And then?

Edinburgh

2011-09-08T00:09:00.002+02:00

Well, I got the DAAD scholarship and I am thus in Edinburgh now. (Well, I chose Ed over King's, discarded Nottingham and Sheffield and was rejected by Oxford.) Since two days I am here, staying in the Castle Rock Hostel (which I can recommend). I am really not sure whether I like Ed, though. And the campus is supremely ugly! But more on that on my new blog which I will create just right NOW.

Göttingen and Thesis Writing

2011-09-08T00:04:00.002+02:00

I lived in Göttingen with Tim from January till the end of October. This was our first time living together and it was really nice. I think we got used to each other (in the most positive way).
I wrote my psych. master's thesis in this time. Although it was a good decision to come (back) to the Psych. Department of the Univ. of Göttingen academically, the thesis writing was quite exhausting. I think I made all mistakes I could make (which is strange since I really should know better by now). Anyways, it's done and over now. More thoughts on this when the time has come to draw conclusions from this experience...

Clinic Internship

2011-09-07T23:53:00.002+02:00

From October 2010 to January 2011 I interned at the Psychiatry of the Teaching Hospital of Cologne. I chose this place to live with my parents for a little bit. The downside: commuting four hours a day. That was actually horrible; those are lost hours. The internship was ok; I had a really nice supervisor, a lady from Denmark (note to myself: write her a postcard asap!). Content-wise my opinion of Behavioral Therapy received support in that it is really boring and stupid (for the therapist) although it might be quite effective for the patient. (Long topic; not gonna go into here.) I think I would not wanna work there and, what is worse, I really would not enjoy the 4-year training necessary to become a therapist (which does not even bring money, but is quite expensive). I would not enjoy it, because it's excruciatingly boring, the psych. trainees are not much respected by the medical doctors and I haven't yet met many trainees (or future ones) which seemed really interesting to me. Oh, well. That was the internship.

Unreliability

2011-09-07T23:49:00.002+02:00

I know, my posts are not only boring, but were so sporadic (is that a word?) in the last, hm, 3(?) years, that I rather need to explain why I'm posting again. Well, the reason is that I'll start a new blog. And, due to my obsessive-compulsive character components, I want to duly finish this blog. Thus I'll retell what misses until now.

master plans

2010-11-12T20:15:00.004+01:00

I took a little break from my internship to find typing errors in Tim's dissertation. Therefore, I will only tell you about the clinic routine when I return back there.

What I can tell you about now is how my master plans are progressing. Tomorrow I will bring my application for money from the DAAD to the post office. The deadline is 11/15, so I hope it concerns the postmark rather than the reception. After that I have to care about the applications to the schools themselves. I chose 1. Sheffield, 2. Nottingham, 3. King's College, 4. Edinburgh. What do you think?

Actually, I'm already a little fed up with this self-inflicted hazzle. But now I started it, so it might as well go on.

Starting my life as an intern.

2010-11-12T00:03:00.002+01:00

Monday, October 11th, 2010.

At the University Clinic Cologne. I have a bunch of notes to tell you about ... soon!

Moving to Göttingen (again).

2010-11-11T23:44:00.002+01:00

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010.

I owe you photos. Regrettably, I don't have any photos of the process. But there are some of the result. ;-)

I violated the principle to not return to places I already exhausted. But it seems that just all roads lead to Göttingen...

University V

2010-11-11T23:43:00.002+01:00

My last voluntary extra exam: Friday, October 29th, 2010.

University IV

2010-11-11T23:34:00.005+01:00

My last oral exam: Thursday, September 23rd, 2010.

University III

2010-11-11T23:34:00.004+01:00

My last written exam: Friday, August 6th, 2010.

University II

2010-11-11T23:33:00.001+01:00

My last class: Wednesday, July 7th, 2010, 2-4 pm.

University I

2010-11-11T23:30:00.001+01:00

My last presentation: Wednesday, June 30th, 2010.

Once upon a time...

2010-11-11T23:15:00.002+01:00

I promised some updates. I kind of feel bad for adding more trivial stuff to the internet. Anyways. (As if I cared before...) I will wallow in retrospective for a little.

ThULB

2010-08-24T23:57:00.001+02:00

Is there anything more annoying than libraries closing early?

New Shoes

2010-01-16T17:50:00.005+01:00

Well, you know my life is on a standstill due to work-life-inbalance. But I have a new favourite shoe type, as it seems:

How can philosophers sleep?

2009-10-06T18:40:00.002+02:00

I finally again engaged in some philosophical thinking. And it makes me so excited! I can't sleep! Actually this excitement is really counterproductive, as the only thing I can stand doing is walking up and down... I need to study for an exam, but I can't sit! Dude!
How do philosophers sleep?!

Also: anybody reading this still being able to decide over their course of life: If you ever come into the position of choosing between philosophy and psychology -- you know what you godda do.

Cuando tomes tu café...

2009-10-02T16:29:00.004+02:00

I heard this song on the radio and I liked it.

ukulele

2009-09-14T13:12:00.004+02:00

i bought a ukulele and it came today. i kind of imagined it to be a little bigger... all the more astonishing that it actually can make music. i don't like the a minor chord too much, though. it sounds dull. but the rest is fine. --> another chinese instrument in my collection... ;-)

Most Crazy Cool Shoes

2009-09-10T15:24:00.001+02:00

I couldn't resist.

have a look at this picture

2009-08-31T15:35:00.004+02:00

when logging on to my free mail account, it's impossible to avoid seeing the latest yellow press news which are placed prominently on the first page.
today i saw this:

it's a movie presentation.
but can you guess what i find so(!) annoying about it? the boy (11 years, it says) does this pseudo-manly muscle gesture, whereas the girl in her dress lowers her head to offer the audience a supposedly winning, but actually submissive smile under her overdone and too sexy hairstyle.
unbelievable. how can you get children to be like that?!

I like the 14.

2009-08-02T00:09:00.002+02:00

ok, one photo -- one!

