I'm all jacked up on coffee right now

Yepp im pretty jacked up on coffee right now. Finally got my xmas package from home the other day, and it contained two more bags of DnD coffee from my parental units as well as other awesome things. But the coffee is what ive been using the most. I think im just using it as an excuse to drink wayyyy to much. Mmmm havent had any French Vanilla coffee in quite a long while. Coffee in Germany is done a lot differently than back home. Which i would like to elaborate on for all those that are interested. Back home when one goes out to a diner, and orders coffee you get a fairly sized cup of just regular black coffee with a couple of creamers on the side and sugar on the table. Sure it may not be the best, most fancy coffee in the world, but usually its not far north of a dollar and you get unlimited refills, and there in lies the beauty of it. You could sit with friends in a diner for hours drink 3 or 4 cups decent sized cups of coffee and still walk out only paying for one cup and whatever you had to eat. However is Germany, coffee is deemed a bit more holy, if you will, than in the states. When one orders a coffee at a cafe or restaurant, you get a fair sized cup or fancy sort of coffee. Usually its pretty good coffee, however there will be no one coming around asking you if they can top up your coffee for you, and you usually will be paying between 2 and 3 euros for you beverage. Which i suppose isnt the worst price, considering the effort they put into it. But you will only be getting one flavor of coffee, unless you go to a more Starbucks styled place, and you will have to pace yourself. Trying to strike the balence between drinking your coffee at a relaxed pace to make it last, and trying to drink it before it gets cold is a challenge. So in conclusion, I do miss the coffee addication culture of back home. Back home i feel a fair amount of people are literally addicated to their coffee, and will probably murder anyone who gets between them and that first cup of delicious wakefullness. People here seem to take coffee far less seriously, its more of something to be enjoyed slowly, with the newspaper or a good book. YES COFFEE!!!!!!!!

Studying

So since im supposed to be kicking my own ass to study German Politics right now, i think it would be the perfect time to write another blog entry. Yes i know i never put those pictures up. For some reason my photo albums are all reorganized so i'll try to figure that out and find those pics to upload. Not to worry all will be seen. Well whats new......umm well its snowing again today, but due to the excellence of the German maschine all the roads and walkways are completely clear. As the weather gets worse i've found this sterotype of German effiency holds true. But of course other sterotypes do not. Such as this whole "everthing is on time all the time, no matter what" sterotype. That i can say is far from true. At least here in Wüzburg. Buses, trams, and trains are never actually on time. People arent usually very early, especially the professors. Most of my classes do not start at their appointed times, but start 15 or 30 later than the schedule says. Its actually called some sort of Latin thingy but i forget what. However its not to say that everything is hours and hours late here. But usually a bus will be 2 or 3 minutes late, or at worse 5. Not too bad all things considered, but i have had a couple of buses that just never showed up. Had to wait outside for another hour in the snow and Converse. Greatly frozen feet. I'm feeling good. Like really good. I feel as if my German is improving 10 fold everyday. I have a subscription to the Süd-Deutsch Zeitung (SZ) which i read everyday for at least an hour. I just got myself a new most excellent German book (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex) which i am powering through at a rate that i would not have thought possible 3 months ago. As a side note its a kickass book so far and i highly reccomend it. Also its a movie. But i do really feel my German getting better. In my head im talking German almost constantly, which actually does help regardless of how many people think you're a mental patient. I'm even starting to dream in German which is really neat. Nothing like getting up the morning for a lecture and already being warmed up in German. My listening is getting better everyday as well. I to listen in on peoples conversations on the bus try to follow what they're talking about, usually with some success. Obviously i get listening practice in my classes too, especially the class that is the listening class. My conversational German, i felt, was actually in need of a ton of work until just a few minutes ago. One of my German friends from my building just came by me sitting here in the Cafe studying. We had a fairly long conversation about you know just the random stuffs of students. Classes, tests, weekend stuffs, all auf Deutsch of course. And i sort of surprised myself with my conversation skills. Usually this guy corrects me every few words or so, which i appreciate, but this time around i was keeping up real well. Having a real conversation. So im feeling pretty damned awesome right now. I think it is that i dont give myself enough credit and confidence with my conversational German. I still am a little intimated by native speakers, so i tend to talk not so much or not at all when im hanging out with them. But now i feel like this newly inspiried confidence, so im gonna give it my best to talk more with the natives. Even if i make a foolish suckka out of myself, its something that i need to do so that i can get better at speaking it. Umm this weekend was pretty fun, except for the whole class on Saturday thing. War's super blöd! No just being up before 11 on a Saturday. But it was only one time (i'm hoping). Then Saturdau night a few of us went to catch a show in town. There was this Irish Electro Pop/Punk band playin over the river. Was pretty cool. Then we went to a Hooka lounge for a few hours. SO COOL! This place is just so amazing. Likethe front of it is a Dönner place where you can get your kababs and stuff zu mitnehmen. And then in the back they have this Hooka lounge where you can take off your shoes and sprawl out on deliciously comphy pillows and couches, have a drink, and smoke some Hooka. It was literally one of the most relaxing things i think ive ever done. I would HIGHLY reccomend it. And they make a mean Mojito. Of course Sunday was Kult brunch. One of the most delicious things on the goddamn planet. No lie. For further details on how great Kult is please make a point to visit it yourselves when you come to Würzburg. And finally we come to the final point of my study avoiding blog post. I will be coming back state side for a few weeks during the Semester Feriern. From Feb 15th to March 23rd. Kind of a long time i think, but it should be a good time. My buddy Tom will be staying with me for a little bit of that time, so he can see the bright lights on the NYC. Then i'll make it a point to make my social rounds of the town. So i think i managed to was almost an hour writing this blog post. I guess i'll get back to studying before my battery dies. Wanna make sure i get enough studying in so i can do the customary Brauhaus Monday fun. I leave with a completely unrelated video, but a video i think everyone needs to see.

