January

Hello together!

("Hey everyone!" in German is "Hallo zusammen," which literally translates to "hello together.")

It's January here in Erfurt. The weather, however, isn't very January-like.

I saw this picture on Bayern 3's Facebook page and thought it was funny. ("Ich war dabei!" = "I was there!")

I've just been going to work, which hasn't been especially exciting lately. There was an incident where I tried to make a simple copy and encountered half the German bureaucracy, but I got it squared away and don't really want to think about how inefficient the whole thing was.

Today I was in a 5th grade class for the first time so I introduced myself (mostly in English) and then answered their questions (which mostly involved them asking "how do you say [German form of the question] in English?"). One kid asked me if I had a job, which I thought was hilarious. Another girl corrected my German after I clarified something in that language because they didn't quite understand in English. (Which was also hilarious, and I maintain that I wasn't actually wrong.)

A lady who was high stood near me on the tram to work today. That was both annoying and terrifying. It was mostly terrifying because she smelled strange and I was afraid the smell would stick in my coat and then I'd have to walk into school smelling like a high woman. I could tell she was high because she was smiling at people she didn't know and she smelled odd. But mostly from the smiling. Germans don't really smile at people they don't know. (Even in stores and such. You get a free frown from the cashier when you buy your groceries.)

Through extensive taste-testing, I am able to tell you, dear readers, that the best kind of "American cookie" (chocolate chip cookie) that is available in Germany is the Kaufland brand. The Aldi Nord brand is a close second, but the Rewe brand lacks in both 1) quantity and 2) taste. Never buy it. It costs 50 cents more than the other two brands and you only get 8 cookies.

Sorry this is rather humdrum, but I've been taking it slow after my Christmas adventures. Also Sherlock came back, so I've been busy watching that.