2009-07-23T02:32:00.004+02:00

-- silly kissing picture --
this picture is in various and overlapping aspects so symmetrical! look at: the hands, the pants, the girls' hair -- and maybe you'll find more! ;-)

i do admit

2009-07-23T02:15:00.003+02:00

ok, i admit: my blog is dead. i'm sorry. i sometimes even forget that it exists. all the more i am so(!) moved by you guys still posting comments.
concerning dreams i just have a bunch of persecution dreams (is this the correct term?), which are rather scary. i guess i need to interpret them; actually these kinds of dreams must be the most easy ones to interpret.
otherwise, i'm memorizing clinical psychology, after that: statistics, then later: cognitive psychology, psychological intervention, paedagogical psychology and finally occupational psychology. by then it will be october.
i signed up for last.fm today. i'm medium exited.
i didn't post any photos from ferrara. i should do that. in bologna, i played the theramin!!! (theramin example; it's not necessary to look that creepy, though.) but the photos are still on my sister's pc in italy. ;-( anyways. i wish i had an instrument like that. i'm totally convinced that you could build it yourself. maybe there are some instructions around.
so long.

angry hairdressers

2009-04-17T19:22:00.003+02:00

i'm used to hairdressers being impolite to me, making disrespectful comments on how much more care my hair seemingly needs and gazing sniffily at its uncombedness. now i realized that female shoemaker cashiers can be just the same. dude, i'm coming here because my shoes are broken and in a bad state! i'm giving them to you that you repair them and not look at me as if i'm a bad person for not taking better care of my shoes.
next time, i will certainly say: "if you don't wanna repair them, you just need to tell me and i can certainly take them somewhere else!" argh! i'm soo angry! (i had such a nice shoemaker in goettingen, just across the street from my home. one of those guys with dirty hands and apron; the room smelling of shoe shine and leather. and no disdainful horror in the sight of my shoes.)
unfortunately it is disproportionally harder to run away from a hairdresser's chair when it's getting too bad ("look at how nice your hair looks when it is brushed!"). well, i didn't come here for brushing!

last comments in retrospective

2009-04-13T15:07:00.006+02:00

i'm back in germany now, actually already since a few days. my last day in barcelona was nice although dominated by misfortune. i had planned to finally reach the top of the tibidabo ("i will give you", look up the name's origin here), which i actually also had already tried before. there are two ways up the hill; for the first one you can first use the "tramvia blau", or, if this doesn't run, a substitutional bus and after that you take the "funicular de tibidabo"; for the second way, you take the metro and after that the "funicular de vallvidrera". the first time i tried to get up there, the funicular de tibidabo didn't run any more. now, on my last day, i was earlier, even the tramvia blau still ran. i waited in line for an hour, then got fed up and decided to take the bus instead. -- only to find out that the bus really only runs, when the tramvia blau doesn't. this took me half an hour to find out. so i decided to take the other route and went quite a bit to take the metro etc. but then, the metro didn't stop at the stop i needed to get off. at this point i realized that i wasn't meant to reach the tibidabo that day and i gave it up. i strolled through the city for a few hours instead. that was all fine, except for my feet which got a little sick...

i stayed the night at the airport where nothing exceptionally happened. and now i'm back.

school is gonna start tomorrow -- and i don't wanna go...

alicante -- escaping once, escaping twice

2009-04-09T02:06:00.003+02:00

so today i took the bus to alicante. i had slept long into the day and even then not hurried, so that i had only 2,5 hours to spend in alicante -- between the two 2,5-4 hour bus rides. but that was still fine. alicante is even less interesting and less pretty than valencia -- and smaller, too, of course. so two hours were totally enough for that place. i don't mind bus rides either -- in the contrary: i enjoy them. the first ride was actually rather interesting as the bus stopped in several villages/ small towns, so that i could get an impression of them as well. most exciting was the city of benidorm, which seems to be entirely made up of high rises. -- an almost surreal view.
tomorrow i will go back to barcelona, my last day. and i will love it all the more as i do know now that its beauty and atmosphere are unrivaled.

valencia

2009-04-09T01:42:00.002+02:00

yesterday in late afternoon i arrived in valencia. the bus trip took about 4 hours and it was rainy. the views weren't too great. after i had checked in at the hostel (i had booked before, amazingly) i took a stroll through the city. -- and was really disappointed. valencia has a small town atmosphere and is nice, but not super pretty. someone told me, it's the third largest town... it certainly doesn't make the third largest impression. so in the evening (after about 2 or 3 hours of walking around) i decided that i had seen most of valencia and started to wonder what i'd do the next day.
in the evening i had a desire for social contact, so i made an effort to be happy-funny-extravert-christina which resulted in me having dinner with my two australian room mates (males) and later on going out for a drink with my three french room mates (females). all of it was quite nice and i was happy that talking to people had such immediate results.
still, it's not easy to find people you wanna hang out with all the time -- not to mention travel mates... sometimes, if the desire for socializing is too strong, i just do that, and it can be nice for a little bit. but then it feels like a waste of time and too much of an effort to be nice, show interest and keep the conversation going. at that point you realize that you were just socializing, not making friends.

enough barcelona

2009-04-07T00:04:00.003+02:00

i just booked a hostel in valencia for tomorrow. i didn't manage to go to the bus station today to buy a ticket aforehand, so i hope it will be fine to just go there tomorrow and hop on spontaneously. (it should be a 4-5 hours ride.)
why i am leaving? i like bus rides. i saw most of barcelona (i feel) and i don't wanna go to museums this time. i was disappointed by the park güell today. i can still do a cablecar ride on thursday. i wanna see what is behind the city.
-- am i actually justifying my leaving?! i guess, i just didn't find a place where i wanna hang out more. maybe i'm just being moody. but the nice thing is: i can afford the moodyness right now. let's see what will happen.
-- i miss genova.

some, just some pictures

2009-04-06T00:21:00.011+02:00

sightseeing

2009-04-05T23:46:00.002+02:00

i made a huge sightseeing tour today. in barcelona there are two different sightseeing bus companies and one of them is comparatively cheap: 21 euros for one and 27 euros for two days. i bought the two days ticket, which turned out to be unnecessary, as i already made all three available tours. i might try to sell my ticket tomorrow, but i feel that i might not be successful, as the ticket vendors are always around the bus stops.
the sightseeing was sweet, but as a village person the feeling grows that i wanna find a way to escape the city into the green. tomorrow, though, i might first see the parc güell and the montjuic. there are also various (and famous) cablecars (funicular), which i'm interested in. i fear, though, that this is another activity which isn't so much fun to do alone.
on the other hand i overcame my announced reluctance today and went to a restaurant to find some typical food. it was ok, but not great. (the experience as a whole and the food.) it was expensive, though, and i think that i can now quietly resort to more fast-foody things again as i now don't need to assume that i just didn't dare.
what else? i think, contrary to my habits and known pleasures i might go shopping tomorrow. i need some flip flops for the showers (eeek!) -- well, that doesn't count. but i also took a shine to the idea to buy a dress. well, we'll see. also, i need a map (for the getting out of here thing).
that's it. i'll try to upload some pictures now.

read this!

2009-04-04T21:43:00.001+02:00

the shadow of the wind

this day...

