy, though, of course, some experiences are better than others.
I got into Paris and met my friends who had taken the train. Two of them had created an amazingly detailed itinerary, complete with maps, metro stops and directions, prices, most of the important places, etc. Gotta love Google and Wikitravel. The first important thing to note is that in Europe, one pays by person in a hotel. I'm not sure how it works in the US, but I remember putting my whole a family in a room and not paying for 7 people. We had booked a room with a double bed, thus technically only two of us were allowed. The other members of the group had gotten good as sneaking additional people into hotel rooms earlier in the summer, so by this time they were pros at it. This includes scoping out the hotel during check it, taking our bags with them, or as much as they could, and then us entering the hotel in waves at night, and the same in the morning. The sleeping arrangements were quite amusing. We slept four on the bed horizontally and one on the floor, for whom we had to request an extra blanket. During the day, we put up the do not disturb sign, so that no maid would notice the ridiculous number of toothbrushes out, etc. You may wonder why we didn't use a hostel. There are lots of reasons, but this was probably the cheapest. I only paid 23EUR for lodging the whole weekend (two nights).
Saturday consisted of roaming around the Louvre gardens, the Tuileries, and then going on a New City free Paris Tour. There is a company that does free tours of certain European cities and you just tip what you feel appropriate at the end. The tour guides are all young people, mostly made up of foreigners who have been living there and have come to love the city. Most tours are 3-4.5 hrs long. Ours didn't necessarily include a lot of walking, since we stopped a lot to hear what our guide had to say. She was great, and I learned much more about Paris than I ever knew, which isn't saying much, since I didn't know much to begin with. :) We met at Place St. Michel in the Latin quarter ( so named b/c it's where Sorbonne University is, and when it was first founded, Latin was the only language spoken there.) and continued to the police station, Pont Neuf, Ile de la Cite, Louvre, Tuileries, Champs Elysees, etc. We must have stopped at more, but she also showed us a lot from the distance. I would definitely recommend the company if you ever go to Europe.
Afterwards we headed out to dinner in the St. Germain area, which is a great place to hang out in the evening. Not the most expensive food but not the cheapest. From there we went to the Eiffel Tower. We didn't have time to go up that day, so we just walked around and laid out on the lawn. It was so surreal. It's the one icon of Paris, and yet while lying under it, I still couldn't believe I was there.
The next day we headed to Versailles. It's ridiculously expensive to go tour, especially because at this point they have certain water/music shows in the garden, making the garden cost extra, which it ususally doesn't. It's a very odd feeling walking around this palace, knowing what took place in certain rooms. Palaces are similar to cathedrals, in that once you've seen one, you've basically seen them all. I read a lot about Marie Antoinette, so this palace meant a lot to me. However, when standing in the hall of mirrors, it doesn't seem quite as majestic anymore. I'm not trying to be negative. It was still awesome being there, but as a friend pointed out once, sometimes the reality of locations dreamt about don't perform up to par. Versailles has been a dream and when it became reality the clouds and distant longing disappeared. It became what it truly is, instead of a figment of my imagination. I think this had to do with the fact that no one lives there anymore. I'd like to see what effect Buckingham Palace has on me. In the end, I think a previous revelation of mine fits this scenario. Although I like traveling, I much prefer living in certain places for longer amounts of time and trying to become a 'local'. In that way, I'd much rather be a part of history or relive it than walk hallowed halls.
Due to time constraints we weren't able to make the catacombs, so we headed over to Notre Dame. I had bits and pieces of my first trip to Paris still in my memory, and everything was the same, down to the altar and candleabra on it. The structure is of course incredible, most especially the side transepts. Apparently it was the first cathedral to use flying butresses...shows what I know. We spent relatively little time there and headed over the Eiffel Tower to actually go up this time. It was like waiting in line at Cedar Point, I was in such a good mood. We only went up to the second floor, as opposed to all the way to the top (13th I think?), in order to save money. It was kind of amusing picturing where Tom Cruise proposed to Katie, but in general, it was very exciting to go up, because this was something I hadn't been able to do during my first stay in Paris.
