Ok so I am finally able to put up my story thus far and I hope you all enjoy. I know you've all been chomping at the bit. Feel free to write e-mails, but don't feel so bad if I don't get back right away. Here it is then...
The Flight
As soon as I boarded the plane I immediately regretted not bringing the PB&J sandwich my sister had packed me. I had forgotten it in the car. Bummer. The check-in and boarding went smoothly and super quick, which was surprising. I spotted a girl from my high school when I entered the airport. Turns out she would be studying in Germany, be on my plane, and be sitting in the seat next to mine. Strange, but yet another nice surprise.
I hate flying on an airplane. Being stuck in a cold, sick, metal, tube which is packed so tight with bodies that it is impossible to be comfortable, is not my idea of a goodtime. And even if you manage to drift asleep in the contortionist position you’ve had to put yourself into, you still have to listen to the baby screaming two seats in front of you. Then they throw some bile at you and tell you it’s your in-flight meal. When the dinner cart came around I asked for the noodles, but refused to eat them when I noticed the slight smell of throw up as I opened the noodle container. If I have to travel when I get older it is first class, my friend, cause this sitting in coach garbage has run it’s course.
The in-flight entertainment was abysmal. Mr. In-flight Entertainment Man, you should be fired without further ado. The only descent film chosen was V for Vendetta. I was a half hour into this movie when my screen suddenly turned black and Peter Gabriel came blasting through my headphones. How this is even possible is still a mystery to me. I checked the in-flight music selection and there was nary a tune from Mr. Gabriel. I spent the rest of the flight confused.
I compiled a list of 5 things I’ll miss the most while abroad, excluding people because if I were to add them my girlfriend and family would take up the number one and two spots respectively and that is just anticlimactic. So here they be...
5. Macaroni and Cheese: This American TV dinner classic is a debasement to Italian cuisine, but I love it so.
4. The Office: A wonderful show that I enjoyed watching week in and week out. Just as things start to heat up with Jim and Pam I have to leave the country, it figures.
3. The Movie Game: Now the movie game will take a bit of explaining, but it is a game that my friends and I have been in love with since it’s inception back in high school. How you play the movie game is simple. One person names a movie. The next person in line must name an actor in that movie. The next person must then name another movie that actor was in. This goes down the line naming actor, movie, actor, movie. Now eliminating someone, which is the point of the game, is equally as easy. If you should name a movie or actor and the next person in line cannot name another movie the actor was in or another actor in the movie, depending on what step you are on, then they are eliminated. There is one catch. The person being eliminated can challenge the person who just named the actor or movie. If that person cannot name another actor or movie, then they are eliminated and you stay in the game. Get it pretty much. So let us give an example. I start the game and I say Mars Attacks. The next person in line says Jack Nicholson. The next person says As Good As It Gets. The next person says Cuba Gooding Junior. Oh crap, the next person in line doesn’t know any other Cuba Gooding Jr. movies so he says “Challenge.” and the person he challenged then says, “You silly sod! Cuba Gooding Jr. was in Jerry McGuire.” And that’s how it works. Man, I’ll miss that game.
2. Peanut Butter and Jelly: What a heavenly confection you are. Hard to believe, but I have eaten PB&J almost everyday of my life. It never gets old.
And finally number 1!!!!
1. My Girlfriend: Oh to hell with it. I said I wasn’t going to include people, but I am going to miss that girl. Lots. We spent almost everyday of the summer together and it'll be hard here without her.
Arrival in Frankfurt
So I arrive at the hotel in Frankfurt around 630 AM. Before arriving, I imagined myself strolling in, telling them I had reservations, getting the key, and then maybe grabbing some complimentary breakfast before I turned in for the morning. Wishful thinking. The man behind the counter was middle eastern and his German was very hard to understand. It took him three times to tell me I wasn't allowed to check in until 7 till I actually understood what he was saying. He wanted me to put my baggage into what looked to me as 'the Room of No Return'. I probably would have gotten my bags back, but everything else would have been gone. I put my bags in there regardless, save my carry on, which held all my electronics and most of my money, and took a seat in the lobby, keeping an eye on the 'Room of No Return'.
The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel wasn't too expensive and the road we took looked very similar to the New Jersey Turnpike. I had the feeling the taxi driver was taking the long way to get to the hotel, but at only 22 euros I can't complain. Do to my lack of taxi cab etiquette, I did not tip the driver. Whoops.
So now here I am in the lobby of the luxurious Ambassador Hotel waiting till I can get into my room for some sleep. Oh, by the by, there's no complementary breakfast. Outstanding.
