"Put in my mixed tape. It's the one right on the dash. It says 'chilling with my peeps and my main man the monarch'."---Number 21

I haven't blogged lately. Shame. But we've been really busy.

As I said, I went to Oktoberfest this weekend and to Nuremberg yesterday... Oh so, eventful.

We went to the Nazi Museum in Nuremberg (I don't know it's English name... it was all in German). I learned a lot more about the Nazi's and Hitler's madness than I had known about previously... but that's another topic for another day. I also went to Albrect Durer's house and had a tour guided by his "wife," Agnes. I give her points for being a passionate actress. Then we headed off to the Toy Museum. It was awesome. Toys from all over the world from all years... no pictures allowed, but you know me: I got pictures.

So this weekend we're off to Berlin for a couple of days and then I'm going to Prague next weekend.

I'll update this more thoroughly later.

Cheers!

Lazy Sunday (no copyright infringement intended)

After the refreshing 24 mile bike to and from Eichofener, Germany, yesterday I have been a useless slug for the past 36 hours. No joke. I feel like an old man trying to stand up because my knees feel like they might give. So, I've been bedridden for the most part. I did get up shower though, so no worries about bed sores; it's not that bad.

My homework ambition is about a -100.90 on the "Getting Stuff Done Scale" (or as i refer to it, the GSDS). Although the only thing I need to finish is a worksheet for German (I hope) and keep working on sketches (I don't want to talk about it). I realy need a weekend here for that sketchbook. Just do about a hundred in one sitting.... not happening.

Besides the aformentioned items, I've been thinking about next semester a lot, more along the lines of what classes to take. Right now here's the plan: RGS 200/ENG 201 (either will do), BIO 330, SPA 302, and PSY 326. That's only 12 hours. So my dilemma is this, keep it at 12 and try to work extra hours somewhere or push in another class or two to keep me busy. I can't add anymore classes required for me to graduate because I won't have enough hours to string out until Spring 2011 (I don't want to rush through and graduate Fall 2010; I really want to be able to give my thesis my all since it's being published in a nice bound book). So I'm mulling over taking GER 102 and a math course. I miss taking math courses. Although both biology and psychology require a good grasp on statistics, they aren't big on making math a large requirement. Which is a bit puzzling actually.

So, my hope is I can work out squeezing GER 102 in and maybe... just maybe, I'll venture into MAT 250 (Calculus). I remember having to work hard for my A in AP Calc in high school, so I'm a little worried. But I also remember liking it a lot more than algebra and geometry. But I haven't quite decided what to do with my time yet. It might be that I just stick with my 12 hours and work a second job somewhere. I really need to if I want to start saving for a grown-up mode of transportation instead of my scooter and my bike (although I'm perfectly happy with just both).

I know I've been lazy with this blog (especially pictures), but I have a good reason for why the pictures are so slow on getting uploaded (no excuse for the blog... I'm just doing a lot over here). Blogspot/Blogger is affliated with g-mail (Google's e-mail host) and through there you can use this program called Picassaweb. It seems nifty at first, uploading pictures into albums. But trying to get the new albums to be selected on the slideshow thingy on the left side (it says "The Dom" right now) takes a lot of work. I have to delete previous albums, upload everything again, re-send pictures... the whole process takes at least 45 minutes.

But just to satiate all those who are good in this world and have not succumbed to facebook (yes, you Grandma Jo. You are a better person than the rest of us). I'll put a picture here of me in my dirndl. Hope you enjoy this one until I can figure out Picassaweb.



Cheers!

Pain, Thy Name is "Bike"

So, my plans did get rearranged because of something that's happened here, and I'm a little sad... not because my plans were changed but because of the circumstances. I didn't go to Passau, but I can visit it later on.

However, Thursday and Friday I ran off to Munich to experience the Oktoberfest. I left each night before it got really wild and I had a lot of fun. We had a table reserved each time so there wasn't a lot of walking around needed to find one. But this thing is big. It's like the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky State Fair rolled into one and then multiplied by four. Everywhere you turned there was a person and I paid 10 Euro for a liter of really good beer. It was definitely something I enjoyed even though I hadn't planned on going to it. However, after going to the Dult here in Regensburg, I really wanted to keep going to more festivals.

I rode this rollercoaster with five loops in the orientation of the olymipic rings. Insane.

Anyway, Oktoberfest was good, lots of walking... but then I rode a bike today for 24 miles. My butt HURTS. I didn't have a heart attack or have trouble breathing and my thighs only started hurting on the last mile. But you have no idea what pain is until your butt hurts. Really. Even after getting on the bus and sitting down, it was painful. But I'm really proud of myself because, even though I went a little slower than everyone else, I feel like I'm in fairly ok shape after doing this. It's like being in the army and realizing how much you can do... without someone yelling at you, of course.

So I feel really prepared for my ride across Austria now since it's 53 miles total which means I can do half one day and half the other. The worst part is being tired. You don't eat a whole lot so your energy plummets fast without a quick calorie fix. Our program director had these little squeeze tubes filled with what tasted like cake icing.

Anyway, I've got to get to drawing.

Cheers!

Rearrangement

That last blog? (The one not hosting a video.) Postponed. It wasn't any issue with anyone going or the weather; there was a bit of misfortune for a program member and our program director, as dedicated as he is, would like to stay here for the weekend. I don't blame him at all... it really is for the best that he's pulling his support for this student.

However, Oktoberfest is still a go, dirndl and all. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures...

And I will be biking a good distance on Saturday; we've decided to do a warm-up bike ride to see how we'll feel about riding for 53 miles or so. Saturday, we're renting bikes and riding about 15 or so miles along the Danube River. I'm still very excited.

I won't lie though, this week has been extremely stressful. But I think it's on the downhill slope now. I have a headache and am probably going to pass out now.