We then headed to Sacre Coeur, which some people claim is more beautiful from Notre Dame, at least from the outside. It's a church in the Byzantine style situated atop Montmartre. It is quite beautiful and calming. I believe that while there, one would like nothing more than to sit on the steps and lawn and look over Paris or picnic. It is remarkable how quiet people are inside. Absolutely no one breaks the rules in this basilica, which leads one to ask why and why it's not possible in other churches. I could spend countless hours in Montmartre, as could most people, I think. As you may have guessed, I love going to places that I've read about or studied. Thus Montmartre had a special place in my heart due to my CompLit class last semester on the Harlem in Paris. It would have been nice to track down specific establishments, but alas, time did not allow for such reminiscing.
Monday, the rest of the group left early in the morning (read checked out of hotel at 5:345am), while I stayed the rest of the day. This means I got to wander around the city for a LONG time. This was also the epic day of being hit on. Thus the title of the entry, "No means no, right?" I think I got hit on about 4 times, and that doesn't include some guy's second attempt. Since our hotel was a block away from the Bastille, I just headed down that way before heading into town. Pick up attemt number 1. Some Arab guy who wanted to get coffee with me and sing Arabic to me. At 6am I was more than not interested. He actually would not leave me alone and somehow managed to give me a kiss on my forehead before I escaped (and yes that is the appropriate verb, since that is what it felt like). I think I'm WAY too nice to strange men, but so far I'm safe....
I then headed down to the Champs Elysees, so that I could see the Arc. It was quite nice being there so early in the morning, as I got to see the sun rise and there was absolutely no traffic around, which basically doesn't happen otherwise. On my way down back into more central Paris, this black guy started talking to me. He was actually quite nice and much less pushy or insistant than the other guy. He's merely worth noting for keeping track purposes and that these two guys occured within probably 20-40min of each other. I wanted to head down to the Sorbonne campus, and although I didn't find it/was too lazy to trek the entire way without knowing if I was actually going to find it, I managed to see more of the Latin quarter.
Later I ended up sitting in the Louvre gardens again and just tried to enjoy the sun and take a small nap, since I was exhausted. Thus begins pick up number three. I seriously think I was asleep when he was calling to me. I opened my eyes to see someone bothering me from my slumber, and although some people would call him good looking, I was not a happy camper, also knowing what was coming. I don't even know what the conversation contained anymore, just that he wins for most bizarre and uncomfortable offer. He wanted to get something to eat and shower together. My French is good enough to know I didn't misunderstand. He would not leave. At some point he squatted down and tried to get me to give him a good bye kiss, which I thankfully avoided. He said I was mean. Finally he left (I left a lot out...), at which point I decided to move to a different location because of him and the sun had moved. I accomplished the latter and found more sun. Unfortunately said guy came back and found me. ( I wasn't THAT far away from before, but still...)He said he missed me and continued to give me the same offer as before. I told him there were other pretty ladies in Paris, but he said I was the prettiest (whether or not that was true :P doesn't matter...) I just ignored him this time till he left. He basically put me in a pissy mood for the rest of the day, and at that point I just wanted to be home. Unfortunately is was only like 11am. The rest of the day is not worth retelling. All in all the trip to Paris was a lovely success, but there is much to be accomplished in the future there.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Interesting week...
This week was filled with a few interesting events.
The first thing happened when I walked into work on Monday to discover my boss missing. She apparently injured herself last Friday and was so seriously injured, that she wasn't going to be able to make it into work all week. I guess that's why there are interns!! Even though she has two other student assistants working for her, they don't work every day. I ended up filling Beate's shoes as much as possible, at least within the boundaries of UROP. Luckily Beate can check her work email at home, so she was able to forward me things. The week might not have been so hectic, but we had printed certificates for the participants, all of which had a mistake, and many more had more mistakes, we later discovered. If we just needed to print them ourselves, it might not have been so bad. But not only did I have to send all the revisions to the University Press, I had to write a letter to all the supervisors and professors, who were supposed to sign them, telling them to discard the old certficate and sign the new one, and then I had to mail them all with the university mail. Maybe just fixing them all once would have been okay, but when you discover a new mistake on a couple every day, it gets super frustrating, and kind of embarassing to keep sending the revised copies to the university press. I'm surprised they don't hate me yet.
