I AM NOW IN BUSINESS!

I am terribly sorry about the lack of posts since I've been in Germany! I haven't had a password to get into the wireless at the guest house, and then I didn't have the right adapter for my computer. But now, I have both, and I can tell you all what I have been up to so far! (Also, this will probably be a very long post, because I dutifully recorded all of the happenings of the last few days on paper until I could get the internet up and running to make a proper post). 

My trip to Germany wasn't too bad. It was just very very long and exhausting. Getting through the airport in the U.S was pretty typical, although I had to wait in line to check my luggage for more than an hour. The flight itself was nice. I was sitting next to this old man who looked and sounded like Vizzini from The Princess Bride. He was going home to Geneva after a visit in the States with family. I found lots of rather interesting information from him, especially about the flight, because he worked with the Airport Authority in Geneva. This was wonderful because I got hopelessly lost in the Geneva airport while looking for my connecting flight. I ran into him again, and he helped me figure out where I needed to go. The flight from Geneva to Frankfurt was gorgeous. I got to see a bird's eye view of the Alps. The ICE train to my city was also very nice (and very fast!). By that point I could barely keep my eyes open, so I didn't get to admire much of the scenery. 

Simon met me at the train station and brought me to the guest house. He was very friendly and showed me where my room was, took me up to the laboratory to give me a tour, and even took me to the nearest grocery store so that I could go shopping (where I bought the staples of almost any college dorm - Ramen, bread, peanut butter and something that is similar to jelly).

My room is lovely. It had everything I could wish for: a beautiful picture window that looks out on a little garden (see above), linens,  a small but very well furnished kitchen, a desk and closet/wardrobe thing, even an alarm clock, should I have forgotten my own.

Sunday was also a very nice day.  I decided to walk down to the central part of the city to see the famous Ganseliesel fountain and find a Deutsche Bank ATM. When I inquired at the lobby as to where I might find an ATM, I was more than a little dismayed to discover that there was only one Deutche Bank in the entire city. Worse,  the man at the desk didn't know if it had an ATM. He was very nice though, and gave me a map (marked with the location of the bank) and also recommended that I visit the Old Botanical Gardens. The city is not very hard to navigate, but it is a 2 mile walk to the central part. It is beautiful. It is also very odd, because you see a lot of newer looking buildings nestled in right next to "traditional" German architecture (i.e. the picture to the left). 

I had no problems finding the Ganseliesel or the bank (which does have an ATM inside, YAY!)

 and decided to just wander. I found a floh markt (literally, flea market), bought some ice cream and bread, and finally went to hunt down the botanical gardens. They were also very very pretty, and I found something which tickled me PINK! 

Polk salad! In a botanical garden....in GERMANY! That literally made my entire day. 

And now to today. I know, I talk too much, but please be patient with me for a few more minutes. Today was my first day of work. And it was awesome. The people in my lab are all very relaxed ( I can call the boss Martin!!) and wonderfully nice. When I got there, the secretary opened the door for me. I initially said (in English, bad me!) that I was supposed to meet David at 8:45, but I got a blank stare, so I repeated myself in German. The lady does not speak very much English, which is okay. It means I get to practice. 

David showed up a few minutes after I got there and we walked to the Kartestelle to get my University ID printed (so I can get food at the Mensa). He is also very nice, and we were chatting merrily by the time we got back. He showed me some of the stuff that he is working on (VERY COOL!) and introduced me to everyone else in the lab. They are all wonderful. I spent the most time with Robert and David, chatting and preventing them from getting their work done (I felt really bad about it, afterwards, but they seemed happy to talk to me). Martin told me about the "mini" project that he wants me to work on, and it sounds very neat. He also suggested that we all go out together tomorrow night. I am super excited. I think I am going to have a wonderful time with all of these people. They are all friendly, and helpful, and they have promised not to laugh at me when I try to speak German with them and fail miserably (hehe). 

So that was a not so short summary of the last three days. Expect to hear more from me soon!

Love, 

Me