Cheers.

Something new and interesting...

...TEDTalks. Check out this video from the latest TED Speaker. TED hosts bright ideas from insightful individuals not made popular by conventional media. Most of their speakers hit on issues that you would never think about and it's interesting to watch. TED hosts all their talks for free on their homepage and youtube. They are never more than 18 minutes long.

In case you were wondering...

... I'm hoping that all of you have come here in hopes of finding out my weekend plans (especially after the Sweden fiasco).

I'm going to lay it out for you: Thursday, I'm going to Oktoberfest and buying a dirndl. It's Munich's Dult. I know it's the tourist thing to do, but give me a break. I'm having a hardcore weekend.

Friday, I'm going to Passau, Germany, and seeing the sights; it's like Amburg, a pretty little European town. From Passau I'm taking a train to Obertraun, Austria. "What's there?" you ask. It's just a pretty little village that is popular for Austrian holidays (vacations). What am I doing there? Well... let me draw you a picture first.



In case you don't get it: from Obertraun to Salzburg is approximately 86 km. This is roughly about 53 miles.

I am biking 53 miles this weekend across one of Austria's districts. And visiting stuff along the way. And seeing Salzburg.

I might possibly die from this.

Cheers.

So Angry...

I was going to Sweden this weekend. I was going to spend three and a half days in Sweden. I had it all planned out. This has made me so angry that I want to travel back in time and do something to the inventor(s) of the internet.

I was in the midst of booking an already expensive flight ($220) on Ryanair's website. I put in all my information. I gave them my Visa card number. I pressed authorize. FOR AN HOUR. I did all of this for an hour and it kept giving me the same message: "Your payment has been declined and this transaction has been cancelled."

I WANT TO KNOW WHO THE FRICK HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE ME HANDING OVER A RIDICULOUS SUM OF MONEY.

Please. Do tell me. Because right now, Ryanair's prices have skyrocketed and now I can't go to Sweden.

No cheers here. This officially stinks.

My stomach

Since I've gotten to Germany, I haven't been able to eat without some difficulty. I tell everyone I'm eating well and I do when I'm able to stomach food. I don't know what it is about this place, but I take two bites of something and literally end up feeling like I've eaten a five-course meal. Needless to say, I'm pretty hungry usually. However, most of my cooking specialities lie within one of these categories: Mexican, Asain, Itailian. Notice, not German. Also, my two main meats are chicken and beef, chicken 90% of the time. Here, there is very little in the wayward of chicken products (unless you count whole chickens and chicken nuggets).

I'm going insane. I love to cook and this is madness. I go to the store, dictionary in hand... none of the words on the shelf match what's in my book. I take a deep breath, fully realizing I look like an idiot already and look at the ingrediant list on the pack of the product. Desperately I try to imagine what chicken, egg, gerkin salad when taste like. I decide not good. So onto the next product... Lachs. I think, "Lachs, lachs... that kind of sounds like lox, right?" So I buy it. I get home and, sure enough it's lox. Score! And sure enough... it's in oil. No score. So I have to wash the lox off before I can even eat it.

Shopping is hard here. I can't find canned soup or milk that comes in a larger container than .5 litre. Oh, and everything chocolately treat tastes like Nutella here. I will never eat Nutella again. God knows this... that's how serious this is.

Really, my dinner tonight is chocolate milk (in a plastic container with an aluminum lid you take off... like yogurt) and a jar of mushrooms. No joke. I am in serious withdrawl of my favorite foods. I'd even eat something REALLY bad at this point... like a KFC Famous Bowl ("The 'Mashed Potato with Gravy Famous Bowl' has 690 calories (corrected: 270 of those from fat), 31 grams of fat, 55mgs of cholesterol, 26 grams of carbohydrates, and 27 grams of protein). Death in a bowl pretty much. Dessert being a fried twinkie.

Yeah. That's how bad this has gotten. I need a slice of veggie from Matt B's or a roll of sushi from Jasmine's or Shogun's (there's a sushi place here, but I'm not sure I want to try it). I can't even walk into Netto's meat section without becoming sick to my stomach because of the pork smell. This trip seals it. No pork. EVER. It is such a sickening smell that it's hard for me to buy fish. I lose my appetite.

But there's hope... my mom and Grandma Jo have sent a box filled with generous goodies, including cans of sardines in mustard suace. Heavenly. Pure bliss in a pull-tab can.

Anyway, I've got to get on this paper due Wednesay. I won't have time to do it tomorrow.

Cheers!

This is what purgatory feels like

These three day weekends are no good. It starts off on Friday where, invariably, sleep in (a bad start) but, I do get out and walk around exploring the area (this past Friday I walked down a little further where a secondary school is near us). Then on Saturday, I think there might have been some idea of a plan to go travel somewhere within Bavaria, but I don't think it ever came to frutation. I spent yesterday reading my assignments for humanties (I have three) and working diligently on my German homework (you'd think by now maybe we'd have some sort of international system of telling time...). Today, I have to crack down on the travel journal. I have not done a single drawing yet. Fortunately, I think I have 80 something days left here, so if I promise myself one-a-day from here on out, I could do it.

So, not much to tell. Stressed out about school. I have a paper due Wednesday that I haven't even begun to think about. Ughhhh.


Cheers.

This has NOTHING to do with Germany, Study Abroad, or My Life

But man, is it gonna be awesome!!!!

The weather today is stressful with a slight chance of pessimism

Don't get me wrong. I feel every minute here is something I try to file into my memory. I drink up every sound and am gluttonous when it comes to the smallest details here.

But I wish, so much, that El Mariachi Loco could magically be here.

I don't crave KFC or McDonald's. I don't want free refills or ice in my drink. I want good sushi and good Mexican food.

