airportable
aih I can't read the comment from before. (sorry) I'm on one of five free net modules sponsored by Samsung in Hk airport. It's near gate 20. All the others charge rates that I am not inclined to pay. And pop ups like comments and email windows are blocked.
Meanwhile I am not the super airportable type and off a flight of 12 hours to go on one for 8/9 hours is queasy smeasy.
And Ha Ha~ I received an email reply from mum regarding the conservative calculation of my debt. From my dad who was cc'd, i received no reply. *
winks*~
Seeing you all on Saturday for drinks!
P.s I sent out an email... email me if you didn't receive it.
lovely
London is lovely. It would be lovelier if I wasn't so time poor or generally poor..etc. I like the mozaic of the old with the red buses. General bustle in the narrow lanes and widespread lanes alike.
Tomorrow I may go to the National Gallery because they have a great collection. Seeing as I won't be able to spend more than 2 hours there.. I'll have to pick what to see.. if I go (Carravaggio interests me. But so do Botticelli (Venus and Mars), Franscesa (Baptism of Christ) and the typical Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt, Rousseau... Yet, so time deficient be I. And also slightly tired.
I also am getting closer and closer to that day that I spend wholly on the plane.. If I'm not glad to see you after
that, then I wouldn't have seen you early enough!
ta ta! *
waves*
Squirrel
I saw a squirrel in my opposing neighbours garden today. It was teeny! TOTEMO KAWAII. I love squirrels.
I will not have to repeat equity again also, which is good news.
And I forgot to mention previously that on my trip to Köln I went to the Chocolate Museum and in addition to learning all about the production of Cocoa which is labourous,
historically cocoa was discovered by the Otlocs, Mayas and Aztec people. In those wonderfully cultural times, 10 cocoa beans could be traded for a rabbit.
winks 100 cocoa beans can be exchanged for a male slave
winks again *waves*
Schokolade
Köln - briefly.
Climbing the stairs of the Dom in Cologne will not fail to produce lactic acid in muscles and cause great great pain. The passage I will describe as fitting one 'average' sized American - not that I know what size that would be, but a snug fit for people to go up and down in. Going up is definitely harder because in round stair cases, taking the inner part of each step gives you this slice-of-pizza sized step to step on and no hand rail to hold. No one has fallen I think.
After visiting the Ludwig Museum which is more a Gallery, I was imposed unsolicited company. To refer to Holly's 10-day challenge which I made no effort to succeed in (
laughs)after 12 days I obtained 2 unsolicited phone numbers.
The scene goes:
Person of dark dark middle-eastern appearance (the doubling of words was not a typo) around my height asked me if I spoke English. I said yes how can I help you. He says no I just want to talk to you in English for 5 minutes. I thought oh that's nice. And he accompanied along many roads. The way he carried himself made me uncomfortable.
He asks me where I live and I say 'Hamburg'
He claimed to be from France, and so I say ich komme aus Australien. And he says but you are not Australian. Well clearly. I also thought well you aren't French looking yourself!!
You know when you're in a technical situtation when you want to look at buildings and things are leisure but have someone to talk to when they suddenly talk about their sister who is married and ask 'Are you married'.
Me: I'm hoping to be
he: When are you going back to Hamburg
Me: Today
he: Why don't you stay a night in Köln
Me: Because I have to go back home today
(
Curt, vague, direct, dismissive )
he: What time is your train
(
I wasn't going to tell him I had the latest train!!)
Me: Later
blah blah blah
Me: Thanks for showing me around a bit but there are a few things that I'd like to do in Köln by myself
he: If you give me your number I can call you when I want to talk to you
Me: I don't have a phone
he: you don't have a phone
Me: No the place I stay doesn't have a phone
he: then how can I call you
Anyway I won't bother going on, just ask me about it when I see you in Joisu's German Chocolate and Gummi Bear tasting night - it got really intimidating.
The second number I got was from a taxi driver who drove me home after I got back to Hamburg at 2:30am. Here I told him I lived here and have been here 2 weeks etc. He started asking me about family and guardians. The scene is what I classify again as embarking in technical situation.
But yes, Cologne was a great one day trip.
The night before I met Katharina to watch Madagascar and then we had a beer, Duckstein to be typical German. When I got home, I was vaguely drifting to sleep and eyeing 'world' news on CNN when the tv went off.
I didn't turn it off, it went off.
I thought about the Thai ghost stories that people love telling me about.
The TV turned back on which i pressed the switch which is good because it meant I didn't break it. And which is again slightly unnerving..
Missing Home. Anticipating difficult to manage luggage. Anticipating seeing you at my chocolate tasting evening. (
winks + waves)
budget
Let me firstly say that my budget is difficult. And some things here are cheap - yet I have this budget. I may need to seriously consider employment opportunities when I return.
