This is basically all of the girls I hang out with on a regular basis, throwin' up gang signs and about to party pre-Black Music Night. Good times!

I'm taking the ILP language class for 8 units! Wow. That seems like a lot of units, but at the same time, I'm glad that I'll be getting credits for two classes-worth during these five weeks of work. Now I just need to actually participate in class discussions so that I get a good grade!

I had no internet for THREE FULL DAYS. That doesn't sound so bad, but for some reason, I was really feelin' the pain, I guess because I need to do a crapload (pardon my French) of online research for class this week, and because of my need to check everyone's blogs religiously.

AAH! The mood swings I have in Germany cannot be healthy.

A word of advice to any fellow travelers to Germany:
Don't visit a former concentration camp when you're going on only 3 hours of sleep. I mean, the place is already emotional enough with a good night's sleep. I learned this the hard way.

Today, we went on a field trip to Weimar (home of the former Weimar Republic), which is a really gorgeous, although almost too pristine and gorgeous, and then we visited the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Because of Black Music Night at the Club, I ended up going to bed at 4am and then waking up at 7pm. Good times, except that I couldn't really handle the concentration camp.
Needless to say, I'm going to sleep now! Mucho Hausaufgaben dieses Wochenende!

I find this idea a little weird. But interesting.

ps-Going to Black Music Night at the Savoy Club tonight! We all love the name, so now we have to find out what it's actually like.

Un-chronological, random pics from Berlin:

First pic-the Brandenburger Tor, first stop on our tour. You can see our SUPER enthusiastic tour guide, Chris, in the red shirt.

Second pic-riding in the train to Berlin! We were so excited, even though we thought we had to cram into a space on the floor between cars for two hours--turns out we were allowed to sit in the "reserved seats," but we didn't find that out until the trip back!

Third pic-eating a donut that cost--I'll never get over this--1 Euro and 10 cents. That's like, $1.25 or something like that. I got it at freaking Dunkin' Donuts. But it was pretty good.

Fourth pic-Going clubbing! Or so we thought. Cindy, Vivian, me, Erika, and Mariana, a Brazilian girl who roomed with us in the hostel and joined us in the search for a club. We ended up getting too lost and tired to find anywhere, and just went to a bar instead. Good times.

*WARNING: Complaining Ahead*
Scheisse!
Yes, I've taken up German swearing again. I think I have a good reason to--I have a test on German politics the day after tomorrow...met with another girl in my class today to figure out the basic governmental system...and didn't understand it at all. I mean, I think is politics is (are?) interesting, but I don't need to know the MINUTE details! We can only hope to find someone else in the class who gets it better, and then of course explain it all to us!

I will leave you with this image for today, to ponder its meaning.*

*And no, the pic's not from Berlin--it's from some weird little mini-Germany near Goettingen. Some Berlin pics to come! It was a great trip! I just think this pic is the most fun right now.

I have so much work to get done for these language classes...two big presentations and a big paper within about four weeks...nevertheless, we're going to BERLIN for the weekend! Woo hoo! Leaving in an hour for the train! Me and four other girls are staying in a youth hostel that happens to be just 15 minutes from the Berlin Zoo, and I am very excited about that. Unfortunately, it looks like the people I'm going with don't have too much of an interest in going there. I'm gonna try and convince them...and if it doesn't work, there's always next time!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Ok, I have internet from my dorm now, yay! Today, I have been in Germany for a week--and things have been going pretty well. I think the only part of my trip that isn't going quite as I'd like is that I haven't really met any Germans. Oh, those Germans--always so open and friendly. Not. Actually, there are only about two or three people moved into my hall now, since school doesn't start until October. But I always say "hi" in the hall...no major conversation yet, not even a "So, are you American?" Ah well, I'm sure something will happen eventually.

Also, we had two German "orientators" for the first week to show us around and stuff, two girls named Catharina and Judith, who were basically grad students at Goettingen, and they were both really cool. Catharina is very sarcastic and funny, and Judith is just really sweet and helpful--when you try to be sarcastic with her, she just doesn't pick up on it.

The only other minor thing I have to complain about is: it is August here (as I assume it is in the States as well), and yet it is raining practically every day. I thought it just rained every day in the fall and winter, but apparently the wet months have started earlier this year! I definitely didn't bring enough warm clothing, but I guess that's what shopping is for! And the sun came out today. For like, half an hour. Good times.

Well, I'm going to a potluck-thingy with the other UC kids in fifteen minutes...better go. Wish me luck with those Germans! (And the freakin' German language.)

I am in Germany! I have been here five days, and I still don't have internet! And this keyboard is very confusing, because the y's and the z's are mixed up! So when I tzpe it looks like this. But ah well. Everzthing is going prettz well. . .mz group walks EVERZWHERE, until we can manage to get ahold of a bike (zeah, Göttingen is a bike town, just like Davis--woo hoo!). I've met a good amount of cool people from other UC schools, and the food hasn't been that bad--there actuallz ARE vegetarian options! :)
I will post more when I get internet at mz dorm, and the kezboard is easier to work!

But mz address is, if anzone wants to write me (wink wink):

Rosenbachweg 2-311
37075 Göttingen

Tschuß!

AAUGH! My sister has suddenly become obssessed with the band Queen. And therefore she must play their songs at relatively loud volumes throughout the house. No one is safe. WHY?

I just had to post that to vent my anger, since my parents don't seem to commiserate at all.

Ok. . .I'd like to say goodbye to all of my friends before I leave to Germany, but there's just no way to organize it all this fast. So, if you want to see me before I go:
Meet at Starbucks in the Pavilions parking lot this Friday at...let's say 6pm? I'll be there, sitting by myself, hoping to see people. How's that sound?

Corie, you better be there! :) And if you can't be there, then we should get together before then, okeeey?

Five more days...haven't started packing yet...but the most important thing I have to accomplish before I leave is...finishing HARRY POTTER! Woo hoo! Priorities, man.

ps-I like how the latest Harry Potter cover matches my blog color scheme. Spendiferous!