Last night we went to a place called Sausalito's and it had Mexican food that kinda held my craving back at bay, but today I feel like a crack junkie who is in their first day of rehab... not that I know what that feels like, but this is bad. It's getting to the point where I am about to make my own tortillas and make my own fajitas... albeit without Mexican crumble cheese but that is something low on my list of needs. Sour cream. Oh holy heavens. Where's the sour cream and lox in this place? I just want an order of eggs with lox and sour cream smothered on top.

But on a different note, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown tomorrow. It's the Jewish New Year basically. It actually marks the beginning of ten days of repentance... I think that's right. I know that it ends with Yom Kippur, the atonement day. What happens is this (once again, I'm a little rusty at this explanation... and I'm too lazy to look it up): During the ten days of atonement you work to repent and show God that you're trying to make amends for your bad behavior (against Him or others). And then God seals his verdict for your fate in the upcoming year on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is like the day when final grades are posted, in my opinion. During the semester you slack off and do the bare minimum to get by and then, all of a sudden, you realize you're failing the class. You now have ten days to study your tuckus off and hopefully you've madea good enough grade on your final to pass the class, at least for that semester. God lays down how you're going to be faring in the future on Yom Kippur...

Obviously, these aren't the actual analogies that an Orthodox Jew would use. I think an Orthodox Jew might hurt me for using that comparison, it's kinda not religious. Take heart, this is just Kim's way of making it a little more colorful. No Jew tries to make up for a year's worth of transgressions by doing the Good Deed Olympics in ten days. No good Jew anyway. I don't think God is the type of being to overlook a year's worth of being a horrible person just because you've become Mother Theresa of the Jews (is this going to get me in trouble?) so you can have your name on God's good list.

Anyway, with my lack of finding God anywhere, I might travel to find a synagogue during one of these days. I've never been to temple because, well, Western Kentucky actually has a severe lack of them (imagine that). I'm bound to find one here... I hope. I really want to attend temple during one of the high holy days. Of course I don't know German, but I'll survive.

However, this travel journal/sketchbook is getting to me: the whole, I can't draw thing is an over-looming shadow. So, along with lots of reading and paper writing, I've got to worry about drawing now. And that's why I'm stressed. And a little pessmistic.

Cheers!

Unexcusably Horrible

I've realized that I don't recount my daily happenings here; I become so introspective that I don't get to tell you about all the things I DO here in Germany and in Regensburg. And I should... I'm horrible about glossing over some things around here that have been incredible that I just... I suppose I know what I've seen and experienced and, unfortunately, by the time I get to here, it's the last end of my train of thoughts. You're getting the finished product without seeing my process. Not fair.

So, the big thing I have skimmed over is how it looks when I walk around. In America, it's obvious: there's commercial areas and residental areas and streets and sidewalks... you live there, you know what I'm talking about. While there are regular concrete streets like in America and sidewalks, there are seperate bike paths inbetween the two. The majority of sidewalks are cobblestone. All of downtown is cobblestone and cars drive through with wild abandon.

The buildings here are gorgeous as well. Most have an old European charm, while others it is obvious das Bauhaus had a large hand in influencing. The older buildings are all tall and have intricate relief sculptures and are painted in a varity of colors. Inside a lot of the older buildings are the older wood work, such as stairs and support beams; the modern amenities were obviously added on later as seen as a necessity for keeping with the times. Some windows have intricate iron work covering the windowsill and flowers weave themselves among the criss-crosses of the metalwork. Lots of houses, as mentioned before, have small garden beds outside of their windows. Limestone was the building material of choice for lots of older stonework because that is what's available in this region.

Downtown you are likely to see a couple of street performers with accordians or violins or guitars. Forgetting that I try to ignore the fact I don't have money to toss at these people, it feels a little surreal walking downtown on the cobblestone with all of the older buildings and statues everywhere and then hearing an accordian or violin in the background.

Beer gardens and restaurants with outside service are popular. Beer gardens probably moreso because they are usually in an enclosed and scenic area. And by scenic, I mean extremely scenic. There are lots of flowers and plants here in various places as well as small gardening areas blocked off for public use. Not everyone has a backyard here so a plot of land can be bought in a gardening area and it's yours! You just have to share your plot with others who are right next to you. I've only seen one here and it's closer to our dormitories than it is downtown.

What else? Hmm. We did go and visit the City Hall here (it might be called Altes Rathaus). We were shown areas with original 13th century wood walls and a dancing/meeting hall from the 15th century. It had elaborate paintings and a couple of tapestries gracing the walls. We were also allowed to view the "interrogation" area (which means "torture," you know) and that was a tad bit spooky. It smelled of damp mold and the lighting was just dim enough to wonder if it was kept that way of purpose. We saw holding cells (some were just dark holes, for the most part) and the torture area, as well as some instruments used for public demonstration (such as chairs that held the offender by the neck while people would throw rotten food at them). Afterwards was a look at some of the cast iron cannons and an old market scale (HUGE).

So, I hope that has quenched your thirst for what it's like a little here. I'm terribly sorry that I haven't been very descriptive. But, in my defense, I become very over-whelmed with the amount of history just here in public view, free of charge. I remember haveing the same feeling in Mexico. In America, there isn't a whole lot of history staring you in the face. Maybe in the original thirteen colonies, but not so much. The reality of it is, America s young compared to the rest of the world. We're really in the process of trying to build a rich history and there's no telling what it might look like. Certainly, we'll never have what Europe, South America, and Asia have. The Indians who lived in North America also did not believe in defiling the land unnecessarily so that might play a part in our lack of readily available history (if that makes sense).