2009-04-04T21:32:00.002+02:00

... did not keep its promise. when i left the hostel, i was really happy and excited. but that wore off pretty quickly. why? i blame it on the sleepless night i spent at the airport. but i'm not sure. i wonder, whether i might have had a wrong opinion about travelling alone all along. i always believed that i find this format most enjoyable, because you are really concentrated on your environment and not busy with someone else.
i also believed that i enjoyed my previous lone-travel experiences. but when i think back on them in the mood i'm in now, it seems to me that it wasn't that enjoyable at all.
today i felt really foreign and a bit lost. but there are more aspects to that which make this state of mind really hard to interpret: (1) i'm really tired. (2) barcelona is so similar to genova that it made me really sad and nostalgic. the "barri gotic" is very similar to genoa's "vicoli", for example. (i took them to be unique.) -- but barcelona ressembles other cities, too: the "passeig de gracia" could be just as well in paris (actually it's similar to the "champs élysées") or even in göteborg, as i remember it -- or zürich! (i wonder when these buildings were built -- in the beginning of the 20th century? earlier?) (3) i don't speak the language, which is all the more frustrating as i do understand a little bit, but cannot respond.
also there are a bunch of things which actually are not enjoyable alone: going out and going to a restaurant. so i won't do that.
i also have the urge to escape into the green. i think this is actually possible.
but i really like my hostel as it is in the real city-city: barcelona's champs élysées. ;-) unfortunately i have to leave after two nights, which is annoying.
maybe these kinds of city-trips are not enjoyable to me any more? i have the impression that i saw quite a few of them now. but the thing is: you need to live in them, find native friends, speak the language -- that's something completely different. or maybe i'm in the road trip age now? i do remember the road trips we did in the usa as being highly enjoyable. freee..
no, it will be fine. it's all just the tiredness. and i will see the park güell tomorrow. you need to read "in the shadow of the wind" by carlos ruiz zafon. i wish i had the book with me. it plays in barcelona. it would be so sweet to retrace it...

in the world!!! YEAH!!!

2009-04-04T13:06:00.003+02:00

amazing, amazing, amazing! i'm in barcelona. i made it. yeah!
i found a hostel for two days. i will have to look for another one after that. it was easy so far, though. i saw the first gaudi building. it's just next door from here.
guys, it's my first time in spain. i find it hard to not be able to talk to the people in their language at all. that's so much sweeter...
anyways. i have to go out explore. man, i'm happy that i made it. thanks to the craziness-generator...
kisses all over, chr.

first day of spring

2009-03-02T03:29:00.002+01:00

today was the first day of spring-like weather. the sun shone! (which is really something new.) and it was considerably warmer during the afternoon hours than usually. i made my first small stroll through jena. kind of the first since i'm here. that's ridiculous -- just as my whole overladen study-situation is. i mean, i know that i'd be more unhappy if i had too little rather than too much to do. also i'm not unhappy yet -- i just avoided to think of any other kind of life, which worked out fine. but now that it's getting sunny outside, i get itchy feet and don't wanna spend my life solely in front of books and computers. it's really annoying to think about life plans. and i also fear that i have already been put on track.
-- i guess i need a holiday from myself.

linux

2009-02-23T13:39:00.002+01:00

linpus lite, which was pre-installed on that netbook was too "lite" to be able to connect to the university network. so a nice technician from university put linux ubuntu easy peasy for netbooks on my netbook. that's pretty sweet. really. i can almost imagine staying with linux (instead of having to deal with windows vista).
but there are certain downsides to it: it's not that easy to change things in the system, i.e.: even downloading and installing things requires you (apparently) to type strange things into the so-called "terminal".
actually i managed to download and install the "real player". it took me more than an hour and several webpages. also i really didn't know what i did and wouldn't understand the error messages. but in the end the icon appeared and the program opened. i felt i thereby kind of qualified for using linux, but then my next project, downloading and installing w32codecs and/ or the vp7(0)-thing (don't even know what that is) deplorably failed. so i really don't know.
also, the system is made for the eeepc-branch and is quite slow on this aspire one. additionally one of my keys has stopped working and so i should send it back anyways.
i only got it to check e-mails in boring classes. but i have a break until mid-april, so i totally could send it back and wait for linux-developpers to make an even nicer system for me... ;-)

hard drives

2009-02-10T00:51:00.003+01:00

what are you guys doing to check on your hard drive's remaining life time?
apparently the s.m.a.r.t.-thing doesn't really work for external hds. in a forum i found this page - what do you think?

netbook

2009-02-10T00:46:00.002+01:00

i bought the cheapest netbook available. i'm so excited! i hope, it'll come tomorrow...
finally i will be able to check e-mails in my lectures. and run statistics... i hope spss will work on it. *excitement!!!*

bethany's back!

2009-02-10T00:45:00.001+01:00

go here and find that guy for her!

Door

2009-02-04T00:12:00.003+01:00

Oh, and this door is really pretty. But it certainly doesn't provide any noise protection...

The big-furniture-look-alike-toy-kitchen

2009-02-03T23:45:00.005+01:00

Well, it still needs some decoration. A lot, actually. And also: of course there is another door (you don't see it here). So people don't need to walk through my room to get to the kitchen. Man, that would be awful!

we got a kitchen!

2009-01-29T17:49:00.002+01:00

we got a kitchen. finally. it's very small though and looks a little bit like a toy kitchen or just a bigger size furniture. but maybe it is just that i can't wrap my mind around having a kitchen again...
as soon as i have the appropriate technical equipment (again), i'll probably post pictures...
the kitchen is grey, but we are colored!

Anne Seghers

2009-01-20T23:27:00.002+01:00

I just read a really nice tale by Anne Seghers. It's called "Der Führer" (a word everyone understands, I guess). Unfortunately it's not translated, I fear. But there is some stuff translated. Go get it!

freedom to be sick

2009-01-16T19:42:00.002+01:00

i have been sick the whole last week and i spent most of my time in bed. unfortunately it wasn't that kind of sickness where you can really relax, watch movies and drink soup that was brought to you. it was pretty annoying with a lot of bad sleep.
but now it's over! i'm back and better and i seriously hope to get some stuff done...

as i have that much work, i lost some of my longing for long walks, taking pictures, travelling,... i guess, it'll come back. -- in a way it's easier to not long for being outside while you have to sit at your desk, but i'm also a little worried. as not longing for a walk in the snow is pretty strange...
anyways.

groceries and growing home-feelings

2009-01-10T20:19:00.003+01:00

today i went grocery-shopping for the first time at my new home. no döner or pizza or other junk food this weekend.
what would we need a kitchen for? the hallway is almost as cold as outside and milk and other stuff can just as well be kept there.

this is also the first weekend i spend in my new and tidy room -- and with all my stuff since 1,5 years! it feels really good to have all my stuff with me now. and i guess i will soon feel at home here. yes!

My new castle.

2009-01-08T23:37:00.009+01:00

found!

2009-01-07T03:17:00.002+01:00

hey!
i found that song i told you about! after so many years!
it makes you wanna learn italien, i tell you.
man, i'm homesick. itchy feet.

i remembered it being even cooler, though.

tidying up

2009-01-07T02:38:00.002+01:00

After I spent part of my winter break to sort and organize the stuff that I still keep at my parents' house (like old school stuff), I'm doing the same again at my new home now. The reason is that when I packed my stuff before I came to the USA, I didn't have much time. So I just kept most of my stuff. So now when I unpack it, I try to get rid of a lot of stuff. It's amazing how many ridiculous things I kept, it's amazing how difficult it is to dump stuff and it's amazing how much printed paper I gathered...