There were other things that need to be done. I just got really good at following up, answering the phone, and writing very polite business emails. Honestly, I don't if any of the work this week was HARD. It was challenging, I suppose, and one has to be able to keep a level head and remember everything. Everyone was very impressed with how I managed, and I know they were super thankful. Considering people say the Germans aren't apt to praise people, I certainly heard a lot of lob this week. It was kind of nice though this week, because I was kept busy all day. It was also a great example of what it might be like next year, if Beate were to go on vacation and leave me alone.
I think what struck me the most was how happy they were that I was capable of taking care of things and the fact that I actually did. In my eyes, I didn't have a choice. I gladly accepted the challenge, but what else was I supposed to do? Say that I couldn't work without Beate, just not show up, screw everything up ( I suppose that's always possible...)? I feel like I took the most normal action. Needless to say, it was an interesting and fun week.
Another fun event happened about two days ago. I was walking back from the store and this guy stopped me and asked if I knew where a street was. I apologized and told him I didn't know the area very well and proceeded to go on my way. He then proceeded to apologize for bothering me again, but wanted to tell me that I am very attractive and pretty and that I shouldn't take that creepily, but as a compliment. He wanted to know if we could get coffee sometime, casually..(and I kind of believe him in that part, at least initially) He proceeded to mention that he has a girlfriend, but that they're not married, so it's nothing solid, etc., etc. I eventually managed to say good bye. What was further interesting though, was that I mentioned I wouldn't be available since I was flying home soon ( I made it sound sooner than it was.) and he asked if home was South America. Do I look South American? Does my accent sound South American? Anyways, that was new and interesting.
The first thing happened when I walked into work on Monday to discover my boss missing. She apparently injured herself last Friday and was so seriously injured, that she wasn't going to be able to make it into work all week. I guess that's why there are interns!! Even though she has two other student assistants working for her, they don't work every day. I ended up filling Beate's shoes as much as possible, at least within the boundaries of UROP. Luckily Beate can check her work email at home, so she was able to forward me things. The week might not have been so hectic, but we had printed certificates for the participants, all of which had a mistake, and many more had more mistakes, we later discovered. If we just needed to print them ourselves, it might not have been so bad. But not only did I have to send all the revisions to the University Press, I had to write a letter to all the supervisors and professors, who were supposed to sign them, telling them to discard the old certficate and sign the new one, and then I had to mail them all with the university mail. Maybe just fixing them all once would have been okay, but when you discover a new mistake on a couple every day, it gets super frustrating, and kind of embarassing to keep sending the revised copies to the university press. I'm surprised they don't hate me yet.
There were other things that need to be done. I just got really good at following up, answering the phone, and writing very polite business emails. Honestly, I don't if any of the work this week was HARD. It was challenging, I suppose, and one has to be able to keep a level head and remember everything. Everyone was very impressed with how I managed, and I know they were super thankful. Considering people say the Germans aren't apt to praise people, I certainly heard a lot of lob this week. It was kind of nice though this week, because I was kept busy all day. It was also a great example of what it might be like next year, if Beate were to go on vacation and leave me alone.
I think what struck me the most was how happy they were that I was capable of taking care of things and the fact that I actually did. In my eyes, I didn't have a choice. I gladly accepted the challenge, but what else was I supposed to do? Say that I couldn't work without Beate, just not show up, screw everything up ( I suppose that's always possible...)? I feel like I took the most normal action. Needless to say, it was an interesting and fun week.
Another fun event happened about two days ago. I was walking back from the store and this guy stopped me and asked if I knew where a street was. I apologized and told him I didn't know the area very well and proceeded to go on my way. He then proceeded to apologize for bothering me again, but wanted to tell me that I am very attractive and pretty and that I shouldn't take that creepily, but as a compliment. He wanted to know if we could get coffee sometime, casually..(and I kind of believe him in that part, at least initially) He proceeded to mention that he has a girlfriend, but that they're not married, so it's nothing solid, etc., etc. I eventually managed to say good bye. What was further interesting though, was that I mentioned I wouldn't be available since I was flying home soon ( I made it sound sooner than it was.) and he asked if home was South America. Do I look South American? Does my accent sound South American? Anyways, that was new and interesting.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Forgetting things as soon as they happen
I have no idea where the week went. I know there are things I told myself I want to mention, but I doubt I shall remember them all. Although, I'm sure I'll have enough to say anyways.