Anyhow, I still haven't started on my travel journal and I must. I am now doing this for a grade. Boo. What was I thinking? However, I made A's in both my GER 101 and GER 105 courses last week (excitment!). HON 252 is going swimmingly and HON 164 is just what I thought it would be (easy). So, besides ART 490, no major stressors.

Finally, I am either going to Freiburg or Prague this weekend. More on that as the situation develops.

Cheers!

The Time Traveler Discovers Air

So after a weekend of botched plans and feeling horribly ill, today has made up for all of it... including the lack of completed homework part (which I will be paying for tonight in sleep). Today a few of use went to Amburg, a sleepy little town with lots of old European beauty. It had the classic architecture with flower beds littering every windowsill and old wooden bridges and cobblestone roads (well cobblestone is everywhere here reall). Our main reason for going was to see the Paul Reubens exhibit. He's a Flemish baroque painter, but we mostly saw his lithographic prints. And we did and, had there not been other things about the day, I'd talk about that some more. There were also a pair of black long-haired cats with white stars on their necks. They looked exactly like my Sally baby. It happened that one of them acted like her too... so I got my cat fix. Nothing says true affection like a cat rubbing themselves happily against you. Obviously, I miss my little ones. I just hope when I get back the kitten (who will be all grown when I return) will still want to sleep and cuddle with me at night.

Oh, but the best part: Luftmuseum. Let's clarify: "Luft" is German for "air." Lufthansa Airways makes more sense now, right? We were curious so we asked the lady at the dest of the Amburg Staadt museum what it was about. It was so strange we had to go.

This museum is a permanant fixture in the city. If it involves air on this earth, it was in there. There were parts about aviation. There were parts about leaf blowers, fans, and vaccuums. There were buttons you could press to get an air shower and to hear air go through an organ pipe. There was a flying carpet. Practically everything. They have a room full of inflatable items with bubble wrap for curtains. There were inner tubes tied together to make some intestine-like sculpture. Another room showed how lift-chairs for disabled people work. There was a display where they had buried inflatables and then excavated them years later, leaving fossils of Mickey Mouse and inflatable dolphins and aligators. Obviously, there was an inflatable alphabet and, when I walked in, Chris's name had been spelled out.

There was also a game where you used compressed air to shoot tennis balls around. This museum was incredible. It really made my weekend that we had found it by accident. I wish I could articulate more of the story, but I really need to get cracking on homework. I had a really good day today though. But check out the museum's website:
http://www.luftmuseum.de/

Yes. In German, but pictures are a universal language... and there is a picture of the air shower. When you see it, you'll know.

Bis morgen.
Cheers!

Down for the count

I have no idea what is going on with me. Even if I get 7 hours of sleep, I'm still so exhausted it takes all of my energy just to brush my teeth. I'm almost a little relieved I couldn't afford to go anywhere this weekend because I wouldn't have enjoyed myself at all. I would have spent most of the time trying to convince myself I felt well enough to venture out. I know yesterday just getting onto the bus and taking a 15 minute ride downtown wore me out so much I was nauseated for the rest of my day looking about. That and the headaches. I've had a headache for over two days now and it only gets a little better if I take a few strong painkillers. (i.e Exederin Ultra Strength). It almost feels like the flu but then it almost doesn't.

However, I am doing my best to leave my room. Today I plan to go out and do my first drawings today for ART 490. That and I really want to buy a plant for my room. It'll give me some responsibility... keeping this place clean isn't too hard. Thankfully, Martin and I are both neat freaks. Which reminds me... the rubbish bins have been found! Actually, I had to break down and finally ask Martin (one of my flatmates) where they were because no amount of looking had helped. Apparently, the recyclable bins were right under my nose, but the regular trash... hidden behind a steel door underneath our complex and it can only be opened with a room key.

No joke, my room key opens EVERYTHING. I have to use it to get into my building, my floor, and my room. THEN, I have to use to get into the laundry room AND the trash cans. My university should really adopt this policy. You're getting what you pay for with your tuition and no free-loaders... although tuition here is LOTS cheaper AND the government pays for it after you finish a year of community service. Basically, when you get into a univeristy here it means that all of you had to do the same amount of work to attend. None of this making sure we allow affirmative action dicate who is allowed into the university or wanting to raise enrollment rate so standards are lowered. ... and maybe I'll get into trouble for saying that.

Anyhow, trash cans were found. Life makes sense again.

But on a sidenote, I found a mineral and fossil shop! It's not "out of the way." It's just where no one goes. The rocks and minerals are so-so, mostly for jewelry and showing off. But the fossils were amazing. They had a trilobite fossil for sale that was bigger than my head and several sharks' teeth that were larger than my hand. They also have a few bug specimens preserved in resin which are interesting. I bought one like from Mexico and I loved it... might do the same here. They have one beetle preserved as a paperweight; it looks promising. I also found an antique shop that opens back up on the 15th; I think it might have been closed for the summer (I think that's what the sign said). That looks like it deserves a look as well.

So, not much going on. I'll probably be going to Amburg tomorrow and see a Ruebens exhibit. Exciting.

Until then, cheers!

Disheartening

So, it looks like after all my planning, I won't be going anywhere this weekend. The bank has pulled a fast one on me.

I usually receive a check at the end of the month for being enrolled at a univeristy (don't ask how I have it, I just do) and, you guessed it, as soon as I leave it does not come like clockwork. Unfortunately, the bank just sent me an email stating, "check posted." I became extremely excited because I thought Chris had gotten my check in the mail and went to deposit it today. No such luck. I have even LESS than I thought. In my excitement, I didn't realize that this posting was for debit, not credit. It was the check for the rent I am paying while abroad. So, no going anywhere this weekend.

I think there might be a day trip with the few that are staying here, so I will tag along there if I can.

