losing myself in time

Hey hey--

Imagine yourself in Woods hall and all of a sudden Pitbull starts playing.  Then everyone starts to do the awkward off beat two step I have previously mentioned.  Well, that is the feeling I got at the international party I attended last week.  After the same five painful songs had replayed about three times Morgan decided she had, had enough.  She quickly unplugged the ipod and replaced it with her iphone.  The room was then filled with mixed emotions. The outskirts of the room were either:

A. trying to have a conversation
B. wanting to join the fun, but dealing with fear of embarrassment
C. glaring at us

The center of the room was:

A. having a good dang time.

Everyone seemed to love Empire State of Mind by Jay Z. screaming out the only lyrics they knew,
"IN NEWWW YOOORRK!" I'm convinced they all secretly love the US of A.

That Friday night we went to a bar called Flannigans where we met up with a lot of our International friends.  I also talked to these two older men from the U.S. who were in for the World Classic Baseball tournament,  but had been in London working for the Olympics for the past 6 months.  How cool!

Later that night I was attempting to get inside of my room when I realized I had locked myself out!  Ahhhhh Sumer whyyyy? I walked down a flight of stairs and knocked on Whitney's door.  Thankfully I have such great friends on this trip.  She loaned me some pjs and we uncomfortably shared her already uncomfortable twin sized bed.  The next morning I walked to the Hausmeister's office only to find that he wouldn't be in until Monday.  I was so angry.  We had already had plans to go to the World Classic Baseball Tournament so Whitney loaned me more clothes and we were on our way.

Whitney, Kristen, and  I were the only ones who went and we met our lovely translators, Liza and Caroline there. I was trying to be positive and figured there wasn't anything I could do about my room until later anyways, so might as well just enjoy a long day of baseball.  The first game was Czech vs Great Britain.  GB won putting Czech out of the tournament because they had lost the previous day as well.  It was a fun game but the real fun was that night when Germany played Canada.  The stands were full by the start of the second game.  Canada's men kept rounding the bases and Germany just couldn't seem to keep up.  About halfway through the game I couldn't feel my feet or hands and the temperature continued to lower. It was freezing!!  Caroline said that she would drive us back if we stayed until the end, and they would call a locksmith for me. So Whit and I (KP peace'd out after the first game) fought the cold and waited it out.

*It wasn't football, but it was still nice to watch some sports while here. For more info. on the baseball tournament is turning out, you can go to this link: http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/schedule_and_tickets/

Almost midnight we finally make it to my building and then a waited a few for the locksmith to arrive.  When she arrived we climbed the stairs to the top floor she pulled out a metal wire and within 5 seconds she had me in my room.  My keys were laying right on my bed where I left them.  Liza and Caroline talk to the women and she translates back to me that it is 75 euros! :o WHYY! A job that took her approximately 5 seconds plus the drive there was 75 euros which is about 95ish US dollars. I was mad, cold, sick, tired, but I was in my room and it wasn't long before I was fast asleep.

The next day I enjoyed my room by not leaving it. Lazy Sunday was just that...lazy!  I caught up on homework and tv shows and enjoyed every moment of doing nothing.

I can some up the next few days by saying we had class, a hard German Politics test, and a Brewery tour.

The Brewery tour was pretty neat, but I had a massive head ache so that put a damper on the day.  Here are some pics from the tour:

First process-- hot smelly room

That is a lot of bier!

Tour guide letting us all sample the bier straight from the barrel.

friends!

Kneitinger Bier-- no a fan. 

Friday we took a day trip to Nürnberg, the second largest city in Bavaria.  Our first stop was the Dokumentationszentrum (documentation center) museum.   The area covers about 11 kilometres and was intended as an impressive backdrop for the Nazi party rallies staged there to demonstrate their power.  Here are some photos:

tons and tons of interesting information

There were many films throughout the museum.

The interior remains of Congress Hall.

Hard to see through the glass, but this was a pretty long railroad track filled with cards that listed the names and  dates of ones who lost their lives.  There were 60,000 cards in the museum and each card represented 100. 