I feel like I haven't talked much about work and that I should try to talk about that some. Lately besides sending out lots of emails, I've been working on fixing up Excel sheets that will be used as mailing lists or to fill in official letters. We are also planning the end of program poster colloquium. In order to lessen confusion, I'm holding an info session for the students to tell them again what they need to have prepared and how. I swear if they don't show up, I'm going to not only kill them, but not answer any questions they manage to ask before I kill them. :) One task that occupied a ridiculous but amusing amount of time was trying to figure out how to arrange the posters in the room. We knew that we had portable walls to hang 50 posters on and that they are 90cm wide. We were trying to figure out how to arrange the posters according to certain groups and make use of the space. I ended up making phone calls trying to figure out how big the space was, getting the blueprints, and going up to the room to roughly measure with my footsteps (it was in use at the time). I messed around with so many pieces of paper, the paint program in Microsoft, and in PowerPoint before I found something that seemed best suited. The pieces of paper I sketched on just looked ridiculous and somehow I couldn't believe how much effort I had put into figuring out the layout of the room. However in the end, it felt good to know what I had done, and it was fun all the same.
Oddly enough I have no memory of what else I've been doing lately. Possibly just answering lots of emails and sending out important info. I did ask Beate a week or two ago, how she thinks I'm doing and if she's pleased, and she definitely is. I know things are easier on her this year, since I'm here, especially because that means that I can go on excursions, and she can stay home. The offer to come back next year still stands, and that becomes more tempting as I spend time with more and more German friends.
I mentioned that I was going to run a race this past week. The race is called the Lousberglauf or Lousberg Run, and the Lousberg is this hill in Aachen. You basically run up and around it and then back down again. The total distance is 5.555km, so about 3 miles. There were about 2000 participants and we were a registered team. I'm of course so out of shape and didn't train, but I still met my goals: finish within 45 min, not finish last, finish at all. I ran it in about 38min, which is definitely nothing to brag, but it felt good finishing.
I've had some afternoons off at work this past week, so I spent my time at the city library. I mentioned two posts before that I had gone to one of the buddy's places and hung out. The same buddy, Dimitri, also lent me a book, which I really happened to like. I asked if he had other suggestions and proceeded to read those at the library as well as Jodi Piccoult's "Vanishing Acts". I spent around 1.5-2hrs on Thursday and 2.5 hrs on Friday in the library. It was nice to get caught up in books that I didn't want to put down and to be secluded away from my apartment.
Friday night I was unexpectedly invited out by Johannes, he's one of the German friends I've mentioned I've run into on the street before, to get drinks with his girlfriend and a friend of hers, who was driving thru town. I got so excited, because I didn't have plans, and it meant a lot to me that he invited me out. We ended up having some beer just sitting around in a park and then much later we decided to go out. I met them back up at another friend's place to have another beer and then we headed out. We ultimately decided not to go to our original goal destiniation, B9, but just chilled on the street. I randomly bumped into Megan, a girl in the program, and as our group was dispersing at that point, she and I headed to Apollo club for reggae night. There this girl approached us and greet us, or at least me, very enthusiastically. I recognized her, but I have no idea how I know her. She even proceeded to take photos of us during the night. Megan and I were hoping she tag us somehow, and I would remember who she is, but seeing as how she and I aren't friends online anywhere, I have no idea....
Saturday, I went to Liege with some UROP students and some other foreign students. Sarah, a student assistant, with whom I often work, accompanied me. Liege is a liesurely hour drive away. We had a disappointing river tour, but after that, the day picked up. Our tour guide for our city tour was wonderful and led us through the historical and then modern part of Liege for 1.5hrs.
Sunday, I had plans to go to the Carolus Thermen again (the thermal baths). This time I went with four other people, and really had a great time. They are very relaxing, though I'm not sure that was the best thing for me after having just gotten about 14hrs of sleep. In the evening some of us got together again, plus another friend, and got dinner and dessert, basically because none of us wanted to go home and were too lazy to do anything else, not that there was much else to do. It was an awesome evening. I laughed so much with those friends and we really just walked around and had some crazy conversations. The good thing is that I often hang out with the one girl, Becca, and I'm starting to hang out more and more with Hendrik.