However, I don't know what I will do about next weekend. It's not as if I don't have money enough to travel, it's just that in case something goes wrong with that check, I need to have money to pay rent... I had been planning on using the monthly check to pay monthly rent owed. So, now I don't know what I'm going to do...

There's a good chance I'll just bust out my video camera tomorrow and walk around.

Believe me, I am more than a little sad.

Cheers.

Digame el verdad.

"Tell me the truth," is what that says. It has no special meaning, I just can't find a catchier title, and what's more appealing than the word "truth" and someone admitting it?

Today is the first Thursday of many; here, it is the last day of class for the week. It is set up like this not because the German education system is (to the best of my knowledge it is not) but because the program gives time for traveling while we're here. As I have mentioned before I think Nuremburg and Passau are on my list to visit... but I may just visit Passau this weekend because we have a group trip to Nuremburg.

However, a lot of people went to Salzburg this weekend... Iwould say about 80% of the group actually. I suppose I could have taken some initiative and ask to tag along, but I learned an importat lesson while in Mexico: you aren't going to enjoy yourself, if you don't like the people you're with. At least, that's my opinion. Take it as you will. I'm happier going by myself to Passau (a small town near Regensburg in Bavaria) than in a large tourist group in Salzburg... I don't know. I just don't like being a tourist.

This is probably a reason for my discomfort here because almost everyone came for the express reason of wanting to study abroad in Europe to get travel in (once in a lifetime thing, you understand). So, I become confused when I actually HAD a purpose for studying abroad again (albiet I wanted to go back to Morelia, but glad I didn't because of the fiasco with KIIS and my university) and am told I need to travel a LOT. Well, there are two problems with this. One, lack of money. I'd like to see some of the people here budget $3000 for four months... while in Europe. See my point? It wouldn't happen. A couple of girls were saying how they'd gone through a $1000 in one week. I do a little better than $3000, but not much and it's very variable when extra money might just happen to show up. Two, I am taking 15 hours abroad. This is above recommended... and it doesn't help that I care about my grades still. Finally, I planned on working on the groundwork for my thesis... and some other research projects, but that's neither here nor there.

So, I become conflicted when trying to decide what to do here. On one hand, I understand that this is Europe and I need to overdose on it. However, I have my ways and one of them is not to be overly tourist-y. I do plan on going to Salzburg and visiting the salt mine and going to Vienna and maybe seeing something about Freud there... but all in due time. I like to be very well-informed and last minute deals don't settle well with me. I do have a list of things I'd like to do such as: visit Prague, explore more of Munich, visit Salzburg, visit Vienna (Wien auf Deutsch), Berlin, Dusseldorf (coal mines there), and other places around Germany. I'd like to make it to Switzerland too... but that's about it. Big plans in my opinion.

However, to be honest, after class ended before noon I have been lazy and have stayed cooped up in my room. I have good reason: a toothache. For most people, that would not have detered them. Unfortunately, I have this severely irrational fear of losing my teeth (it's almost equal to amputation). The particular tooth in question is actually of great worry to me because of this:

A few years back, during a check-up my then-dentist noticed I still had two baby teeth. Apparently, I never had replacements. These teeth are originals from childhood. Antiques if you will. I ask him if it's going to be okay. He then chuckles and says, "Well, most times people can live 'til they're about fifty and keep old teeth. That won't happen with you." He basically put me on this countdown for losing teeth fairly soon in my adult life. However, I had already been anxious about the idea of losing teeth... so this made it into a full blown phobia.

Fun fact: I don't eat raw apples because of it.

I tried eating earlier today, but it was just a tomato and mozzarella cheese sandwich. Nothing fancy. However, I have taken it easy because I'm deathly afraid that this toothache could signify the beginning of the end for the tooth.

On a lighter note, we were able to visit the city hall yesterday that had parts dating back to the 13th century. There was a pleasant visit to the 16th century torture chamber as well. More on that another time.

Cheers!

There is no greater good than sardines...

A brief conversation with my mother about the situation:

*the conversation begins with something she asked me on facebook... of course. When isn't it facebook?*

2:03pm Kim says: What did you comment? I can't see it

2:03pm Pam says: I put your name on the check.. yes?

2:03pm Kim says: Yes

2:03pm Pam says: I'll send it out to chris when I send out your box Sat... box complete with sardines swimming in mustard

2:04pm Kim says: So what's all in it?

2:04pm Pam says: lotion, sardines, all the other stuff you asked for and lots of snacks

2:05pm Kim says: So... Not to concern you but a concerned professor alerted the study abroad office to my blog because well.. you know it sounded suicidal

2:08pm Pam says: veggie chips, apple chips, yogart covered rasins
of course, already mentioned the sardines... getting four of those suckers

2:12pm Kim says: are you getting my msg lol?

Oh, well.

... writing that last blog late at night probably wasn't the best of ideas. I'm not too concerned about it. It's good that sometimes others see that everything in your life isn't going peachy-keen. And sometimes it's for the best.

And looking back at it at 8 pm this evening, it sounds bad. Even to me. Sorry for any undue duress I might have caused anyone and I appreciate those of you who have expressed concerns (there were a lot of you). It's something that I am forced to see that I can not just brush under the rug anymore; eventually, it will build up and there's no hiding it.

So, oh well. It happens. I hate to admit that I make mistakes, but I do. And I hate to admit that no matter where in the world I might go and no matter what languages I might try to learn, I will still be me. So knowing those things, I have to admit that, after this past year, I should not have tried to study abroad this semester. I really should not have, knowing myself.

But, fear not, (and watch here, if you're sensitive, I will use the "s" word here. Scary, I know) I am too much of a wuss to commit suicide. I know it's a relief to everyone. Quite honestly, I still believe there is a God and, although I might not agree with the terms in which He thought I should be here, I still have a good fear of what might happen if I decided to take my fate into my own hands. Oh, that and the whole dying thing. So, take heart, Kim is too much of a coward to face the unknown. Thank God.