Ok, lemme spin it for ya real quick.

So yes here i am. Not dead or doomed to being a kidnapping victim. I have returned. Or really i never left. Im just a damned lazy prick. I blame all the delicious holiday food and easy holiday living. Even though its almost feburary but i have that ability. Yes, so the holiday season was pretty damn diggty fun für mich. I stayed with my friend Tom and his family for Xmas and New Years. It was a pretty fun time. Got to get to know England a little bit, met some new people and made some new connections, got to eat delicious delicious food, am now of the opinion that english TV is probably the best, got to visit London and Norwich, and got to see clinically insane people running into the ocean on Boxing. Pretty interesting. Tom lives in the county of Norfolk in Northeastern England. Honestly i hadnt thought that England could get very rural, but goddamn it is farm country out there. Norfolk has the reputation of being sort of a backwards county. You know, counsins marrying counsins, farmers having relations with their animals. Pretty much the same sterotypes as the southern US. But its a pretty neat place. Very flat, lots of farms and little villages. And its right on the coast. So the beach is walking distance from Tom's house. Supposed to be really nice in the summer. And in the county of Norfolk the big city is Norwich. That is really a nice city. Maybe a little bit bigger than Würzburg, with a few more nooks and crannies. Pretty alternative with plenty to gawk at and do. We were there a couple of times during out stay. Mad super fun good times. We were able to catch a local show in Norwich with a few sick as local bands. It was pretty awesome to be able to get a beer at a local show. Usually that is forbidden, at least in the states. During the course of my stay with Tom, we checked out a few films at the cinema. Go see Avatar, its like the best thing since Star Trek. I watched tons and tons of Top Gear. If you don't know what Tom Gear is then you need to check it out. Its and English car show. It sounds a little boring but the hosts are bloody hilarious so that pretty much makes it. One of the big events of the two weeks was London. We went to London on the 29th. It was a pretty wicked good time. Surprisingly we were able to complete pretty much all of the Tourist stuff in that visit. You know, Big Been, Lester Square, the palace. I have tons of pictures from there which i will post soon. Running short of time right now because of course its Sunday, and Sunday means Kult is calling. So i whence i return i will post those pictures and maybe the vids? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GERMANY!

Happy New Year!

YES! 2010!!!!!! SO excited! to all who havent heard, i am all good and well. England is pretty schweet!!! quite enjoying myself here. Pretty tired right now so i'll keep it brief. Just wanted to let everyone know i am well and thriving in the few hours since the new year. Ummm yes expect a massive couple of posts when i get back to Würzburg on sunday. =) 2010