Germany D2, Landau D1

Day two started out like any other day; I woke up early, maybe around 6 A.M., needing to pee so bad it hurt, but missed that window of consciousness and fell asleep again until 8, when my alarm went off. After several other events, including re-setting my alarm and falling asleep again, I woke up a bit before 10, also known as the time I was supposed to be downtown to meet Kathy. Showered, dressed, left. Got to the bottom of the stairwell and saw it was raining. Went back to my rooms to get the umbrella I had (psychically) purchased the night before. I am good. Decided to take the path through the woods and cut through campus. FUNNY, because there are pathS. Many many paths. I got lost in my own little backwoods. I am not good. Finally found my way to campus, 15 minutes later, and was greeted by 1970s art-deco whitewashed buildings with silver and blue metal framing. There are a lot of windows. Found what seems to be the library, but didn’t go up to any of the buildings. Made it into town quarter to, wove my way through streets, magically found the C&A (like Sears) store, then found Kathy at a phone booth down the street from her housing.

First thing we did was get our mobile phones (Handy) taken care of. Then we walked around for a bit, found a nice Döner shop, and it took me an hour to eat. We also went to the Net-Cafe and took care of e-mails. Cost €2/hr. Then we went back to the ESG sat for a bit, Kathy reading through her Handy hand...book, me working on my Döner and calling my dad. Then I ran out of credits (expensive to call International). I should be able to top-up my credits online, but online I have none. So I punched in some of the “Konto-” numbers, and got texts about how to top-up. Then I found a three digit number I thought would be kind of like a 411 for the O2 SIM card.

A tip from me to you: if you call the German police and ask to top-up your phone card, or find out how to do so, you can’t.

Me: Sprechen Sie Englisch?
Man: Ah, wenig’s.
Me: Ah (laugh) okay.
Man: (laugh)
Me: Uh...kann ich meine Telefonkarte ausladen....
Man: Uh...
Me: ....um, ausladen...(has no idea how to ask “over the phone”)
Man: (probably has no idea what or why I’m asking) Um...
Me: uh...ausladen...bei Telefon?
Man: *mumbles through my talking*...Polizei
Me: Uh, over the phone. Can I add more credits over the phone?
Man: *something something*...Polizei
Me: (thinking he thinks I want to call the police, or that I’m at a police station, generally confused)...Nein..
Man: ...doch.
Me: *silence* What? (realizes now something’s not right, but still doesn’t get it)
Man: Hier ist Polizei.
Me: EEH? (gets it.)
Man: Hier ist Polizei.
Me: Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t...I’m sorry.
Man: Okay.
Me: I’m sorry...um..bye?
Man: ...Bye.

I am an idiot.

We stopped in a few stores around, including a DM store (small walgreens), where I got much needed kitchen sponges. I ended up buying three books and a map of the city. I think I felt pressured because I told my dad how nice they were, and he said “And you have nothing to put in them.” in a mocking tone. Hah! Now I have books and less money. I went for the teen fiction section, figuring the reading would be easier. I now own: Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer), Eine für vier ([The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants]Ann Brashares), and Sabriel (Garth Nix). I already know Sabriel is an amazing book, and I know the story, so the reading shouldn’t be too bad. I’m also happy to say that the walk back to my building went better than the way down, because I actually knew which paths I was supposed to take.

Unfortunately, because of the rain, and the cold, I am getting tired earlier. It’s 5:30 P.M., and I’m yawning every 5 seconds. Tomorrow we leave early for München to see the second to last day of Oktoberfest. Tuesday we take care of bank accounts and university registration.

By the way, Kathy called me at 8:22 asking where I was,

Kathy: I thought we wanted to leave at 8.
Me: Yeah...what time is it?
Kathy: Quarter after.
Me: Oh my God! Oh! Sorry, I thought it was still night!
Kathy: ....
Me:....
Kathy: Is...it? Still night?
Me: (checks alarm clock, checks phone) Yeah. P.M. Definitely P.M.
Kathy: Oh, no... Wow. You can laugh at me now.
Me: Okay.

That’s what happens when you drift in and out of sleep too much.