So, even though this blog is being closely monitered now (it's that whole, "suicide" thing again), I won't take my last blog down. You know. I'm 21. I don't fit in here with the others on the program. So, obviously I should feel that I need to "off" myself... while abroad for some reason. However, I refuse to believe that being different should be cause for me to feel badly about myself. And if I write something a little disturbing, it is probably me in the throws of an existential crisis. No, the average young adult probably doesn't wonder if they will find enlightenment. Most are worried about if they will be able to find a job after graduation.

However, I will be more considerate next time to my readers. I do agree, upon reading that now, that my being melodramatic could be misinterpreted and it's my fault entirely.

But, going past all this depressing garbage, I think I might be traveling to Nuremberg and Paasau for day trips this weekend. Not sure how I will fare on my own, but if anything, they're close to Regensburg. That and I went to Dult Monday (it's a summer festival here... it's like the county fair, except two weeks long instead of a weekend. Imagine that. A festival that's actually a festicval). It was amazing, but more on that later. I have to finish some German homework.

I feel like I should be put into a corner like a small child after my little fiasco yesterday to be honest. But, I'll live.

Cheers.

The End.

No more blogs.

I'm not doing this anymore because tonight was horrible.

Mostly everyone ignores me here. If I'm not being ignored I say something stupid.

And one of my reasons for being here has been taken away from me.

So, don't expect anything else.

I'm finished with this.

At the Movies

As much as I love to watch movies, the gap between what comes out in the U.S. and when it comes out here in Germany has definitely put a damper on my trip... however this also means if there was a movie I missed seeing in theaters before I left, more than likely it will be here in English in a month or so. But, there will be some movies that I will have to miss going to a theater to see because I will be returning home in December.

So, we're going to take a quick break from being pensive in Europe and present, "Kim's Guide to the Movies She's Going to Miss (and ones she's glad she's not in the states for)." It's a catchy title.

1. Well. Number 1 on my list is 9. Obviously, the movie poster can be see directly to the left of this. It is based off a very clever short film (which after some clever hunting, you can find on the internet... what can't you find on the internet?). I will be interested in seeing the reviews on this one. I loved the short.

2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: I never read the children's book. Chris, however, had some vivd flashback after seeing the trailer to this movie and swore to me it was a book he had read as a kid. Me, believing I read all of the important books a kid needs as a child myself, did not believe him. Wikipedia proved him the victor and now I want to see this movie. I am not above watching a children's movie in theaters... believe me; I watched Over the Hedge 3 times. I paid all 3 times. I bought popcorn and a cherry slushie ALL 3 times.

3. Zombieland: I just discovered this on IMDB.com. I have no idea what it's about. I like watching zombie movies for comic effect (note: you should all see Tokyo Zombie and Fido. Both are great zombie comedies).

4. The Invention of Lying: The guy from Ghost Town is in an alternate world where no one lies. He alone figures out how to lie. Check out the trailer. It looks promising.

5. The Road: Remember No Country for Old Men? Critics loved it. Most normal people were asking themselves, "Did I just watch something? What was that?" Well, the guy who wrote that book wrote The Road... not the screenplay. These were actual novels before Hollywood got a hold of them. It took me watching NCfOM 2 or 3 times and an Honors Film Series to appreciate the movie. Chris has read The Road (Thank you, Paperbackswap.com for helping me procure it) and says it's really good. He doesn't have high hopes for the movie. I want to see it because I am excited that I finally understand NCfOM.

6. Where the Wild Things Are: This was a kid's book. If you didn't read it as a kid, you were given a deprived life by your parents who obviously did not care about you. Call them up. Cry, scream, and demand retribution. If need be, hire a lawyer and sue. Obviously, a very near and dear book to my Kid Kim heart.

7. Saw 6: What can I say that will make me sound intelligent for wanting to watch this movie? I got into the Saw series right before the 3rd movie came out. I watched the 1st and 2nd ones on dvd and then I had to see the third one in theaters. Somehow, I got sucked into paying seeing the 4th and 5th ones as well. If you know what I'm talking about, I should have just stopped at the first 2 (to save myself some diginity, I only own the first one... the ONLY good one). So, why have I gone all this way? Why have I watched chessy gore and bad plot developments all these years? Why have I contributed to Tobin Bell's pay check? I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO DR. GORDON FROM THE FIRST MOVIE! Seriously. All this time, that was it. And you know what I come to find out? It's not going to be answered in a movie... no. It will be answered in a video game that I refuse to pay $60 to buy. I guess I still want to see the 6th though... even though I found out they were making a 7th.... I'm a loser.

8. Fantastic Mr. Fox: Another kid's bok by Roald Dahl. The guy who wrote James and the Giant Peach and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

And here's everything I am glad I will miss:

1. AstroBoy: No. No. No.

2.Capitalism: A Love Story... does Michael Moore have a real life? This is his... I don't know. Maybe fifth or sixth documentary after the success of Bowling for Columbine? I can't keep count. Point is, he sensationalizes a current problem and then everyone gets into a tizzy. I'm not saying what he focuses on aren't "real problems," but maybe he could, I don't know, find some real interests not related to current political issues. It also confuses me how anyone listens to someone who probably eats KFC everyday. Really. I can't care whether socialized healthcare would be good in the U.S. or not when all I can do is wonder, "How did he get out of his mom's basement?" Look at him. If you were on the street and this guy was telling you things that he mentions in his documentaries, wouldn't you be half-tempted to tell him to run along and play with his other Magic: The Gathering friends? Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You do. Anyway, I don't want to hear about our evil corporate ways from someone who is going to be reaping some big time money from royalties from this movie (coughhypocrisycough).

