Is this cool or what? I can totally see my cousin Mason growing up into someone who looks like (or is as talented and cool as) Beck! I noticed the resemblance between them today:

You want to know one of my pet peeves, other than shoes on the bed? Of course you do. It's when a big group of people take a picture together (usually girls), and then when looking at the picture, someone says, "Look how hot we are!" or "What a bunch of hotties!" or something like that. I guess the phrase is supposed to be interpreted as something positive and upbeat, but to me it just sounds conceited and desperate. I mean, you might think you and your friends are hot, but can't you just keep it to yourself or let someone else say it?

Ok, that's the end of my rant.

I love Cammy. And I get to see her in a little over a month!

Here are some pics of my awesome German buddy, Ulf. He's 26, and basically the equivalent of a grad student at Göttingen. It just kind of sucks because he never has time to do anything with me! We've only met about three times since December. His English is also practically perfect, which always throws me off--he barely has an accent!

Anyway, these are some pics he sent me of him snowboarding on Friday. Too bad it's hard to tell exactly what he looks like! (He actually looks remarkably like Ben Folds. Coincidence? I think not....)

Hey Hannah, I copied your awesome "Funny Quote of the Day." I hope you don't mind!

You know the "Headlines" section they have on Jay Leno, where they read funny random newspaper articles and ads etc. ? Well I read them quite a lot when I'm bored, and I found this one worthy of posting:

This was run in a local newspaper one week:



And then the following week:

As Jay Leno said, " 'Our sincere apology?!' But he was thrilled with the first one!"

I find myself making really weird typos here in Germany. I guess it has to do with your brain functioning differently than it does back home, with reading and writing mainly in a foreign language, and thinking in the native language while trying to speak in the foreign language; it's really interesting, to say the least.
But isn't it weird, for example, that I meant to write "luckily" at the end of the previous post, and instead wrote "locally"? Where does it come from?

PS-Here's a totally unrelated, but interesting and funny opinion article from the LA Times about why we shouldn't support our troops.

One final down, two to go! I'm kind of sad that my easiest final was first. Now I have to actually start studying. But it's probably a good thing. Just let me watch these two episodes of Six Feet Under and then I'll start, I swear....

But it snowed yesterday! Probably the most snow that I've seen this year! Anyone else tried biking in the snow? It's quite a challenge. Something like trying to ride a wild horse (or at least how I'd imagine it would be)--the bike tries to steer itself, and you have to keep a tight hold on the handle bars and mumble calming words, and maybe you won't be thrown off. I had a few close calls, but locally no actual spills.

Here's the view from my window this morning.

Attention all Davis people that read my blog!

I don't know if you've already discovered this site, but it's really funny if you go to Davis: Overheard in Cowtown

The site consists of funny things that people have overheard on campus, which are posted on this blog!

Some examples I found quite entertaining:

Guy: If I weren't in this major I would have gone to art school.
Girl: Really?? Me too!
Guy: Oh cool. My favorite art is stuff like Dali--
[blank look]
--you know, the guy with the melting clocks?
Girl: Oh I don't know him. I like stuff like.. well do you know [indistinct mumble of a name]?
Guy: No. I don't really know that many artists..

-on Unitrans

---------------

Professor: The Germans have a different way of looking at breakfast displays, and therefore a different way of looking at the world.

-German class in Olson

-------------------

Guy 1: I made the best sandwich this morning. I was so excited to eat it!
Guy 2: Sure seems like it!! What kind was it?
Guy 1: Ementhaler, honey roasted turkey and mayo!
Guy2: Wow, that DOES sound really exciting!!

-On the Quad

My newest TV addiction: Six Feet Under. I've only seen the first two episodes. . .but it's like watching a super-long movie, it's so well done!

Today I played basketball for a couple hours with the Germans who live in Cindy's building. It was a lot of fun, but I definitely felt like I was back in elementary school, in the sense that no one was very good, and there really wasn't any strategy/skill involved at all! The game basically consisted of running helter-skelter back and forth across the court, double-dribbling and travelling and all! That might sound kind of mean, but as Dylan put it (he watched them play last week), "They play basketball the way Americans play soccer. It's just not their sport."

And all the better for me to join them, since I really have no basketball skills either! Yay!

How is it possible that my cell phone bill this month was 20 euroes cheaper than usual, after I used it several times in Scottland? I thought there were going to be killer roaming fees!

There seems to be only one explanation: It's a miracle!

Here are some pics from the last two weeks. I would post some from Christmas with my family, but I didn't take any with my camera, and my Mom is sending them to me now!
So I will post some from after that time:

Dylan and I hiked up to the Bismarckturm (built in honor of Otto von Bismarck, who lived in Goettingen back in the day). It was a gorgeous cold winter day.