But I wanted to tell you about a discovery I made.
Most of the things I can only scan; so it's not that I (can) take the time to actually dig in my past. But today I tried to decide whether to just get rid of all the old cassettes I still have, as cassettes are hopelessly outdated, or what to do with them. (I had also dumped my stereo as some parts were broken, the cassette-part still worked, though.)

But then I found a cassette with Italien songs. I wanted to listen to it, as I hoped that one of my once favourite and never re-found Italien songs might be mysteriously on that cassette. But then it turned out that it was a cassette where my flat mate from Genoa sung as a goodbye present. First I was disappointed (as I looked for that song), but by now I'm addicted to that cassette and it's the only reason that I'm not yet in bed.

Man, that was such a long time ago: 6 years. It's actually not even bad music. And the crazy thing is that there are small parts spoken of all of us volunteers and I totally remember the scene. We sung "Killing Me Softly" with three parts and it actually sounds good! And we did it again and again as we were not satisfied or needed to laugh.
This is so strange: like a frozen moment. A beautiful one, too.
Just imagine I had dumped that cassette... It still makes me a little sad. Let's say: melancholic.

I get homesick for Genoa. But I guess , it's also homesickness for that time. And it's unrepeatable. Of course. I once met my flat mate from Genoa on the Christmas market at Göttingen (by incidence). And that wasn't magical at all. Nice, but very distant from our common time in Italy.

And so it goes...

are you dead?

2009-01-07T02:37:00.000+01:00

i guess, this blog is dead.
but who cares?

Weihnachtsmann/ Santa

2008-12-25T20:16:00.003+01:00

Alles Liebe, wünsche ich Euch! // So much love.

water

2008-12-16T21:10:00.001+01:00

my sweet new appartment sometimes (quite oftentimes) doesn't have warm water. that sucks! dude! what am i paying for?!

update on jena

2008-12-13T16:23:00.002+01:00

so i'll just give you a mediocre update:

* i moved to the place i'm gonna live at for at least a year. (after that it might get too expensive.)
it's a super-cool place, though: a flat for 5 people, 140 square meters in total, a huge hall (doorway?) with a dark red floor and bright yellow walls, a huge kitchen, a colorful big bath, and exactly 5 min. from campus.
we (that is sarah and me) chose 3 sympathetic flat mates and we will all be moving in during the next month. the only unfortunate thing is: we won't be getting the kitchen until mid-january. so: no milk today... but it's fine for me. you know, i'm not cooking anyways.
my room has 20 square meters and a parquet floor. the windows are to the south, so i'll probably be getting some sun (there was no sun yet). i plan to gather my 20-something boxes, which are still shelved in different people's garrets and storing places, between christmas and new year and then, next year finally, i'll be a real person again. ;-))
* i lost my homesickness (at least for the moment). when i walk through göttingen (which i did yesterday), everything seems so familiar and sometimes pretty, but i don't feel nostalgic anymore. also, i felt really happy that i don't need to go to school (i.e.: university) here any more.
it was good to go.
(let's see what i say, when finals are coming up...)

so far. what are YOU doing, guys?!

hey people!

2008-12-13T16:22:00.001+01:00

you're boring, i'm boring -- what's wrong?!

it's impossible that nothing's happening -- we probably just lost attention...

ZEITGEIST

2008-11-29T22:10:00.002+01:00

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

***english version***

Part I
Christianity
[from 0:00 or 8:48]
Part II
World Trade Center
[from 40:42]
Part III
The Bank System
[from 1:14:30]

***german version***

ZEITGEIST
Deutsche Version von infokrieg.tv
Part1 beschäftigt sich mit der "Größten Geschichte aller Zeiten", wie dieser Mythos entstand, was die Hintergründe dazu sind und welche Auswirkungen dieser Mythos auf die Menschheit hat.
[ab Minute 0:00 oder 4:53]
Part2 beschäftigt sich ausführlich mit den Terroranschlägen am 11. September 2001.
[ab Minute 37:00]
Part3 zeigt wie ein Zentralbanksystem funktioniert, wie Bankiers von Kriegen profitieren und der uns umgebende, gänzlich auf Angst basierte Zeitgeist wird entlarvt.
[ab Minute 1:11:00]
[Zitiert nach: http://infokrieg.tv/Dokufilme_Index_030507.html]

MEAT

2008-11-29T20:16:00.002+01:00

everyone wanting to reflect on her meat-eating-behavior -- which is a sensible thing to do before christmas -- is highly recommended (morally, by the way) to watch THIS film:

i'm gonna actually live here

2008-11-25T18:46:00.002+01:00

so i rented an overprized but very nice room in a huge and very beautiful flat with a sweet girl. there is space for 3 more people (it's gonna be a 5-person 'community') -- and as we are the first to rent that place, we can choose the other ones. that will be exciting for sure. and it's like 3 min. from campus (by foot!), so that i could even go there for a nap between two successive classes (classes start at quarter past and end at quarter to in germany).
there is no kitchen yet. but we're gonna get one at some point. the landlord will give us a washing machine, too. nice. so next year i might have internet at home and that will enable me to keep this place updated more. -- i'll post pictures...
*** the flat is big enough to have visitors all the time! ;-))

green shoes

2008-11-25T18:39:00.004+01:00

i bought green shoes. purple ones were the alternative, but green -- bright green -- seemed even less conventional. (also, when i looked at the green shoes, i got immediately happy. and everyone knows that purple is the color of depression. on the other hand the purple ones looked better on me in a way. but happiness is more important than beauty, right?! ;-)) so i took the green ones.
i guess, it was a (pragmatically) bad decision also in the sense that purple goes with more other clothing. and i want to keep those shoes for two years or so (at least!). (i just rented a really expensive room.) anyways. should i returm them? ...why is such an arbitrary decision taking up so much space in my mind?!

E-Prime, Berkeley, Choir

2008-11-14T12:34:00.004+01:00

I'm just learning e-prime. (A program for showing people things on computer screens and measuring their reaction times.) I have the impression that it's more sensible to learn by just doing it. It seems pretty intuitive. Anyways: it's still good to get started on it.

I just got the sweetest message from Michelle. (As if not all your messages were sweet, Michelle!) I think the time when I will be missing Berkeley is coming closer. In the past weeks all my capacities of missing localities were taken up by my homesickness for Göttingen. I hope that's (almost) over, though. I actually started spontaneously remembering details from Berkeley. White Mocca, for example, bought at Café Strada or the Free Speech Movement Café. Italian Soda. A coffee, a cockie and a cigarette. Taking all these things to one of the all-year-sunny lawns. Hanging out after "German Lunch" at my favourite Thai place. Albany Bulb. The night Michelle and I stayed at the library (well, I went home at 7, you stayed!). Actually all these nights at the library. Which was really pretty... As everything was pretty and sunny and easy in a way. -- Man, what an amazing time.