And secondly, no, going to Kiel didn't happen - but tomorrow I'm going to Bremmen and then on Sunday I'm going to Cologne by myself. Apprehensive? Slightly.
Yesterday I was feeling slightly distressed seeing as I couldn't sleep because it was sooooo hot. And so spending a long day walking around soured my spirits slightly. On the trip home in the evening I felt with that relief you get when you approach a final destination for the day. Only to remember firstly that there wasn't much I was returning too. (Buuu) Secondly, that spagetti is not my friend and ich habe keine etwas zu essen (Buuuuu) And thirdly, there's only cold showers.(BUUU!
criesYes I have this almost subtle oppressive feeling where I'm staying. I'm not use to it, no, but also it is so mysterious that the water heater thing does not heat up no matter what and for how long I have tried.
I've given up wasting water - I turn on the 'hot' shower and take cold showers. And I know I have dealt with this issue for a while now but it is absolutely beyond my comprehension! Out of disgust I am going shopping now. (
unhappy look)
i wonder if Holly will find me a job...
Sonntag
Yesterday we went to the Stuttgarter Wiendorf. And so 11am to 2pm had a mix of wines (red, white, rose) and Browle mit erdbeeren which was nice. Had enough to the point I felt tipsy whereby we went to see some Churches, Shopping and to the Humburg Dungeon which is a Horror show/ride hosted by actors acting as ghouls and stuff. They were really good and yes I just clung to Josephine and Lilly because in each room things would just..happen. There was a freaky hall of mirrors and.. yes, that was quite .. scary.. since you knew that someone was out to scare you. And yes, hall of mirrors where you couldn't tell when there wasn't a mirror etc..
But for Fear Fans, I'm sure that place was just slightly entertaining.
Friday night we went and watched some jazz. And before that we ate at an Italien place, and the Guy there was just soooo seedy. I called Josephine his 'frau' and his 'woman' the whole night and he rubbed her back at one point to the extent I felt harassed just seeing it happen. That's Josephine for you though, being friendly and smiling at everyone.
Today I was meant to go to Hamburg's Fishmarket. Except I overslept. Plus I live in Woop Woop remember. So then I decided to go look at the neighbouring suburbs. To keep a long walk a short story, I got off at Mundsburg and ended up getting train at some other place on another line. Then I'm here now in Barmbek using a computer.
And I found out the hot water does work at my place but only if you turn the tap lightly as opposed to turning like mad. Hmm. oops.
Also, Katharina plans to take me to the Baltic Sea and nudist beaches. (laughs) I think I might go buy some swimmers ..
Postkarte
ANO! If you have received postcards from me on previous occasions, then you may be receiving one soon. I say may because you may not... although I think I'm safe because for those who may not, they don't read this blog. Ich wiess das is richtig.
Others who want pöstkarte, you may need to notify me of mailing address and I anticipate happily to send you one... while I still have somewhat a slab of my budget
Today I bought a splendid white chocolate mocha, Himbeer und Erbeer bonbons, Chocolat, lunch, um.. 16 postcards, stamps.. etc.
Tomorrow I'm hopefully going to the Stuttgarter wine festival and the city centre where there are German Pigeons. (
laughs)
Speaking of fauna, here dogs can go anywhere and everywhere! They go on buses and to university classes also, computer labs... yaha! And there are a lot of them! *nods* daisuki ne. In sydney they have trouble even going to parks ne. Buu. I might have a future as a dog walker.. since I don't know that I could actually take care of one.. buu.
Erbeeren
Hi. *long sigh* It's been a logistical nightmare but here I am in Hamburg and with access to the net in HWP using a German keyboard. Reading the comments previously posted was funny because it would say '
koncret3 hat gesagt...' blah blah blah on top of the fact that the keyboard is different and well, the whole microsoft system is German.
Ja genau?
Ok so what has happened. I missed the connecting flight because the flight was delayed from HK and we circled around Heathrow for 20 minutes before we could land and had to queue for 20 minutes in Connections to go through luggage scan. Hurrah Ja? I had to buy pounds and they charged a minimum of 3 pounds for the service. and a 5 pound phone card can call Sydney for 12 minutes.
Anyway, things worked out and I got to Hamburg and Katharina picked me up took me to Dieselstaßa in Ubischstraße where I'm staying very much isolated and by myself.
The funniest that happened was my crisis of paying (costs now referred to in Euros) 5.50 each day for a transport. But to get a weekly for 16.00 requires you to submit a passport photo to attach to the pass. Diese foto in dem HauptBahnhof kostet 6.99 für 4. Sooo - Me and Josephine formed the brilliant plan to just take a digital photo and print it out immediately for 1.40.
