Things I Have (re-)Learned This Week

*Just because there is sun does not mean it is warm! (Nor does it mean it is shorts weather.)

*I am not a big fan of the cold AND rain combination. One or the other please. (If you don't hear from me sometime during the winter, the cold weather has killed this poor whimpy California girl.)

*I do not like being laughed at by a whole office for explaining that Fulbright will pay my tuition...especially after waiting 2.5 hours in line.

*Würzburg is a pretty small city. A girl on the Straßenbahn (street car) asked me today for directions to a street...she is looking at a room in the same apartment as me.

*I like running here in Germany better, especially around wide open fields where I am the only one and can sing along to my iPod as loud as I want and nobody will hear me.

*Living in Germany requires LOTS of patience. I missed my bus by ten minutes and had to wait an hour and a half for the next one.

*I am addicted to coffee now...which could be the reason I can't sleep at night. And then the reason I can't wake up on time...

*Once again, Würzburg is a small city. I met up with friends from last year, and one works in the same building as me.

*The beginning of a research project is harder than actually carrying it out.

*As much much of an anti-planner I am, I have made a rough plan of my year (and the places I want to see)...as well as a budget for it all. And I am happy with it.

*It is going to be sad when I am working in the States one day and get so little vacation time. (I will make up for it now...and enjoy this last year of semi-freedom.)

*Oh...did I mention that Würzburg is small? I got an e-mail yesterday from a girl with a job offer to help proofread a journal article (in English) from the psychiatry department before submission. She even knew what I was doing in the hospital and with which doctor. The crazy part is...she got my e-mail address from a friend, who I was supposed to have an appointment with to look at the apartment, yet fell through. And the only information I gave her was my name and than I am a student from the US working at the hospital. Weird. But the job sounds cool :)

*A relative of mine (Peter) is in the same building as me, recovering from surgery. Will visit him tomorrow.

*I love that I live in Bayern and can travel anywhere I want all day for only 19 Euro. (Sunday...Oktoberfest here I come!)

I should get back to my 86 articles I need to read through..I have made it through 11 in the past two days.

Here are a few photos. I take way too many photos. I am going to have my whole year documented.

Walking home from the bus stop Sunday...beautiful sunset. Don't think that happens to often here.


This is Nimba. :)


Up in my room here.

Erste Woche (wieder) in Würzburg

Made it through week one. This week has been quite a challenge. The first few weeks were challenging my last time here, but I assumed since I knew what was ahead of me, I would not have any problems. This, however, did not go as expected. I had some crazy mood shifts...actually just negative moods and a breakdown (thanks family and friends who let me vent and take care of me, even from a distance :) ), which I am sure are not completely over...but I hope the rest of my transition is smoother. As of today, I am finally feeling much more at ease. The sun even came out!

I met Dr. Claßen Monday afternoon, after the first of my many meetings to look at apartments (Besichtigungstermine). He is a very nice man full of ideas, and I am looking forward to working with him. I also met the rest of the workers (Mitarbeiteren), mostly doctorate students and med students. The labs (and my desk) are in the Neurology department of the hospital, which is pretty neat. Every Thursday we have *journal club*, where one person presents a scientific article. I definitely have the good end of the deal as a native English speaker...but when it comes my turn to present the article, but in German..that will be the challenge. My co-workers are really nice. I spent lots of hours this week watching them run their experiments (and being a subject) to get an idea of what we have to work with. Hmm what else about work? I am changing my research topic to fit more of what we have in the lab...should be more interesting. I am set with 50 or so articles to get started. My weekend is cut out for me. ;) I also met the boss (chef) of the department today. He hooked me up with lots of classical music cds and even a dvd in which he plays the violin. hehe.

AND...what really has made the difference today...was FINALLY finding an apartment. It was stressing me out trying to find an apartment because I was not sure how selective I should be. Should I have just taken the first thing, even though it didn't feel right? The answer is no (thanks mom and dad!). I ended up getting really lucky with the place I found...at least will be really lucky with the place after I sign the papers tomorrow morning. It's an older building, but they have completely re-done the inside. I am on the third floor and it's around the corner from the uni-klinik, where I work. AND...it's 100 euro less per month than I had planned on paying. *crosses fingers* or as they do in germany, *pressing the thumbs* that all goes well tomorrow. I am SO burned out on looking at places. Plus, this place gave me the "this is the one" feeling. And I am learning to trust my intuition..it hasn't failed me yet.

I guess there is not much else exciting going on. I am trying to deal with the German bureaucratic system in getting myself registered as a resident, get my Visa, matriculate as a student (which I tried, but they wanted 500 Euro...but Fulbright has come to the rescue). But these steps also require my address. Which I hope to have soon...as well as so I can finally get mail. I know you are all dying to write hand-written letters...or at least postcards for my room ;) School starts on the 15th. In addition to choosing courses, I am looking forward to getting my sports id card (Sportausweis) so I can sign up for some sports groups...I need some more activity. I'm so tired every day. Especially with the weather and not really having people I can just go hang out with yet. And the language...oh the language makes my head hurt sometimes. Too much thinking! That will come, I'm sure. It's also weird doing this a second time around with most of the people I knew back in their home countries.

Well...all is going alright here. (Which you would not have believed earlier in the week, nor would have I.) I am moving back up, especially now that the biggest thing can hopefully be eliminated from never-ending to-do list.