I will be on choir practice the whole weekend. Let's see how that goes... I wish I had the sax here.
People, I miss you, too.

news -- I'm gonna stay.

2008-11-12T21:04:00.002+01:00

As it seems, I'm gonna stay. My luckiness has returned to me (if it ever left). Apparently I just got a quite attractive job. For a year. So I'll stay.
I hope my luckiness will suffice for a sweet room. Cross your fingers for me...

no news

2008-11-11T18:10:00.002+01:00

hey everyone,
i guess nobody is coming here anymore as i am posting so rarely. the thing is: without having internet at home it's really hard -- especially uploading photos. well, i guess these infrastructural problems will get better in the future...

there are no big news. the workload is high, but bearable. statistics is different. my pattern of homesickness is not yet analyzable.

i enjoy the choir and we are going on a trip over the weekend to have some extensive practice. i'm curious about that. i ordered one of the choir-sweaters. it says: "www.studentenchor.de". i considered asking for an explicitly female version, but i didn't as i didn't wanna make a strange impression on everyone right away. i will do that later, though.

jena has one sympathetic characteristic -- which reminds me a lot of berkeley: it can be extremely foggy. i like that. it's beautiful, romantic -- and very silent.

i phoned berlin. and i found out that i might not have been happier there either. well, you'll never know. but this idea calms me, so i'm gonna stick to that.

Jena -- some impressions.

2008-11-01T22:59:00.001+01:00

JENA

depressing music

2008-10-29T20:53:00.002+01:00

it's really hard to find people to make music with enjoyably.
either people are way better or they are completely unmusical. and both is depressing...
it's only fun if you find people who are fitting exactly. and the exact fit is hard to find...
hmpf.

getting used to things / taking bad decisions

2008-10-27T18:35:00.002+01:00

i'm getting used to this place. my original almost severe homesickness has shrunk to a general melancholy regarding my previous life/ lives and a little fear that i took a bad decision in at least one respect: it seems that i will be receiving the same kind of degree (psychology) here as in göttingen, but for double as much work. also i apparently lost the possibility of earning any kind of degree in philosophy. that seems like a bad deal.
the frequency of my entries show this lack of time, but also the disturbing fact that i don't have internet at home.
i have to hurry to the choir now -- i'll soon:
* post photos,
* tell you about the first week,
* publish my new numbers...

much love -- especially to göttingen.
chr.

still homesick -- appendices

2008-10-17T22:45:00.002+02:00

nothing to add to the first thing. i should start some statistics on that topic. how can life be so annoying?! i wanna go home! ;-/

my appendix/ blind gut (however you call that) is irritated. the doctor says that there is nothing you can do about that, but wait and see if it's gonna inflame -- or just go by. let's hope for the latter.
signs for inflammation: fever, shivering and the appropriate pain.
i really don't have the time for that.
and: what is the psychological interpretation for appendicitis?!

5 min. later: i only found "Metaphysik der Krankheiten", which is in german. well, you can use google translate. (it's strange anyways.)

my new home

2008-10-15T11:37:00.003+02:00

it's kind of definite now: i'll be living in a "Plattenbau" ("apartment building made from prefabricated cement-slabs", says the dictionary), outside of the inner city, reachable by tram in about 15-20 minutes.
i haven't seen the inside yet; i'll be picking up the key later today, though. (i'll take pictures for you.) -- the street is very adequately named: Karl-Marx-Street... (i think that's a good sign.)
[for the americans: these kinds of buildings were/ are cliché-typical for the former GDR. so the name of the street really matches the architecture.]

the good things are: (a) it's university-owned, so the prices are low (151 Euros), (b) i conquered the biggest room of the three-persons-flat (20 square meters), (c) i'll be living with two girls who seem reasonable, (d) it's furnished, so i don't really need to move more than my backpack.
the bad thing is: i'll have to move out at the end of the year, as the building needs reconstruction. but the semester ends only in the middle of february (lectures end) / 1st of april (semester ends). so i will have to move again. and search. *eeek* -- but i'll just think of that later, i guess.
it's really hard to find a place to live here, apparently. people are searching for months. crazy!
also: prices are crazy (in comparison to Göttingen, which, in the end, is still the more attractive city and place to live). example: i probably could have had a 11qm-room for 230 Euros, whereas i had that beautiful room in Göttingen, in a beautiful building, in a beautiful area for the same price, but having 26qm or so.

anyway: my room in göttingen was so nicely and artfully arranged -- and totally crammed with all my stuff. that stuff is spread over friends' garrets now (and already has been for a while) -- and i'll be staying with other people's furniture in the cliché-most-ugly place ever. well! that's exciting, huh? but i really don't care. i don't mind to dwell like that for a while. i have done that before and if you don't like your 'home', you'll spend more time in the library. working. ugly homes make productive! ;-)
this time, next year -- i'll be in berlin. let's see.

homesick

2008-10-15T11:36:00.000+02:00

i'm a little homesick for göttingen. i didn't expect that. mierda!

translations

2008-10-10T11:06:00.001+02:00

how would you translate "ordnungsamt" into english? tidyness-office? office of public order, i guess. strange thing, huh?
and "diskretionsabstand"? distance of discretion? ;-)

lost

2008-10-09T03:37:00.000+02:00

i have the impression that i never felt quite so lost as yesterday, staying here at jena.
(-- and the place is just so similar to göttingen – just smaller, in every respect. the town is similar, but smaller. the library is architecturally so similar to the one in göttingen that i wonder whether the same person built it – but it’s smaller. -- etc. pp.)
but i need to comment on the ‘lost’-impression:
maybe part of that feeling is due to the fact that i went to get a left-over-place at a dorm at 7am – and waited with the other 50-something people to get that same spot until long after noon. so the day was long and i was sleepy. but that’s not all of it. i feel kind of foreign – in a way i haven’t felt before in germany. i didn’t feel that way in all the other university towns i visited before: freiburg, heidelberg, tübingen (the classic ones) and frankfurt, hildesheim, augsburg, passau, berlin, munich (well, munich is a little strange), mainz, trier, cologne, bonn,… (and probably some more). and it’s hard to describe. i guess, it’s something about the atmosphere. but how’s the atmosphere? man, who talks about ‘the atmosphere’ – that’s crazy! so, is it, because i'm in ex-eastern germany? i have been to other ex-eastern places – did i feel that way in leipzig, erfurt, weimar? maybe. -- but that seems so ridiculous – i cannot even properly name it.
-- i feel foreign here in the way i’d feel foreign in austria or switzerland. people speak the same language, we hold the same currency – and nevertheless. something’s different. i kind of don’t belong here. yet. – i mean: will i try to?
anyways, it’s interesting.
it’s interesting as well that i feel strongly reminded of my first months at göttingen. i spent so much time at the library as i didn’t like the place i stayed at too much and as i didn’t know too many interesting people to talk to. as it seems to me now, it took about a year, until i found what i was hoping for at göttingen: amazing friends and an amazing room/ apartment… that’s too long, man! and maybe i'll be that lucky only once? well, we’ll see. the jena-adventure just started…
it’s also pretty, though. i wanna take some pictures for you. autumn pictures.
(i'll comment on the housing situation later. be prepared: it’s just ridiculous. apparently, newspapers and mayors are claiming that jena is the munich of the east. warm and expensive.) the munich of the east…

Impressions of my future hometown... :-/

2008-10-05T18:59:00.002+02:00

Look, what I found!
These are really beautiful pictures of Jena.