After the museum we had a couple hours to walk around the city before our next tour.  We window shopped and got some grub then met the rest of the group at the Albrecht Durer's House.  He was an artist.  I thought the tour was a bit strange and I entertained myself by taking pictures of everyone. 

Ken!! HAHA and the man who decided to join our tour. 

Kate decided to take a seat!

Our lovely tour guide.

Matt and Whit hahaha

She was having a blast.

So was John.

Mr. Albrecht and myself.

It was a very pretty city and you can always find more photos on my facebook page.

The train ride home was the most interesting train ride yet.  Kristen and I were facing an older man.  I still can't decide whether he was creepy or sweet.  He spoke very little English  but after telling KP he loved her, blowing me kissing, holding Morgans hard, and then offering KP a sausage jerky thing, he had everyone around us laughing. 

Kristen's awkward smile. 

Mr. unknown

Morgan's thinking "what the heck"

Today a lot of the crew went to Oktoberfest.  Considering I spent a lot of money to get into my room, and I wasn't dying to go I decided to sit this one out.  This week we only have two days of class and then Wednesday we are going to a winery and then we are off to Berlin for the weekend!! Until then that's all I have to catch ya up on! Until next time stay golden folks.

Sumer :)

P.S.

Quick shout out to my sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi for putting on yet another amazing Mr. MSU and raising so much money for the Arthritis Foundation.  Congrats to this years Mr. MSU the one and only Jack Orem!!!

"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are." -Samuel Johnson

Pink on Pink on Prague

After a four hour train ride (of which I slept 97% of the time) we were at our destination. It was around 23 o'clock and the train station was just a bit creepy.  Not to mention the fact we were in a new country for the first time, at night, with little idea of how to get to our hostile.  I breathe in, breathe out and begin to roll my hot pink suitcase while keeping a tight grip on my hot pink pocket knife...Prague!

A hop, skip, and jump away was our hostile.  It was a very modern room with two bunks and a bathroom that puts mine at home to shame.  I could have showered in it for days, it was so nice! Shortly after arriving we were all asleep.

The next morning we woke up with smiles on our faces ready to journey into the town and take a free walking tour. We got directions from the front desk and we were on our way.  What was suppose to be a 15 minute walk turned into an hour hike across the city.  We approached the astronomical clock, and knew we were in the right place!

                                                                                           Astronomical Clock

We begin the walking tour, and about two stops in I was already zoning off and thinking about lunch.  I really do wish that I was more interested in the history behind the city, but to be honest I just wanted to look around and take pictures.  I kept my mouth shut though and kept on walking.  At about the half way point we took a short break at a local bakery.  It was then that Autumn had the idea to dip out of the tour and find some real food.  It didn't take me long to throw a tip at the chick and we were on our way.  On our way back our attention was caught by the various musically inclined groups that were playing in Old Town. They were great, and very entertaining. After soaking up some tunes we walked back to our hostile and put our bags away.  Then we walked a block over to enjoy an authentic czech cuisine.

Having been disappointed by nearly every restaurant on my trip to Europe I decided the settle for the chicken and potatoes.  You can't go wrong right? Wrong. Something about my honey glazed chicken just didn't settle right with my taste buds and I quickly gave it away to various peeps at the table.  The potatoes bites were actually very yummy and satisfied my growling tummy.

It actually looks better than it tastes. 

After lunch (which we didn't end up eating until nearly 2:30) we decided to walk to the bridge and see that part of town. The walk along the river side was so beautiful. There were also many performers trying to grab everyone's attention such as the man who played the glasses. Just like the tourist we are we managed to stop to take countless pictures.  Here are a few:

How cool is he?!

After crossing the bridge we stumbled upon the John Lennon wall.  It was so neat seeing lyrics written in countless languages along the colorful wall. I only brought an ink pen, but I managed to make my mark. 

John Lennon Wall

By the time we made it back to our hostile my feet were killing me and we decided to order pizza and get a good nights rest.  The pizza came after an hour and a half and it was one of the worst things I have ever tasted.  I was so hungry that I down a couple pieces anyway, and hit the hay.