Our one trip out of the city, where we went to Bremen. Cold and pretty as well!

Flash forward a week: Yesterday, on Friday, we went to Luebeck and saw Ice World: Koenigreich der Tiere! The Animal Kingdom! Woo hoo! Ice and snow sculptures in North Germany! It was FREEZING inside (and pretty cold outside too), basically felt like we were walking around in a freezer, which I guess makes sense. This is a huge woolly mammoth (doesn't look that big, but it was) that we saw right when we walked in.

My favorite sculpture: The dung beetles!

Thomas Mann's house is also in Luebeck (it's where he grew up), now it's called the Buddenbrooks house, after his most famous novel, so of course we had to stop by and take a picture.

And last but not least:

I dyed my hair today! It's just kind of a dark reddish-brown. Nothing too extreme. But now my whole room smells like hair dye, and I don't want to open a window because it's too cold....

Best of all, it gives me an excuse to shamelessly post pictures of myself!

And now for pretending to study for finals!

Just goes to show ya . . . never say never.

We read the most horrible story for Thomas Mann this week. It's called Tobias Mindernickel, and it's about this guy (Tobias Mindernickel) that nobody likes, and who has no friends, and hardly ever leaves his house because he doesn't want to be made fun of.

One day he decides to get a dog, probably to keep him company. But he doesn't like the fact that the dog doesn't obey his every command, and he beats the dog for whenever he misbehaves, and he always hates it when the dog is really happy. One day the dog accidentally jumps on a sharp knife, and gets wounded, and Tobias becomes immediately very happy and sympathetic, because now the dog finally understands "the pain of the world." He loves nursing the dog back to health.

At the end of the story, the dog gets better, and Mindernickel can't stand to see the dog so happy again, so when the dog starts running around the room, Tobias stabs the dog, and accidentally kills it. Then he realizes what he's done and starts crying. The End.


Isn't that a twisted story? The only good thing about it, I guess, is that you can tell from the way the story's written that Thomas Mann liked dogs, because he describes the dog so realistically. So at least it's clear that the reader is supposed to sympathize with the dog, and not the man!

Your Superhero Persona by couplandesque
Your Name
Superhero Name	The Armadillo
Super Power	Irresistable Sexuality
Enemy	Martha Stewart
Mode Of Transportation	Skateboard
Weapon	Attack Gerbils
Quiz created with MemeGen!

I don't think that most people would associate the word "armadillo" with "irresistable sexuality," but hey--I could go for that! Especially the attack gerbils part.

When I get older I want to save all my old clothes and put them in the attic, so that when my kids become teenagers they can dig them all out again, and be like, "Whoa! Mom, you were so cool! Can I wear this?" And I'll be like, "Yeah."

Oh man, it feels like forever since I've posted.

Since I last truly updated:
1. I went to Scotland (Edinburgh and Moffat) and London (and Munich for a day) with my family, who also had time to see Göttingen for a couple days as well (they liked it, I was happy to find out). Took Leah out clubbing at Savoy, a great place to get the true "euro"(-trash?) vibe.

2. Dylan came to visit (the day after my parents left) for ten days, up until today, which is why I have not posted. We didn't do a whole bunch, since I'm finishing up the semester, but we did manage to make a day trip up to Bremen (ie Bremen Town Musicians city), which was really pretty, and of course it had the awesome statue of all the animals. It was really nice to see Dylan, and I'm very sad to be all by myself now.

Other random thing(s):
-Watched The Graduate twice in one day; obviously I really like that movie. I love Dustin Hoffman's character.
-Right now I feel so out of touch with my friends back in the US. I need to work on this "communication" thing!

So now I have to get back to speaking German again, haha. I must admit, it was nice having an excuse not to. But I literally have only three weeks of class left until the two-month semester break, so I guess that will keep me somewhat "entertained" with studying until it's finally time to travel! Again!

My friend Jacky is funny.

BuckoGal (7:35 AM): have you done the Freud reading yet?
MutantTropicalia (7:36 AM): i will in a matter of moments
BuckoGal (7:37 AM): haha
MutantTropicalia (7:37 AM): is it "der traum ist einer wunscherfuehlung?" (7:37
BuckoGal (7:37 AM): i think so
BuckoGal (7:37 AM): i just found it in the book
BuckoGal (7:37 AM): haven't started it yet
MutantTropicalia (7:37 AM): well i only see two things with freud
BuckoGal (7:37 AM): it has a pretty picture tho
MutantTropicalia (7:37 AM): hahaha
BuckoGal (7:38 AM): so i guess i'll read it
MutantTropicalia (7:39 AM): oh kate, your logic is that of the winged nightingale, swift and forward with beady eyes of thunder