Goodbye to Paris...

2008-10-05T18:39:00.002+02:00

... coming soon.
I'm planning to have some kind of collage of the most significant pictures, but I didn't have the time yet and I'm also unsure of whether it's gonna work in the way I'm imagining it (i.e.: make the collage in PowerPoint and then save it in jpeg-format and just upload it as one photo). Anyways. You'll see.

packing... and what comes to mind: catcalls

2008-09-30T01:57:00.009+02:00

We're packing. Well, I'm packing to leave Paris; Bethany is just gonna leave its center. I'm actually getting a little melancholic - whatever that's due to... I almost wanna go to the Seine later tonight or catch the sunrise at some prominent place...
On the other hand I've had enough molesting experiences for today, so I really don't feel like provoking another one. -- But hey: see that: this is exactly how you should not start to think: 'provoking' people to molest you by just walking on the streets?! That's just a super-ridiculous thought (and women should definitely make themselves not think that way)!
So, here is the story: When I left Montmartre today over the large staircase (you all saw it in 'Amélie') in plain daylight and in a crowd of tourists, some guy started to call "Hey Miss!" from like three meters away, which I professionally ignored as this just is what you get (and really everyone gets) in those tourist areas. So then that guy came up to me, placed himself to obstruct the passage and when I didn't stop walking, walked with me and, I guess, tried to grab my arm and get me to stop or to go somewhere. So when I finally got rid of him by mostly pulling my arm loose and trying to pass him, I was apparently annoyed enough to not wanting him to get away with that. So, after I gained some distance, I found myself turning around and shouting at him: "This is really rude!" (actually in English) while making that great Italian gesture of utter annoyance with my left hand. Well, what happened? Of course, then the cursing started on his part. It was yelled at my back in quite ugly English, so I didn't get much of it while I was hurrying away, but what I heard were pieces like this: "(if) you (don't) do what I want" and "(I) dig your pussy" etc.pp. -- Apart from being offended, I was feeling so(!) angry for the next two hours or so that I had totally slabbed the next guy starting off like that. (I still get angry just thinking of it!) Argh!
I considered what would have happened if I had done that to this guy. Or just go back and yell back at him? But I guess that'd been really unwise as he totally demonstrated his lack of respect (and willingness to maul strangers) and any more confrontation might have become quite uncomfortable. And even though there were so many people around I doubt that these would have been of any help -- I just imagine that crowds of tourists are even worse concerning their helping behavior than other kinds of crowds (as the situation is even less defined for them). Anyways. I'm sooo angry!
-- Lately I had a nice talk to Bethany about "catcalls" (a great word!) and the way you should react to them. She says you should make an ugly noise (like a farting sound) plus ugly face in reply. I think, that's great -- and also very courageous (and therefore not always appropriate). But it's something to think about, as the usual reaction (i.e.: ignoring it, by bending your head and staring on the pavement, quickening your pace) just really makes you feel bad. You take the offense home with you, having been treated like, well, a cat and having let them make these super-disgusting smacking-sounds at you. - I don't especially like that power-talk, but Bethany says, and I think she's right, that by not looking up and trying to hide from their catcalling, you actually give them power over you. -- So: don't.

Jardin du Luxembourg

2008-09-24T22:12:00.003+02:00

This is my favourite picture of our visit to the Jardin du Luxembourg, a few days ago. As you can see, I started playing with the aperture. I like blurred backgrounds a lot. Just that "playing" with an analog camera is a really expensive undertaking and I guess for that reason I should get back to digital cameras... ;-/

Our goodbye present.

2008-09-24T21:58:00.003+02:00

Well, Bethany won't be part of the present, but the (so far) naked lady seems to be appropriate for two young guys, one of which has decorated his room with mostly, well, ladies.
I wanna dress her, though. Bethany doesn't wanna spend money and (more importantly) thinks that the nakedness is the best part about her. We'll see. I'll keep you updated.

analog pictures

2008-09-23T01:15:00.013+02:00

bird catching a piece of bread

lantern in front of notre dame

paris' chimneys

cimetière père lachaise

palazzo di pablo picasso,
social housing in noisy-le-grand

(Lack of) Photos...

2008-09-23T01:04:00.002+02:00

Bethany lets me take pictures with her camera. But I fear she's getting increasingly annoyed. Or the annoyance is coming and going in waves... But she deals pretty well with it, resorts to extensive eye-rolling, but still lets me use her camera. Here some famous and ever repeating claims: "But don't always take two pictures of the exact same view! Switch it off, when you don't use it! Put it on your neck -- you're tripping!" etc.pp. My standard reply: "You have to become a teacher...". Actually, we do have a lot of fun with these conversations, as we're laughing a lot about ourselves and each other: we know the other's characteristics well and appreciate them. Mostly. ;-)

But I also took some pictures with my nice analog camera and developped them. I will post the nicest ones.

JENA

2008-09-23T00:30:00.004+02:00

I think I haven't yet officially told you:
I transferred to another university: the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. So I will be leaving Göttingen and my old university, the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Of course, this is also sad and yes, I'm nervous (or I will be when I have to start all the organizational stuff -- in a week or so (crap!)).
Jena is not Berlin (where I wanted to go, but wasn't admitted; apparently a piece of paper was missing in my application). But then: why not give destiny a chance?
Jena as a city is even a little smaller than Göttingen, but comparable in many ways. It's not even that far from Gö -- the train takes 2,5 hours (and costs 13,50 Euros). The Psychological Department is ranked very well. There are no tuition fees so far. I will discover ex-eastern Germany and try to get used to that crazy humor there. ;-) Well -- there are many (other/ actual) reasons. I'm too lazy to put them all up, categorize and rank them. -- At least, I managed to successfully escape a city which many people I know got addicted to.
I'm hoping for visitors there -- don't forget about that...

Just 8 days left -- unbelievable!

