At last I have made it to a computer that has internet. I apologize for any typing errors I make now this keyboard is a little off from the ones at home.
The apartment I am living in is great! There is a lot of purple but not a lavender or anything its a little darker. I share with a girl named Carman who lives in Hong Kong and is a visiting student in Toronto. The other girl who has the ‘private’ room in the apartment is Jade but she is in the art class not the geography one like me.
The first couple of days have been hectic and suffering from jet leg hasnt help much either. (forgive me Im not using the apostrophe I have to hit the shift key which is in a weird spot and another button before i can get it and the y button is where the z button should be which is also rather annoying) I toured around down town Berlin and I have seen the Bradenburg Gate which was built back during the 17th century (I think) by the Hohenzollerns (a royal family from Southern Germany) I saw the Reichstag talk about a in your face building its so grand in its presence. I also went to the Love Parade a large techno dance celebration. Talk about craziness in the streets! Topeless ladies very drunk men and loud music to boot. and when i say loud i mean LOUD to the point i could feel my chest vibrating inside. The party went late into the night but still coming to terms with the different life here in Germany I didnt stay long. Plus I was with the prof and her husband and a few older people from the trip, not really their scene. The food is different here too, very international a lot of Chinese, Thai, Indo and not much German from what I can find. Theres McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts but I miss my timmys and mylarge double double coffees in the morning.(and of course my Debbie doses of Whoo-hooo and sheisse hinters)Jade bought some coffee from the supermarket but its just not the same.
I had my first class today.(the class was more introductory thananythingreally wasnt a lecture today)The campus is amazing very grand and vast the university is something like Toronto and covers several streets and blocks, unlike York which is contained in one small area. (Well its growing now but its still not the same size as UofT) The classroom is relatively small but with 40 people i guess i cant be too surprised. Our building is away from the main the building and looks really new in the inside opposed to the outside which looks all historic. Thats something Im learning from Berlin a lot of the buildings are designed to look historic in actual fact there only 20 years old or so. Since they were all destroyed in the war and then the socialist takeover after WW2 a lot of buildings were left in ruins for several years before renovations began.
Speaking of deceiving is how ‘easy’ it is to travel with the trains. MY GOD NO. The subway is not on a grid but instead on an intricate map which looks like some sort of spider web. Thank goodness Im always with someone who knows where they are going or i would be so lost. I ended up at a shopping mall today where i waited hour to get a EuroPass for the train to find out I need my passport which was back at my apartment 30 minutes away. I was not to pleased and the guy was rude! a RUDE german who knew?! I say that because almost every german i have run into so far have been very polite and patient.
This weekend I will be going with a few friends Ive made, Morgan, Lustuv and Tracy to Zurich, Swityerland with a stop over in Munich, Germany on my way home. I cant wait. (Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!)
Anyway thats about it for now…thank you for keeping me up todate with the Y&R…i hope frenchie, bubbles and teddy are well. How is the camp going for Sam and Ryan? How is Scott doing, i missed saying goodbye to him. Lynda hows ur new job?
Mom how are things at the fire department? any news on possible transfer? Jimbo any interesting stories at the town at all? no more dented trucks?
And dad i hope work is becoming less stressful and you can take it easy for a little while. I find washing dishes or cutting grass a great time to think and contemplate life! 😛
Debbie i hope Kim and Robert are fairing out okay and that youre not deathly ill or in the process of loosing a limb.
I miss you all and six weeks will go by before i know it and ill be seeing everybodys happy faces
love you all, Ali
(how are you bubba? ILL get ur stupid cereal)
posted Monday July 2006