Becca and I
Me, Hendrik, Michael
Aachen town hall: one of the prettiest in Germany
I feel like I haven't talked much about work and that I should try to talk about that some. Lately besides sending out lots of emails, I've been working on fixing up Excel sheets that will be used as mailing lists or to fill in official letters. We are also planning the end of program poster colloquium. In order to lessen confusion, I'm holding an info session for the students to tell them again what they need to have prepared and how. I swear if they don't show up, I'm going to not only kill them, but not answer any questions they manage to ask before I kill them. :) One task that occupied a ridiculous but amusing amount of time was trying to figure out how to arrange the posters in the room. We knew that we had portable walls to hang 50 posters on and that they are 90cm wide. We were trying to figure out how to arrange the posters according to certain groups and make use of the space. I ended up making phone calls trying to figure out how big the space was, getting the blueprints, and going up to the room to roughly measure with my footsteps (it was in use at the time). I messed around with so many pieces of paper, the paint program in Microsoft, and in PowerPoint before I found something that seemed best suited. The pieces of paper I sketched on just looked ridiculous and somehow I couldn't believe how much effort I had put into figuring out the layout of the room. However in the end, it felt good to know what I had done, and it was fun all the same.
Oddly enough I have no memory of what else I've been doing lately. Possibly just answering lots of emails and sending out important info. I did ask Beate a week or two ago, how she thinks I'm doing and if she's pleased, and she definitely is. I know things are easier on her this year, since I'm here, especially because that means that I can go on excursions, and she can stay home. The offer to come back next year still stands, and that becomes more tempting as I spend time with more and more German friends.
I mentioned that I was going to run a race this past week. The race is called the Lousberglauf or Lousberg Run, and the Lousberg is this hill in Aachen. You basically run up and around it and then back down again. The total distance is 5.555km, so about 3 miles. There were about 2000 participants and we were a registered team. I'm of course so out of shape and didn't train, but I still met my goals: finish within 45 min, not finish last, finish at all. I ran it in about 38min, which is definitely nothing to brag, but it felt good finishing.
I've had some afternoons off at work this past week, so I spent my time at the city library. I mentioned two posts before that I had gone to one of the buddy's places and hung out. The same buddy, Dimitri, also lent me a book, which I really happened to like. I asked if he had other suggestions and proceeded to read those at the library as well as Jodi Piccoult's "Vanishing Acts". I spent around 1.5-2hrs on Thursday and 2.5 hrs on Friday in the library. It was nice to get caught up in books that I didn't want to put down and to be secluded away from my apartment.
Friday night I was unexpectedly invited out by Johannes, he's one of the German friends I've mentioned I've run into on the street before, to get drinks with his girlfriend and a friend of hers, who was driving thru town. I got so excited, because I didn't have plans, and it meant a lot to me that he invited me out. We ended up having some beer just sitting around in a park and then much later we decided to go out. I met them back up at another friend's place to have another beer and then we headed out. We ultimately decided not to go to our original goal destiniation, B9, but just chilled on the street. I randomly bumped into Megan, a girl in the program, and as our group was dispersing at that point, she and I headed to Apollo club for reggae night. There this girl approached us and greet us, or at least me, very enthusiastically. I recognized her, but I have no idea how I know her. She even proceeded to take photos of us during the night. Megan and I were hoping she tag us somehow, and I would remember who she is, but seeing as how she and I aren't friends online anywhere, I have no idea....
Saturday, I went to Liege with some UROP students and some other foreign students. Sarah, a student assistant, with whom I often work, accompanied me. Liege is a liesurely hour drive away. We had a disappointing river tour, but after that, the day picked up. Our tour guide for our city tour was wonderful and led us through the historical and then modern part of Liege for 1.5hrs. Sunday, I had plans to go to the Carolus Thermen again (the thermal baths). This time I went with four other people, and really had a great time. They are very relaxing, though I'm not sure that was the best thing for me after having just gotten about 14hrs of sleep. In the evening some of us got together again, plus another friend, and got dinner and dessert, basically because none of us wanted to go home and were too lazy to do anything else, not that there was much else to do. It was an awesome evening. I laughed so much with those friends and we really just walked around and had some crazy conversations. The good thing is that I often hang out with the one girl, Becca, and I'm starting to hang out more and more with Hendrik.
Becca and I
Me, Hendrik, Michael
Aachen town hall: one of the prettiest in Germany
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)