2008-09-22T23:57:00.003+02:00

I was just reminded that "le temps mord" -- time bites.
There are still all kinds of museums to visit: I haven't been to the Louvre yet (mostly because I think it'll leave me unsatisfied anyways, as it's just too big, but on the other hand: who wants to spend two entire weeks in the Louvre?!). Then there is Musée Grévin, showing big historical moments in wax; la Musée de l'Érotisme (where Bethany doesn't wanna accompany me to and I, understandably, don't wanna go alone); la Maison Européenne de la Photographie, la Musée de la Curiosité et de la Magie, l'Institut du Monde Arabe, Musée Nationale Rodin...
Any suggestions?

Bethany's Blog

2008-09-22T22:24:00.006+02:00

Friends and family!
There is an amazing new blog out in the universe:

nothing special

Go, have a look!
It's also a great relief to me, as you will now be updated about our Paris adventures by her. ;-) Bethany also has a very nice camera -- so enjoy her pictures!
(For anyone who might not know: Bethany and I lived together at Lothlorien, our student coop in Berkeley, over the past two semesters. And then we came here -- to share an appartment for a month. Bethany is going to stay in Paris after this month -- but you'll read that on her blog!)
NB: Don't believe all the unflattering things she writes about me. :-)

sign of life

2008-09-18T01:27:00.001+02:00

Chaos

2008-09-05T19:04:00.002+02:00

Guys, I neglected you, but you're (mostly) doing just the same, so why apologize.

* Bethany arrived with all her awesome lothy-ness and I will have to say a few words on that, once I'll have the calmness to do so.
* I was unattentive enough to get my bag stolen, which is -- apart from all the inconvenience -- mostly a funny story. The only really bad thing is that this incident is going to deprive you of realtime digital pictures, as that camera is gone. I still have the nice analog camera, but it will take time to develop the pictures etc.pp.
--> Most importantly: as my cell-phone is gone, I lost all your numbers. So you'll have to call me. At least: I won't be able to. --> Send your numbers via e-mail!

I'll try to catch up writing about Paris in a few days. There hasn't been a sunny day again.

Beware of words.

2008-08-28T01:08:00.003+02:00

Hey everyone. I strolled 'Belleville', the second highest hill of Paris (after Montmartre). I didn't find it pretty at all, but I found a nice photo for you:
Il faut se méfier des mots. -- Beware of words.
Information about the artist can be found here. And, guys, don't you think my photo is at least 2,5 times nicer than the one shown on that blog? ;-)

Most amazing thing I found in the world lately.

2008-08-24T01:57:00.001+02:00

Getting used to it.

2008-08-22T23:07:00.005+02:00

I think, I'm getting used to the greyness. Actually, today I started to like it.
In Genoa my fellow volunteer told me once that you'll only really get to know a city in the rain. The rain, the wet streets and this so very shy sun suit Paris well. I just wish it were autumn. I wish, the trees were no more green, but reddish and brown. Paris must be beautiful in autumn.

Paris est gris.

2008-08-22T14:46:00.022+02:00

Paris is grey, much too grey. Huge grey clouds are hanging all over the sky...
Since I'm here there has been half a sunny day -- twice. I wonder, if I brought that weather with me? I wouldn't know where from, though, because as I remember Germany when I left it, it was rather sunny. So maybe the weather and me arrived independently, but simultaneously.

Here are two proofs of the greyness. -- Man, Paris, can I cheer you up in any way?

Champs de Mars
-- behind the Eiffel Tower.

Pont Alexandre III:
As I now researched, I apparently photographed "La Renommée au Combat", restraining Pegasus. (All the four 'renommées' are restraining Pegasus.) 'Renommée' seemingly translates into English with 'Fame'. But I still have no idea what kind of mythological figure is meant. ;-( So if anyone knows, I'd be happy to learn.

I actually only took that picture as a proof of the utter Parisian greyness, which isn't even brightened by a golden horse, Pegasus, able to fly... But I'm quite happy about having unconsciously chosen 'la renommée au combat', rather than the one of business or industry... ;-)

(The information I found so far is admittedly a little contradictory: a French site has the four "Renommées" to be "La Renommée des Arts", "La Renommée au Combat", "La Renommée de l'Agriculture" and "La Renommée de la Guerre", whereas an English version has it like this: the Fame of the Sciences, the Fame of the Arts, the Fame of Business and the Fame of Industry. That's mysterious, hm?)

Samaritaine

2008-08-21T11:14:00.001+02:00

The anti-style- Style.

2008-08-17T03:52:00.008+02:00

I found some amusement in collecting things that don't go together and wear them all together. See that:

Business-casual shoes.
(This is not yet about the socks!)

A punk's cuffs.
And, notice: I got them in two colors! Yay!
Pink and red: my favorite misfits. ;-)

A hippie's bag.

And now I'm working on some kind of African turban.
(Not yet very well done.)

I do definitely need a t-shirt or something like that in yet another style. But I'm running out of ideas. Who can help? ;-)

Pompidou

2008-08-15T23:07:00.003+02:00

Today I found the Centre Pompidou -- by accident, of course.

La Défense

2008-08-15T11:41:00.000+02:00

Il faut imaginer Sisyphe heureux.

2008-08-15T11:36:00.005+02:00

Le Mythe de Sisyphe

Have a look at these MONSTERS!

2008-08-13T20:13:00.003+02:00

Inga's Monster-Page

Yesterday's best photo: il faut partir.

2008-08-13T17:56:00.001+02:00

Jour trois: Notre Dame.

2008-08-12T16:38:00.013+02:00

Yesterday, I mainly saw Notre Dame. I like those beasts!

The second day. (Sunday, 10th)

2008-08-11T13:36:00.007+02:00

That was yesterday. It was kind of more exciting, because I walked stranger routes. Actually, I ended up in the banlieu, I guess -- at least at some point I found out that I had walked out of the reach of my city map and actually past the last métro station (Bobigny). But I'll try to keep the order of events:
I started walking to the other direction than the day before. The first thing to come was some kind of Basin (Bassin de la Villette) and then the endless Canal de l'Ourcq -- which I basically followed most of the day.
For quite a bit I was still in the city, then I passed a cool science museum ("la géode" -- fun pictures to be posted!) and then I kind of left the city. Most of the time, though, the area wasn't too creepy and there were quite a few pedestrians and such.

But when I passed this building, I began to get a little nervous. Mostly because at that time there was almost nobody on my way, whereas on the other side of the canal was that crazy building and a little further some youth who noisily tested the maximum speed of their scooters. (Actually, I did what women do at that point: tie back your hair, button up your coat, put the alarm-red coloured bag to the other side and walk in a way that suggests that you know where you're going.)

Also I had no idea where the next métro station could possibly be, but I definitely didn't want to walk the same way back -- that feels like retreat. But then I saw two women passing my way and I asked them for the next station. They said the next stations were some kilometres in either direction, but most importantly they didn't make at all an impression of finding this a bad way to walk along alone. So I was definitely calmed and decided to -- of course -- continue my route.
I passed further funny things. I missed the last métro station and actually had to walk back a little bit. Well, and then I decided to have a quick look at the Montmartre. So I went there and was annoyed by all the tourists.