My Stay In Frankfurt's Red Light District
The Ambassador Hotel is brilliantly wedged between 'The Erotic Palace' and 'Busty Bunnies'. Now let me preface this story by saying that my stay in Konstanz is going to be heaven compared to Frankfurt. Frankfurt isn't exactly famous for it's beauty. It is an industrious city and is known to have some of the dirtiest slums in Germany. I knew before I left that I was to be spending a night in the red light district of this lovely city before hopping on a train departing for Konstanz. Knowing this, I was able to brace myself a tad, but I should have braced a bit more.
My travel partner, Matt, whom I'll probably mention many times after this, had arrived in Frankfurt the day before I did. He took a stroll down the road from our hotel, but didn't get far when he was stopped by a...well...woman of the night, shall we say. And stopped, I suppose, isn't the right word. It was more like jumped. So while Matt was walking past one of these pleasant little adult establishments he suddenly found himself with a lady strapped to his back- her arms clasped around his body. "You come inside." The woman of the night proclaimed. "No way. Get the hell off of me.", Matt gently declined. "No, no, no, you come inside. Look!" Matt respectfully declined once again, but the woman persisted. It took some violent wiggling and plodding, but he finally shook off the infestation that had attached itself to his back and made his way down the road.
Apart from the area directly around our hotel, Frankfurt seems to be a nice place. Hearing countless different languages while walking the streets and sitting at cafes, I could tell it is quite culturally diverse. The morning I arrived, in fact, the men in the lobby were speaking what sounded like Portuguese, but I couldn't be sure.
American influence is everywhere. McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, and yes even Kentucky Fried Chicken (my family will appreciate that one) degenerate the streets of this southern Teutonic town. The food we ate in Frankfurt was trash. At a cafe I ordered what I thought would be a Baggett with melted cheese inside, instead I was thrown a buttered roll with cold single slices of American cheese and two cucumbers, yum. Later, I had some really mediocre chicken wings and French Fries. The French Fries were half way decent. I can't wait to get to Konstanz and buy my own food. I'm going to eat till I explode.
In other news, the Irish have invaded Frankfurt. On Saturday evening there is a football match between the Irish and German national teams. I've been seeing Irish guys everywhere wearing Celtic Football Club shirts. A bunch of them were camped out at a pub near my hotel- cheering and singing till 2 in the morning. You've got to admire their spirit. They haven't had the best of teams in the past couple of years, but there fans are as animated as ever.
Trainspotting
The Germans always seem to be so proficient, so what are the odds my train is the one to be delayed 150 minutes. The train ride was pleasant when we finally got going. It was nice to see the country side, but because the train ride from Frankfurt to Konstanz travels along a rather rural route and because it takes four hours, it made me realize just how far from home I really am. The delay meant I would not make it to Konstanz till late evening. When Matt and I finally made it to our destination, it was about 730 pm. Konstanz seems to be a beautiful city, although I haven’t yet had the chance for a tour.
I was a bit depressed when I finally arrived at my hovel. I am staying in a building called the Europahaus and from the few pictures I saw online, it looked to be a pretty nice place. I entered my room, which resembled more of a jail cell than anything else, and that’s when I became a bit blue. I wasn’t depressed so much about the room, per say, because I can make it look nice when I put up a couple of pictures and flags. The problem is I haven’t spoken to my family or my girlfriend since I left Philadelphia and the fact that I am in Germany for an entire year has just set in. As I tried to decorate my room, my thoughts were unnerving. I wished I had packed more bags, more possessions that would remind me of home. I couldn’t believe that I was able to fit all my I belongings into two bags and a carry on. I dispersed what I had throughout the room to make the place seem more full, but it is still bare.
My Hovel
My room is the one all the way to the right, second from the bottom
I have figured out my problem, however, and I am feeling better. I had high expectations for my arrival in Konstanz. I had imagined my apartment would be much nicer than it was, so that was a let down. I also won’t have an internet connection till Monday, which is two days away, and probably won’t have a cell phone till then either. I’ll have to find an Internet Cafe, but even if I do I won’t be able to talk to anyone for long and right now alls I need is a long conversation with my girlfriend or family. Third, none of my roommates are here. I have only one roommate with whom I’ll be living till school starts in October. I was told she is a German girl, but I haven’t yet met her. Because German students usually attend a university close to there home town, they often return home on the weekends-especially when school isn’t in session, like now. So I have no roommates and no friends with whom to hang out. The culmination of all these things has arrived at me being in a bad mood, but, luckily, writing about it helps. I know once I have internet access and a cell phone, which will allow me to talk to my loved ones whenever I feel it necessary, and once I have met a couple of the students here, things will become much better.
It is now 1242 AM in Germany and 642 PM in New Jersey and even the time of day seems worlds away. That is another thing, while I am ranting. When I think of the time difference between the two countries, I think of what all my friends are doing being 6 hours behind me, and I become despondent that I’m not with them. It is getting late and I should get some rest, but I think I’ll watch I Heart Huckabees before I sleep, it always manages to put me in a better mood. Till later.