The next morning we decided to tour the castle and spend the rest of the day shopping.  The hike to the castle was just that.. a hike! By the time we made it to the top I was short of breath not only due to the mountain we climbed but also because of the breathtaking view.  It was incredible.

Prague!

We then ventured over towards the castle.  We first stopped in the gift shop which also had a ticket booth for the castle tours.  As we entered the gift shop all I could think about was how much my little cousin Avery would LOVE to be there. She loves everything princess and magical, so I was searching for her a gift that was cute yet not so expensive that I would have to sell my right arm.  As I moved to the second room of the gift shop I notice that Autumn wasn't around and I ask if anyone had seen her.  Will tells me that she saws us come in so I continued shopping and checked out. 

After I check out I go tell everyone to not leave because I'm going to go look around for Autumn considering 30 minutes had past and I had still yet to see her. I go back to the first room of the gift shop and search for her....nothing. I go to the fountain...nothing. I go to the entrance of the castle....nothing. I go back to the gift shop to see if she is there....nothing. 

Everyone else had now finished checking out and were waiting near the ticket booths to buy the tickets.  I'm now really beginning to freak out! Where in the world did she go?! I asked Kristen to go look with me for a second time.  I searched through the gift shops again...nothing.  We went all around the fountain while I'm yelling her name...nothing. (Did I mention there are people EVERYWHERE?) We go back to the castle...nothing.  I then ask myself... Where would I be if I was Autumn? That's easy... sitting down somewhere.  So, we walk around the castle to all of the benches...nothing again! My heart is pounding as my eyes search throughout the crowd.  Kp and I walk back inside to meet the rest of the crew. Still no sight of her. 

As we all sit there Sara and Whitney try using there phones that work about 1% of the time to get a hold of her. I stand there glaring out the window eyes still scanning the crowd.  About 5 more minutes pass and I see Autumn coming out of the castle.  I shout, "There she is!" I tell them to not move and I sprinted out the doors to go get her.  Literally 15 seconds past and I was among the crowd and couldn't see her.  With my head down I come back inside. Seconds later Autumn shows up.

I was so overwhelmed with different emotions I couldn't even say anything.  I wasn't mad, I was just sick to my stomach thinking we had lost her, as was she thinking we left her. 

*For anyone who read Autumn's blog and thought we were just chilling in the gift shop AC sipping on some lemon-aid  this story is for you.  I thought you might like to know that we do like the girl a little bit. :) This was a good lesson for all of us, and we make sure to triple check our head counts now. 

We then purchased our tickets and headed to the castle.  BEAUTIFUL is an understate meant. 

me and the castle! :)

This is how crowded it was everywhere

The stained glass was incredible

The rest of the day we spent going in and out of every little shop on the strip.  I found a few good finds so I was happy.  Retail therapy at it's finest.  

That night we went to a club and it was 80s and 90s night.  It was one of the strangest things I have ever experienced.  We managed to have a good time though singing all the lyrics to MJ of course!

The next morning we decided to find some American food before we headed back on the train. Soon enough we came upon a Hard Rock Cafe.  Pure greatness. Everything from the English speaking waiter, free refills, ice, and the rack of ribs I ordered.  It was the perfect ending to a great yet super exhausting weekend! 

Until next time--

Sumer

buses, trains, and boat tours

Hallo Bloggers,

It has been a busy past week to say the least.  Classes are really beginning to start up now and between homework, tests, quizzes, and tons of reading for humanities I have been reminded why I'm here... to study.

I have never been one to catch on to languages too quickly or at all for that matter, and German is a tough one.  Due to the different grading scale here our professor created four groups to help us understand how we did on our first test.  The groups were: great, good, okay, and need to learn more.  I managed to score in the "okay" bracket which I'm not really okay with, but this will have to revert in to more studying, or a miracle.  I prefer a miracle.  To top it off I just so happen to sit between the two highest grades in the class, making me feel...oh so smart.  I just keep reminding myself that I picked PR as my major for a reason, and this class in no way, shape, form, or fashion is actually going to help me in my future career. 