Here is my favourite picture of Sacre Coeur:

I was wondering whether I should try to get a pepper spray or the like. But I actually think that it wouldn't help very much anyways and in the long run I'd be slower than some predator. (Especially on high heels.) Whatever. As soon as I will have some guests here, we can go and check out the banlieu in two!

The first day. (Saturday, 9th)

2008-08-11T12:45:00.010+02:00

I'm not sure if anyone knows (I wouldn't know how anyone should know), but I really do like walking around in cities without any plan or destination. So I just started walking that day and the first major attraction that popped up was "Les Halles" and a church ("St. Eustache"?) and a nice pedestrian precinct.

After that I followed some random streets and you know what: I found the Louvre. I hadn't been there ever before -- and I was actually impressed.

I walked along the Champs Elysées after that and I found that street a little long and way too crowded. (I was also getting tired.) Heaving reached l'Arc de Triomphe, I decided that walking to the Eiffel Tower would be too much, so I took the Métro.
Well, and la Tour Eiffel had some kind of Europe theme -- I already posted a picture.
It was a nice day. And, admittedly, I was proud to be able to walk that long. Walking is great.

Arriving. (Friday, 8th)

2008-08-11T12:38:00.003+02:00

Arriving was not that difficult. There is that train from Cologne to Paris, which takes only 4 hours and is not even very expensive. (Why was I not way more often here?!)
On the train, the customs controll was extraordinarily heavy -- and unsurprisingly it seemed that African-looking people were more carefully examined. Man! I was mostly talking to a Russian lecturer for mathematics, or, to be correct, he was talking to me. But it was ok.
Then, in Paris, I had to find the person who was supposed to give me the key to the appartment. That worked well, too, and then I found the appartment and then I was there. That's it. This is how arriving in Paris goes.
(For who wants to look it up: the appartment is near Stalingrad Métro station and the Street is called Rue du Faubourg-St.-Martin. And Bethany: of course I will fetch you (hm - pick you up?) from the airport!!! How could I not?!)

Well and now --

2008-08-11T06:17:00.003+02:00

-- I'm in Paris.

I'll be writing more. Very soon. Promised.

And it looked like this, the MPI:

2008-08-11T06:09:00.005+02:00

(The place I interned at. Actually, I was in the ugly building next door, but this is the main building, so I guess I'm justified in claiming that I interned there... ;-))

Beautiful, huh?

The reasons.

2008-08-11T05:32:00.001+02:00

The reasons are very simple. There was no time. That actually means, I guess, I didn't take the time. But no! Why not make something else responsible: my internship. That was pretty intense, indeed. Most days (lateron I overslept) I arrived at half past 8, which required me to get up at half past 6. (I guess, I already wrote about that. Perhaps I'm just fascinated that it's possible to get up that early.) And then I started to take the last train home and entered my parents' house at quarter past 12. So there was no time, right?
Why was that internship this crazy?! Well, most importantly: it was a lot of fun -- otherwise I hadn't spent soo much time there. And secondly: it seemed necessary; we started that project and time pressed. But in spite of the stress, or maybe even because of it: it was really, really exciting and I enjoyed it a lot. (I'm actually too lazy to tell you about the research we did there in detail. I can make some general remarks upon request, though.)
But I really do hope, that these conditions (in terms of working hours) won't reoccur later in my life. (--> So there are good chances that the blog won't be deserted ever again! ;-))

I'm so...

2008-08-11T05:20:00.004+02:00

... sorry. I really am. I didn't expect that I'd abandon this project for such a long time. (I actually didn't expect most of what happened during the last weeks.) I so much hope that YOU haven't given it up, yet... We will catch up soon. I promise. I have a lot of stories for you -- and maybe even more so: photos.

PS: And also: I'm really sorry that you have to read so much bullshit. I'm gonna try to reduce the bullshitty parts in the following.

Nothing's happening...

2008-06-30T09:31:00.003+02:00

Sorry guys,
nothing happens around here. Well, I mean, I will try to think of something, but so far nothing has come to my mind.
I almost bought an ancient clarinet yesterday (for 100 Euros), but fortunately I was reminded that (a) I had no idea how to assess the quality of that instrument (I couldn't even figure out how to play the high octave) and (b) that I had already been called by my bank, telling me unpleasant things about the state of my account. I guess, I had underestimated how expensive it was to leave the USA -- paying for additional luggage, the flight, etc.
Anyways. I'm meeting a bunch of old friends, which is kind of nice. And I'm gonna leave for Paris in a month, which by now seems really crazy to me. Man, Paris. I haven't had a second to further search for an internship there. What will I be doing then all that time? I guess, I should write a philosophy paper on Kant. But that will inhibit any improvement in the French language. Writing in French on Kant, though, would be really ridiculous. But I already wrote on Descartes, I think, and I feel that most other French philosophers are not very highly valued in Göttingen... Also I can only think of one professor who might accept a paper in (bad) French. Whatever. We'll see.

My first violin lesson...

2008-06-22T21:21:00.002+02:00

... will be on Wednesday!
!!!*excitement*!!!

And then?

Edinburgh

Göttingen and Thesis Writing

Clinic Internship

Unreliability

master plans

Starting my life as an intern.

Moving to Göttingen (again).

University V

University IV

University III

University II

University I

Once upon a time...

ThULB

New Shoes

How can philosophers sleep?

Cuando tomes tu café...

ukulele

Most Crazy Cool Shoes

have a look at this picture

I like the 14.

ok, one photo -- one!

i do admit

angry hairdressers

last comments in retrospective

alicante -- escaping once, escaping twice

valencia

enough barcelona

some, just some pictures

sightseeing

read this!

this day...

in the world!!! YEAH!!!

first day of spring

linux

hard drives

netbook

bethany's back!

Door

The big-furniture-look-alike-toy-kitchen

we got a kitchen!

Anne Seghers

freedom to be sick

groceries and growing home-feelings

My new castle.

found!

tidying up

are you dead?

Weihnachtsmann/ Santa

water

update on jena

hey people!

ZEITGEIST

MEAT

i'm gonna actually *live* here

green shoes

E-Prime, Berkeley, Choir

news -- I'm gonna stay.

no news

Jena -- some impressions.

depressing music

getting used to things / taking bad decisions

still homesick -- appendices

my new home

homesick

translations

lost

Impressions of my future hometown... :-/

Goodbye to Paris...

packing... and what comes to mind: catcalls

Jardin du Luxembourg

Our goodbye present.

analog pictures

(Lack of) Photos...

JENA

Just 8 days left -- unbelievable!

Bethany's Blog

sign of life

Chaos

i'm gonna actually live here