Brighter Days In Konstanz
Matt and I took a tour of Konstanz with our advisor today. It really is a beautiful city. It has traditional cobblestone streets- the kind you think of when you think of Germany, but it is also very modern. It has a gigantic market, two malls, and a plethora of mini-shops insuring that there's not much you can't find. I went grocery shopping today. After searching through a couple of food markets, I finally found peanut butter. This means I won't be without my beloved PB&J.
The mall
Aside from having some killer retail, Konstanz is also very historically attractive. It is set on the shores of the beautiful Bodensee, which makes it a hot spot for European tourists. It has a monstrous Cathedral and other buildings crafted by the finest in German architecture. It is not an abnormally large city, but when you must walk it seems that way. The busses run efficiently and all the streets are very clean. And even though it is a town of 80,000, by 10 o’clock at night, you wouldn’t even know anyone lives here. It has a very southern European vibe to it. In the summer it resembles a town you would expect to see in southern Italy or Spain. Open air markets and many people walking about the streets give it a distinct Mediterranean feel.
The View down my street
Germany and America are very different. While sitting in a restaurant in the mall today, a man walked by with a long box in his arms. He had just bought a rifle from one of the shops in the mall and was carrying it around pretty nonchalantly. I was a bit baffled, but, then again, the Germans don’t have the same problems with gun control as we do in America- so perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised.
I went to a pub this evening to watch the football match between Ireland and Germany. It was interesting sitting with the German fans and hearing their commentary. Since I have no TV I’ll be watching all the football matches at a pub, which isn’t a bad thing. The atmosphere is much better there anyway.
Today, I got myself to an internet cafe for the first time since I arrived in Germany. I was able to make a call to my girlfriend in New Jersey and it was so nice to hear her again. In her voice I found everything I love and miss about home. Talking to her brought back the amazing times we’ve had together in the past 9 months.
I was also able to spend a couple of minutes on the internet. I used that time to e-mail my parents, check out some of the soccer news, and post a brief message online. The good thing is the Internet cafe was really cheap. A twenty five minute call to the United States only cost me about 2 euro and 20 minutes on the computer cost 1 euro. Not only that, but they are open everyday till 10. The guy behind the counter was a major douche bag, but I can look past that.
All in all, today was a much better day than yesterday, but I still get very homesick when I think of my girlfriend. I thought about things today and I realized it is stupid of me to think I am not going to be homesick when living so far away from my family for the first time. I imagine by Halloween I will feel right at home, but for now, it is rough. I’ll get over myself though, how could I stay depressed in such a beautiful place.
Meeting the Kids
I finally met my roommate today. She is a really nice German girl and she speaks English very well. She is originally from Hannover, but has lived in southern Germany for a while. We are speaking German mostly, but she also wants to improve her English so we will be speaking that from time to time.
My next door neighbor is a girl from Manchester. I told her I'd be visiting Manchester because I am a big United supporter and she just laughed. I suppose if someone told me they were going to visit Philadelphia because they were a big Eagles fan I'd do the same. Another English girl lives two apartments down from mine. She is from Charlton which is not too far from London I believe. She speaks with a very proper English accent- the kind you'd expect to hear on the news or on the radio.
It has been a rather overcast day, so taking pictures was somewhat out of the question. Only twice did the sun come out and both times I was making my way back home from trying to take pictures. There will be many more days to take pictures though.
I start my month long intensive language course tomorrow. I'm hoping the work load won't be too strenuous. I'd like to have a lot of time to explore Konstanz and engage the natives, this is how I will really learn the language.
There is suppose to be another roommate moving in today, but I have heard nor seen any sign of it. I was hoping for an English person, but I suppose if I have a girl from Manchester just next door I don't need to live with one. I have a strange feeling the other exchange student will be Asian. Perhaps Chinese, perhaps Indian, perhaps Russian.
It had dawned on me today it might be a good idea to have a dance party while I'm hear. My roommate showed me a common room in our apartment which sometimes holds parties, and who doesn't like dance parties.
I received a letter today from Kristen. I returned home after one of my excursions to find her letter on the kitchen table. It was a very nice thing to come home to. I want to pimp out my room, but since all the shops were closed today I'll have to wait till tomorrow. The English girls say there is an Ikea near our apartment so I'll probably go there and buy some cheap decorations. I'll have to leave everything here once I leave in July so I won't be buying anything too expensive.
A Night out with the English
I went to see a film tonight with the English girls I had met earlier in the day. Margaret is from Gloucester and Katherine from Cheshire just outside of Manchester. We went to see The Breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. It was a really good movie. I thought it might lose some of it's humor in translation, but it certainly proved that Vince Vaughn is funny no matter what language he speaks. He is a favorite actor of mine and my friends, so watching him on screen also reminded me of home.