Liebe Grüße aus Würzburg,
Jen

Where I work:

Würzburg...endlich wieder

I made it back to Würzburg yesterday evening and have been apartment hunting online ever since. This is actually kind of stressful, because I am just so anxious to have my own place. I am going to look at an apartment today, but it is quite a bit more than I wanted to pay. Unless it is amazing, I know I should wait for something cheaper to pop up. It is only 1.5 km from the clinic I will be working at though, so that is also a plus...

After the apartment meeting, I will head over the the university klinik where I will be working. I am a little nervous about this as well. But, it's time.

Can't belive I am already going on a month here. Time is always flying by way too fast. My bday weekend was great...got to celebrate both Thursday and Friday.

And now starts "real life" again.

Here are some Birthday Pics:
Thursday night in Marburg
Meeting up in the kitchen


Trying out my new star ice cube tray from Ikea: Orange juice cubes & Sangria :)


Ready to go brave the cold evening


Dinner at the "American" restaurant, Chevy's.


Yum.


haha I am not sure about this one.


Caipi-Abend!


Schluck. Schluck.


The sun actually out again one day in Marburg (but don't be fooled into thinking it's warm!)


FRIDAY
Birthday Breakfast with Inga and Julia


4 hours & 4 Trains


I have seen quite a bit through these windows the past few weeks.


Kaffeestunde & bday cake!


Meine Tante Cristel


und Onkel Paul


Geburtstagtorte


Out with my cousin's wife, Kathrin in Münnerstadt


At the Münnerstadt bar with cousin's friends and cousin's husband, Ramiro


Kathrin and some Münnerstadt guys


SATURDAY
Walking around town


Ramiro bigger than me...once. haha.


I <3 swinging. (schaukeln-->to swing)


Being a kid is way more fun.


Rainy Münnerstadt is still beautiful.
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Flowers...the way to my heart. haha just kidding...not exactly...but they come close. ;)

Crazy German Travels

I just made it back to Marburg. (I accidentally wrote Oregon first-->apparently around Inga, I must feel at home in Oregon! haha. Or maybe it has just been long day.) Berlin was amazing...I am really attracted to the city. It has such a unique blend of old and new...and it's history is pretty intriguing. I could spend a month there visiting museums and exploring it all. We also spent less than 24 hours up in the town of Zinnowitz, on the island of Usedom, where I met Suse's family and got to visit the Baltic Sea. (Which surprised me was warmer than the Pacific Ocean! The air temperature was the same as the water...15*C I think?)

Monday-Wednesday was Fulbright orientation. I feel like I have all of the details of my program now and feel like there is much less pressure on us that I had expected. They stressed the importance of traveling through Europe and community activities. The project is of course important, but there is quite a bit of flexibility...and it is not the only focus. Which makes me happy.

Inga and I will take off on Friday for Münnerstadt to spend a couple of days with my family. And Sunday, I will finally make my way to Würzburg!

BERLIN [Day 1]
An "empty" building where people come and go


Our Berlin tradition: Sushi at Kitano (and caipis)...where Sushi macht glücklich! (Sushi makes happiness!)


Ok..I couldn't resist having a drink on the way to go dancing. It's so crazy to me that people can have alcohol on the streets out in public here, and it's totally normal. Here we are on the U-bahn. haha.


Dancing the night away



BERLIN [Day 2]

The world clock (Weltzeituhr)


Fernsehturm...which is cool that you can see pretty much wherever you are in Berlin






A church


Museum


Alexander von Humboldt...at the Humboldt Universitaet


Suse at her Univeristy library (As a non-student, I was not allowed in. We needed to find a bank. It turned out it was right across the street!)


Brandenburger Tor (Next time I want to come here at night when it is lit up!)


The brand new American Embassy...now right next to the Brandenburger Tor


Reflection of the German "Capital" in the American Embassy.


Looking through the Brandenburger Tor...what was the former East Germany


Reichstagsgebaeude (~German Capital)


We went on a little boat ride "am Spree". Here is the Bode museum...and...what else, but the Fernsehturm?


Another church




Government Building


Train station. Built for the 2006 World Cup. Supposively looks like a currywurst. :)


How Germans imagine they are on the beach...and that it's warm ;)


We went up to inside the Fernsehrturm at night...beautiful!


There we are too!


Kind of looks like a UFO here, huh?


S-Bahn at night


USEDOM [Day 3]
Suse and her little sister, Neele


Still waiting on the toothfairy to make her rounds...


A few blocks away, out on the pier, or "Seebrücke"


Suse and her childhood friend, Netti








Yay...Germany DOES have a beach!


When I have a doggie, I need to take him to the doggie beach!!


Crazy wooden statues


I <3 beaches.


Really interesting building...which is now boarded up. It was the "cultural center" of the town when Germany was divided, as this was East Germany.


Auf dem Spielplatz...at the playground with Neele


Faces in the crazy mirrors


On our way up...


...and back down together!


Another walk to the beach before dinner
















AND...here are some "new" photos I got from Suse during her visit to Oregon in May!

Portland at night from the Portland City grill...sooo beautiful.


Graduation day, of course.


Grad night..walking out by the river in Portland


Downtown Portland


Aw with the girls. I miss these times in Portland. :(


Onto "Boxes"


Ricky!!!


At the Portland Saturday Market, the day before leaving for Peru


Randomly ending up at the Obama rally to see him speak