(laughs) We circled Central station for 5 mintues looking for a place with a white wall background and not in the view of the law enforcement officers. Ultimately it was done. And the photo I can show you, it's ... as you will see. But anyway I didn't want to ask the staff in the photo shop to loan a pair of scissors to reveal our el cheapo tactic so we ambled along at 6pm while I was in woe that the KCC train booth people close. Josephine rushes into Avis and asks for a pair of scissors. The guy in there was surprised but very friendly. Success.
And now I have a flexipass till 22 juli when I leave for London, although since there have been those 4 explosions in London's Tube stations... I should be fine then. Maybe. I will watch CNN later.
Oh and yesterday was the first day of class.. and to get to Von Melle Park 9 I ended up speaking English, Chinese, German and japanese. Although the last of these were to be conversational to the Jap student studying education here in Hamburg.
Hamburg is really quiet. Don't mistake my funny incompetencies as glamourous accounts of social events. Like I said in my comment in previous post, I am staying in an outskirt place humouring those small successes like buying Erbeeren (which are Strawberries! Nothing alcomoholic).
OOOH Guess what? I managed to use a lighter to light candles. A lighter. It took a lot of effort and I burnt myself but violä: light.
(
laughs) Don't think there is no electricity here, but candle light is different and you don't end up feeling so alone.
Although - I have just emailed Katharina about how to get HOT WATER. I thought turning the tap would ... have that.. something ist kaputt ne.
Summer. 14 - 21 Degrees celcius. Overcast skies. Bouts of Rain.
See you all soon.
*hugs*
Schiz..
Madness. Absolute madness. This packing and going to Germany has somewhat dampened my spirits. Yaa.. a maximum of 25 kg is there for a reason but I was meant to travel light. LIGHT. L-I-G-H-T.
I'm going to catch the bus in 2 hours. Only Just received Holly's email about her transformer. I'll have to try to think of something. I can get it if I leave now and then come back for a shower. The heat and humidity was quaint for a while but after so many sleep deprived nights and unreasonable aching knee joints I think it's a sign I'm overstaying my welcome here.. (laughs). Hmm. it's not actually funny. I just have a slight aversion to the air conditioning here. The difference is too great. 34 degrees C becomes 17 degrees C. But that's the norm here. Looking after myself here hasn't been easy ne
*waves*
elevators
Annnoo.. *sniff*. In an hour there's going to be a show on TV about Why weird ghouly things happen in lifts. I'm thinking 'The Eye' again. I'm probably not going to watch it or I won't be able to sleep! nn nn thanks a lot TV. Just knowing that more weird things happen in lifts isn't that friggin reassuring..
le critique
Hallo. A quick brief about my surrounds. There’s no wireless in my room, I get vaguely one bar reception in the living room from somewhere. My borrowed room contains a double bed, some cabinets, a TV, plugs without switches and windows. The walls are clean but marked with signs of pollution. Compact. No nonsense. A room where you sleep and otherwise spend minimal time in. Reflexive of life here for a majority of citizens maybe.
Um. Buildings and flats are very much like those in ‘The Eye’ and other films – although I would be more correct to say that those films use the environment that is here. If you know me well, and are following my tangent… yeah, I’m starting to feel a bit uneasy. I mean I love that I can eat all the things I like, walking around, browsing, the humidity, the rain, the whole melting (physically, metaphorically, literally and laterally) feeling but sometimes when it rains all of a sudden at night, the sound of those raindrops hitting metal somewhere, it’s very familiar.
*thinks* that scary movie I remember I didn’t watch much of..Tonikakuuu~~ I’m not complaining. Just honestly reflecting that moving outside my comfort zone is felt very poignantly. BUT because of this over-exposure to the need to be trendy, look absolutely groomed and over-accessorised, a sudden estrangement and no familiar lifeline (there’s starbucks – but I never go there since that time their coffee tasted ‘strange’), it will be interesting to see how this girl with middle-child-syndrome and on budget lives in Germany by herself. Wooo. How excitement. But really, meanwhile, here I do get that feeling I’m gaudy, lanky, bulky, messy, uncouth, stupid and quite eccentric. Eeearrghh~ The brainwashing of me with my insecurities.
-sigh- why do they comment on my tan and offer me whitening formulas when instead of their fashionable frilly frocks and inca prints I’m wearing no makeup, loose-fitting jeans, a t-shirt, swinging around my mimco bag … *pouts*
(
laughs) Oh~ I was informed I should be wearing frilly tops and 3/4 transparent with print tights... If I do, I’ll post up photos..
*waves*