It was fun hanging out with the English girls. Their vernacular is a bit different than the American, so it was fascinating to listen to them speak. They like to say rubbish and kept calling the movie theatre the cinema. They were really nice girls and it was interesting to hear about what life is like England.
The movie theatre was outstanding. It is not like an American theatre at all. It was extremely regal. The seats were big and comfortable, the floors, which were soft carpet, were impeccably clean, and we were ushered to our seat. At the start of the previews a gigantic royal blue curtain was drawn to reveal a screen twice the size of a normal American counterpart. And to top it all off, it was cheaper than an American theatre as well. As the English girls would say, compared to a German cinema American theatres are pure rubbish.
The Kids
I spent the first part of the day getting my visa and clearing up the red tape, so to speak. I received the first installment of my scholarship today so I was 400 Euros richer and I decided to play Pimp my Room with the money. I bought a really comfy Polyester blanket and a oversized pillow. My bed, which before was like laying on a brick, is now fit for sleeping. I also bought tape and tacks to put pictures and flags up on my wall and this little square of mine is starting to feel like a home.
On the bus ride today, I am unhappy to announce that I have found a perfect candidate for "The Most Disgusting Man in the Universe" award. This vast sweaty sack of meat plopped himself onto the chair next to mine. Unfortunately the pleads being shouted from inside my head were to no avail. As his excess skin and body fat consumed the sides of the chair I couldn't help but notice the sweat which was teeming profusely from the pores on his forehead. The poor man smelled of something god awful and his hair and clothes were quite disheveled. What wins him a nomination for this prestigious award however was this; the man pulls out his handkerchief in preparation for a sneeze. He tilts his head back, exposing his three chins, and opens the gaping whole in his face. He then lets out a monstrous sneeze into the hankie and then gives his nose a good clean- emptying the contents therein into his handkerchief. The man then takes the same handkerchief, and using the side he seconds before glazed with snot, wipes his perspiring forehead. Wow sir, you are gross.
My first day at the university went without a hitch. I had to take a German assessment test this morning with all the other exchange students. This helps the university deicide the level that best fits each student. The intensive language course last a month and then real school starts in October, and from the vibe I'm getting from the other students, it won't be as strenuous as I thought.
Upon return from shopping one of the English girls asked if I would like to join her in meeting up with a couple of students she had met at the university that day. I, of course, accepted the invitation and at around 730 PM Matt, the English girls, and I made our way to a beer garden next to the docks on the Bodensee. On our way Matt stopped to pee somewhere. We lost him and he was missing the rest of the evening. When we arrived there were already a bunch of students there. Everyone was very nice, but I should list a few characters as they will probably pop up again in my later entries.
First there is Tine. Tine, which is pronounced Teena, is a boy from Slovenia whose two favorite songs of all time are Bubba Sparxxx- Redemption and Dum Dum by Buena Vista Social Club. In his words...”It has everysing, well not everysing, but everysing that there is suppose to be in a song.” His philosophy on his study in Germany is, “Eat, drink, have fun, and sleep.”. Tine will be the leader of Slovenia someday.
Then we have Ferran. Ferran is the Catalonian equivalent of the Spanish name, Fernando. Ferran is from Barcelona and didn’t have much to say about soccer except, “Man there are people who get crazy about it, you know. But I’m not like that. There are some guys man, that, are like, you know, you say ‘Hey Real Madrid!’ and they will just want to beat chew man. Those guys are hard man. There are some guys you wouldn’t want to meet on the streets, you know.” I hear you Ferran.
Then there is Alex who is Mexican, but has lived in Canada for a while and when asked by Tine why not smoke Marlboro Lights he says, “Naw man, Marlboro Lights are for faggot cowboys.” His choice of words was a bit harsh, but he meant nothing by it. He seems to be a real nice and very funny kid.
Then there is Kevin and Josh from Arizona. Josh has dubbed me Jersey because of my home state and it is starting to catch with the other students. Jersey, I suppose, isn’t a bad nickname. There are much worse.
There were two Canadian girls there, Rachel and Erica. Both seemed very cool and have love obsessions with their cameras. I can’t fault them for that though, I’ve got the same problem.
Aside from them there were two girls from New Zealand, a boy from New York, a girl from Finland, and another two girls from the UK. Then of course there was the English girls with whom you are already familiar. And that rounds out the group. We spent about three and a half hours at the beer garden before going our separate ways, but we will meet again surely.
I will say one thing about walking home in Konstanz at night and then I am going to bed. It is beautiful to walk home at night in Konstanz. Ok, goodnight.
Konstanz at night
jlk