3. Whip It: There's only so many times I can watch Ellen Page go from nobody to somebody in a movie. Go and find Hard Candy. That will show you she's capable of doing decent movies.

4. New Moon: Do I even have to tell you why this is on the "no list?" Mom's are using this book series to teach their daughters about sex. A book series about vampires. Mom's are using vampires (which don't exist) to teach their daughters about dating and love. I'd like to see the therapy bill for the poor guy after the daughter tries to bite his neck... and then go for the jugular.

5. A Christmas Carol: Jim Carrey needs to gracefully fall back into the crowd and realize that, maybe, his time is done. Maybe it isn't for all I know but doing ANOTHER "A Christmas Carol" remake does not help his case. The Muppets did this movie for heavens sake. No joke, I saw the movie poster and thought to myself, "Isn't this an old movie poster from "A Christmas Caorl?" Indeed it was... but for a NEW "A Christmas Carol."

6. The Box: This is an extended version of "Button, Button," an episode of The Twilight Zone. Incidentally, The Twilight Zone based it off of a short story from the guy who wrote "What Dreams May Come" and "I Am Legend." This movie looks bad. Oh, and it has Cameron Diaz in it. No thanks.

Thankfully, when I come back, there is at least one movie I'm dying to see:

The Lovely Bones. It is a book by Alice Sebold and now it's getting a film adaptation. From the trailers it looks like it's holding true to the story. This is exciting to see.

Anyway, that's about all I have. I will be sure to update everyone if I catch movies here. I've been wanting to rent movies from a place down the street from where I live... we'll see how that goes.

Cheers!

A Relaxing Day for the Time Traveler

I've realized how horrible I've been not to include any of my candid shots that aren't from a tour or a program outing. I took this one yesterday while it was taking a break from raining. It was a little chilly outside so I didn't feel like venturing out too much. But I did get a number of wonderful pictures outside my apartment window. Obviously. But when has there NOT been a great picture of the sky or a skyline? It pretty much
screams, "Take me! Shoot me!"

But what have I been up to today? Answer: abosultely nothing. From 9 until 11 I was in my room being lazy. I took a shower and continued to be lazy for another hour when it suddenly occured to me I was hungry. So, I popped into Netto (a convienence store about a minute walk away from where I live) and grabbed some cereal and milk. Returned and commenced being lazy. At about 2:30, 3 o'clock, I said, "Enough." I put on my shoes and went out to explore my side of town. Let's just say my side of town is interesting. Not a bad interesting though, heavens no. It really is interesting.

About a ten minute walk there is a video rental place (where I went Thursday to check out) and another two minutes after that there's a mall... with a HUGE "Toys 'R' Us" store. If I ever feel the need to be overly American while Im here, I'll do it there. Right beside that there is a mall. A mall! It is absolutely fabulous. There's a supermarket called "Edeka" there and they had so much... even lemon pepper! I found where I'm going to shop if I need to cook a large meal. That was just the first floor though (along with a couple of different shops I popped into for a quick look). I wandered around for a little while longer until it was just highways leading to Munich and Passau.

However, I came back home with my spoils from Edeka: a small bag of tortilla chips, a glass jar of guacamole, and a Kinder Surprise Egg (my thoughts on the Kinder/Ferrero brand another time). I've started a small collection of Kinder toys to say the least. However, just as you would expect crappy bratwurst in Mexico, the guacamole here is... well, let's just say I took a big gamble and suffered for it. It's not a bad dip; it's bad guacamole. It tastes more like a salsa verde really. I wonder if putting "avocado sauce" on the label is false advertising. But I had been craving guacamole to the point I was looking at the avocados... and none of them were ripe enough to use in the next couple of days.

I had also been craving sardines in mustard sauce. I do, indeed, know the German word for mustard (der senf) and did, indeed, find it on a can of fish: Herring. It was canned Herring filets in a dill mustard sauce. I did not want Herring, I did not want dill mustard. Pretty much the only winners of my choice were the tortilla chips (really, now. How could you get those wrong?) and a Kinder Surprise Egg (it was a hollow chocolate egg with white chocolate covering the inside and a toy inside a yellow capsule).

Anyway, hopefully I'm going to listen to some live music tonight. I don't plan on staying too terribly late so I might blog again. Who knows? I've got to study German anyway.

Cheers!

Part III: The Letters to Chris

04.09.09

Dear Chris,

I don’t care what anyone says at the study abroad office; culture shock is nothing. I have yet to experience culture shock in my life and I don’t think I will. However, I do experience an immense loneliness because we are not in each other’s physical lives at the moment. I haven’t heard anyone yet on the trip pine for their significant others, but I express an indescribable insanity because I don’t have my best friend. We’ll forget for a moment that we are, technically, in a relationship that has declared itself closer than a platonic one.

But I like the platonic one best; that’s the one I miss. I miss not having my best friend to laugh at me when I scream in delight over a Kinder Joy egg (it’s a toy and treat in one!) and to call me a dork when I get excited about finding the relationship between the words “Thusday,” “Donnerstag,” “Donnerst,” and “Thor’s day” (we’ll talk about that later… because it is pretty cool). I miss having someone who I never miss a beat with, even if everyone else considers me an odd bird. It’s hard to be myself when no one would understand how utterly amazing I feel looking at textbook Gothic architecture. So, in reality, being in Germany has made me choose to not be myself. It’s so depressing.

When I accidentally grab a bottle of water “mit kohlensaure,” I have to pretend that I’m okay with it. If you were here my first words would be, “Ah, crap. I bought the carbonated air again. You think I’d be fluent in at least those two German words by now.” When I ride the bus or train I could say, “I feel like I’m in New York… but in German!” Instead I have to just shut myself up and act as disinterested as everyone else is.