As for my other classes, they are... going.  My GER 105 professor asks questions that he already has strong opinionated answers for, and told our class that anyone half way sane has to be agnostic.  I'm still confused by this statement, but the look Autumn and I shared after that was said reassured me that I was not alone.  I never thought I would say I'm excited for HUM class, but I am.  For starters it is in English, and secondly it is in English.  I had my ART 121 class for the first time today.  I'm also really pumped for this class. Our professor is a very smiley man who believes it is easier to learn when you can see art first hand.  Hello field-trips! Oh, and get this... NO TESTS!

Aside from class we also had a full scheduled weekend.  

On Friday we went to Dultfest again.  Unlike our first trip to Dult it was PACKED, so packed in fact that we couldn't even get inside the bier garden, so we thought.  Then Autumn, KP, Whit, Morgan, Allie, and I put our master minds together.  We then got in the middle of a group of Germans and pushed our way through the middle. Ahhh what a relief... oh wait where is Autumn and KP?  I pulled out my phone and gave Autumn a quick call.  She said that her and Kristen couldn't make it through.  I told her to find a way, and we would wait.  About ten seconds after I hung up the phone I see the two of them literally coming in through the center of a tree.  Partially tripping with tree branches still in their hair we had all made it in! We found a table, ordered a drink, and clapped along to the German songs that were foreign to us. We also made friends with the local soccer team and met up with our new friend Alex who is from Australia. 

                                                                          Dultfest!

The next morning we had to get up and get ready for a leisure bike ride along the Danube river, so we were told.  We headed to the bike shop, rented our amazingly comfortable bikes (ha!) and we were on our way!

My little speed racer...

                                                                  Bikes of Champions!

About five and half miles in I began to wonder how much longer, and I hear we are about half way until our stopping point.  No, not our ending point, our lunch break.  Yes, 11 miles there 11 miles back. No biggie. 

Autumn sweatin it.

Whitney's minor accident! haha.

 We finally made it to the half way point and had lunch a cute little bier garden.  We sat outside and had an awesome view.

Lunch!

                                                             Our view from the bier garden.

Before we knew it our lunch break was over and we were on our dreaded way back.  As I rounded the first curve I can see the first hill about 50 yards in front of me.  I lock my eyes on that hill with determination, about that time my concentration is broken when I see Autumn turning around.  Without making eye contact she flies past me mouthing the words "bus stop" she had enough.  I must say considering her track record with athletics I was impressed she made it as far as she did! Go AUTUMN! :)

>>>>For more on Autumn's history of sports related events click here.... http://astrangeleaf.blogspot.de/2012/09/the-senator.html

The ride back was a rough one.  I passed time by seeing how many Germans would say "hallo" back to me.  After 48 of the 57 people blatantly ignored my being I decided to give up and settle with the fact that Germans just aren't very friendly.  Secretly, I think it has something to do with my track record of bad first impressions, but who knows. Along the way back I made a short video for my mom, might as well show it to the rest of the world.

22 miles later the bike ride was finally over.  So glad I finished it.  Great weather, much needed exercise, a beautiful view, and afterward I felt very accomplished.

That night a big group of us got together and went to Sudhause.  It was packed full of people of all sorts dressed to impress. The majority of the night consisted of my friends and I performing all of the American songs while everyone else stuck to their usual two step. 

On Sunday John had an adventure to Klosterschenke Weltenburg planned.  We hopped on a bus which lead us to a train then to another bus, and then a lovely boat tour.  Kristen and I sat up on the top deck to enjoy the incredible view.

  Kristen and I 

                                              So many people out boating, rafting, hiking,etc. 

                                      This picture of a picture explains where our boat tour lead.


Once we were there we walked around took a look inside the monastery and ate at yet another bier garden.

Inside the monastery.

Typical German meal.

After a long day of classes on Monday we took a tour inside of St. Peter's Cathedral.  Jaw dropping.  The picture will not give any justice of just how beautiful it was inside. 

St. Peter's Cathedral

As for the rest of the week I have class through Thursday and Thursday night we head out for Prague.  Pray for safe travels! 

Before I end this extremely long post I want to give a shout out to all of the men and women who lost lives in 9/11 and then soldiers who are still fighting for us each and everyday. 

That's all folks, thanks for reading!

-Sumer