Meine Wohnung ist Fertig!

The last of the work on my flat is completed. I have a working kitchen and lights! I still need a few storage units and things but for the most part my flat is finsihed! It wouldn't have happened without alot of help from my friends. While I was away in Sweden this week, Kevin and Sean came over and hung the kitchen cabinet. Laura and Sascha came over and installed the oven, stove and lights. I came home and it all was done! Kevin and Alexa also gave me their tv and dvd player so I am all set. The Strauss Haus is ready for visitors!

Internet at Last

I finally have internet at home!!!!! It is the best day ever!!!!! I was supposed to have it on Thursday but after the German Telecom buy left my telephone worked but not the internet. After many unsuccessful attempts at trying to install the internet on my own (using directions in German) I had to turn to my friends. Saturday Flo came over and after 30 minutes he had it up and running. Flo is my new hero. I can blog, email, watch American tv shows and work all from the comfort of my home. Hoooorahhh!

Kids Gone Wild!

Okay, this is bothering me. I have never seen this in the US. Maybe we have more public toilets avaialable for free, I don't know. Yesterday in Copenhagen, just outside of the parking garage, out in the open where everyone could see, a little boy (3 or 4 years old) was peeing in the grass. His mother was standing right behind him helping. Today, I am outside my neighborhood pub working and I see it again. This time a mother was helping her little girl (3 or 4 years old) pee in the bushes. I was sitting only 6 feet away! Now I know that you have to pay to use the toilets here in Europe but this seems a bit extreme. I would have gladly given her 50 cents in order to use a toilet somewhere rather than have to witness this.

Not funny.

Yesterday's excitment involved me locking myself out of my flat. I have 2 sets of keys (one for the flat in Durlach and one for the flat I live in). I grabbed the wrong set of keys when I went to take the trash out. Luckily I didn't have to call a locksmith. Which would have been time consuming, expensive and difficult since my mobile phone was IN my flat. But I did have to knock on my neighbors door and explain to him (in german) that I locked myself out. Thankfully he called the Hausmeister who came over with a master set of keys to let me back in. Althought it only took the Hausmeister 5 minutes to get there it seemed to take an eternity as I had to listen to my neighbor tell me all about how is daughter is constantly losing her keys. Anyway, he finally arrived and they were joking that they were going to charge me alot of money for to let me back in. I'm not sure if they thought I didn't understand what they were saying because I didn't laugh. That joke just isn't funny. Not in any language.

What's New

I really thought I would be better about updating my blog but I see that it has been over a week since my last post. I am going to blame it on not having internet access at home. No worries though. I signed a contract (you sign a contract for everything here in Germany)for internet and phone service on Friday. Should only be without for another 10 days or so. Until then, I am once again working at Starbucks or the pub or any friend of mine that will give me the keys to their flats during the day.

I have been busy making my flat feel like home. On Sunday, I painted the entryway. It is a lovely shade of tan. It isn't easy to find neutral colors here in Germany. They seem to have a love of bright colors that I don't understand. When I was at the hardware store buying paint, the couple in front of me bought 5 liters of turquoise paint. For those of you unfamilar with the metric system this is about 1 1/2 gallons of turqoise paint. With that quantity I imagine that they are using it on their walls. Yuk! Same goes with the furniture shopping. The sofas are either so uncomfortable that you don't want to sit on it, in a horrible fabic that you can't stand to look at or outrageously expensive. My definition of outrageously expensive is 2000 euro ($3200 USD). For a sofa!!! I think I found one at Ikea that I can live with. I just need to order it. Dark beige sectional that pops up to a bed (visitors welcome at any time....hint hint) and 500 euro ($800).

Next week the kitchen and washing machine should be delivered!!!! Soon I will be able to cook and wash clothes. This will be a very welcome addition to my home. I am tired of eating cereal, sandwiches and salads. I also am running out of clean clothes. Which led to an interesting story. I was wearing a dress out at the pub. This is odd as it is a jeans and t-shirt type establishment. Everyone commented on my choice of clothes and I said it was because I was out of clean pants. The pub roared with laughter. Just so you know, in British and Irish english, pants is the equivalent of underpants/knickers/underware/panties. So everyone now thinks that I am the girl that doesn't have any clean underware and wears dresses. They think I'm the Britney Spears or Paris Hilton of Flynn's Irish Pub. It was a good craic! I still keep saying pants instead of jeans or trousers but eventually I will adjust and get it right.

I also am learning to ride my bicycle with a skirt/dress on. It isn't easy on a windy day, I will tell you that much. But I am learning to tuck the skirt so I don't give everyone a free show. I will return to the US with many new skills. :)