The point is I can’t be excited here. If I were I’m sure no one would take me seriously. With you, you know when my joking time is over but you also know when it’s ok for us to laugh at each other.

I hate the adult world.

Still Alive (Not a "Portal" reference)

To be honest I haven't been feeling well and I've been neglectful. I will hopefully pass through this bought of illness soon. Since Monday I haven't felt 100%.

Regardless, before the Dom tour on Wednesday, I was able to procure a book that will become invaluable to my ART 490 project...

...oh, wait. Did I forget to let everyone in on a last minute change? Yes. To make a long story short, I was enrolled in ART 490 in the beginning, dropped it, found inspiration in Weltenburg in the form of a European peacock butterfly, and added the class back on. Ta da. I am now ambitiously taking 15 hours while in Germany... If I am correct only one other girl is doing this and her 15 hours are the result of a 3 hours senior seminar conducted by a certain JMC professor I know (the girl's a PR major, so that gives it away right there). The only thing she has to do is send in a resume... thus, I am the only person to be "truely" taking a whole 15 hours. Again, how sickeningly ambitious for someone who is wanting to drop her art minor (I just tell everyone it's Spanish here because I the last thing I want is, "Oh! So you can draw!" or whatever. In reality, I can't. I can speak Spanish and that's the minor that will make my life easier in graduating... neither here nor there. You guys can bash me for being dishonest later... I've got so many hours in various classes I could graduate with probably 5 different minors, who cares what my paperwork says?).

Anyway. I digress again. ART 490 involves a travel journal. I bought a fancy-shmancy Moleskine journal with the express intention of drawing any random thing I saw, no plan and no theme. This makes for bad form in the art world. Really it is. I took ART 382 and was criticized because all of my photos looked like a different person was taking them each time. I thought this was being versatile... the art world says being versatile only counts if you carry your theme across different art techniques. So, I dropped the class and it wasn't until recently that I thought that I could do something good with it... although I have serious doubts in my drawing abilities.

So, what's the idea? Well, here's the proposal:

The travel journal is going to become an illustrated botanical guide to various plants found here in Germany. I am not looking for plants only common to Germany; if they're found in America, so be it. I'm just looking for plants that are HERE. The book that I bought was procured for the meager proce of 19 Euro and 95 cents. It is approximately two inches thick, weighs about 5 pounds, and is written in completely in German; it is a very comprehnsive guide to plants. It even includes the diagrams for chemical compounds and scientific names. This makes my life so much easy.

I plan to find plants, draw a complete picture on the verso of the Moleskine and a few drawings of a more in-depth look at the plants anatomy on the recto. Using one of the other fabric bound Moleskines I have (these are all thanks to my good friend in Alabama, Andrea) and will use one of these as an Appendix to jot down interesting facts about the plants. Another book might be used as a plant collection journal.

Three books total: One is very passive (I pick the plant in question, stuff it in a book), one is a little less passive (I look up what the plant is, I translate some German), and the last... not so passive (I draw). Of course, the drawing will be the hardest as I have no faith in myself. I shall do my best however.

That and I get to thinking about these otehr classes compounded with this added class I do feel a little over-whelmed. However, I think the added pressure might help push me to work harder. I was beginning to feel like I would do very little in the way of my univeristy studies... a vacation with a couple of tours daily in a classroom really. So, I hope this project will not only be the cause for increased ambition but also spark an interest in exploring more of Regensburg (or wherever I find the plants).

Other than that, I might not blog too terribly much this weekend: I have a test in GER 101 and GER 105 next week PLUS the other courses begin. I want to spend this weekend studying and maybe renting a movie. That should be exciting... trying to apply for a German movie rental card... Maybe I'll let you guys know how that goes.

Anyway, cheers!

Trash Talk

Obviously, I did not post a third blog yesterday; surely, no one wants to hear about my adventures in trying to find my washateria and learning how to use a foreign washer. As far as post-grad stuff we can save that for later.

I feel it is absolutely neccesary to talk about the trash.

Fact 1: America is not in the cool recycling club that goes on over here (all of Europe is my guess, but Germany definitely). Germans recycle. They recycle in their homes and on their streets, not just at school when they can remember to do so.

Fact 2: There is an incentive for recycling here: Euro aka money. That's right. If I buy a glass or plastic bottle, more likely than not I can return this empty container either back to the store or to a machine and either will give me about 1/3 to 1/2 back for what I paid. Essentially, you pay a deposit and then get it back.

Opinion 1: America should wise up and do this.

Opinion 2: However, if we do, we should make it clear where our regular trash goes... you know, the stuff you can't really recycle too well.

Basically, within my dorm there are two noticable containers for plastics and metals. Just a fun fact, milk (milch) is not put into plastic containers; they are place in containers you might normally find soy milk. You put milk containters in with the metals. But, the containers are right there in plain view. There is also a big cardboard box for paper items... no sense wasting a plastic bag if you can just recycle the cardboard too, right?

No big. I've got the recycling thing down. Here was my issue: where does everything else go? I will agree that most everything can be recycled, but things such as disinfectant wipes (handy for cleaning my sink and other items of the sort) have no discernable place to go. Where the heck do I put round cotton cosmetic pads.

We were told in GER 105 that it was a science... and then not clued in later as to what it actually was. In public areas there are containers for "Restmull" (umlaut over the u), where other trash goes but not in the dorms.

Luckily for me I happened upon mine just yesterday. Totally by accident of course. Problem solved for me. Now, if I could just find the places to get rid of my trash once it has accumulated. The populace of fruit flies near the plastic containers has reached Mexcio City-like proportions in our small kitchen. Oh, well. I'll let you know how that goes.

Cheers!