Fasching

Well, it is that time of year again.....Fasching. Fasching is the german version of Karnival or Mardi Gras. There are parades and parties and general mayhem. I took this opportunity to break my sobriety. Yeah, it was a great time. As you can see some of my friends dressed up for the occassion. I did not. My costume was that of a drunk person. All I can say is that the Buckfast made me do it.

Library

I am now the proud owner of 2 library cards. Today I went to the American Library here in Karlsruhe and signed up to be a "Friend of the Amercian Library." They have a nice selection of books and DVD's in English. Then I also went to the normal library in Karlsruhe to get another library card. There I can check out books in German. I checked out "Heidi" from the children's sections. Shall we start a betting pool as to how long it takes me to read 127 pages in German? It might be a while but I have the time. Hopefully my "hiatus" from the working world will allow me time to improve my German skills.

Yesterday I booked a plane ticket to Glascow. I am going to see Anki the 3rd week of March. My ticket only cost 30€ so it was a bargin!

Paris....again

On Thursday night I took the train over to Paris. My good friend JoDee from AZ came all the way to Paris for work. I decided to join here. I hadn't seen her in 3 years (??) so it was great to see her. Friday I slept in, had a leisurely lunch at a cafe and then visited the Musee D'Orsay. I was able to see orginal works of art from Degas, Monet, Manet.....all incredible. I met up with JoDee at Notre Dame that evening. Poor girl had a run in with a nasty French cab driver. He screamed at her for not speaking french as well as not having cash. We had dinner and then stayed up until 3am chatting away.

Saturday I braved the snow and visited Sacre Coeur. It was beautiful! It is a Roman Catholic basilica which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The basilica is at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. The views are amazing as is the interior of the church. There is so much mosaic tile work all in blue and gold which is breathtaking. Unfortunately, they don't allow photos in the church. After Sacre Coeur, I took the train home. Another lovely visit to Paris accomplished.

Weekend

Not to much new and exciting things happening here this week or weekend. I did send off my resume to 2 companies so I have officially started the job searching process. My cold is gone and I am feeling much better. On Saturday a group of us went out bowling. There was a 3 hour wait for bowling so we had to settle for air hockey which was quite fun. The best part of the night was driving there and back. We had 6 people and only room for 5 in my car. So that meant that Eoin had to ride in the boot. He was the drunkest one therefore the most logical choice. Eoin also ended up being the air hockey champion. None of are sure how that happened. Well, I should get to studying my German. I am very behind on all my homework. I am a very bad student.

Anything else?

Sorry that I have been delayed in posting. Not too much is new here. First let me apologize for any typing errors. I am using my new lap top and it has a German key board. The letters and punctuations are not in the same place. I am also struggling with the software as it too is in German. It feels as if it is the first time that I have used a computer.

Right now I am suffering from a chest cold. Lots of coughing. The Germans seem to be crazy for teas that heal you. Drinking a "Husten tee" as I write. It is for coughs (Husten is German for cough) and tastes a bit like licorice. It is very odd but seems to be helping.

I am half heartedly working on searching for a job. I have a prospect in sight and hopefully it will work out. The job would allow me to stay here in Karlsruhe as well as be in the medical device field. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Bad News

Already 2009 is starting off with a bang. As if a blood clot in the leg wasn't enough, I have just been notified that Accellent will no longer need my services. I will not be working there after February 9th.

I am not sure what I will be doing next. I do know that I want to stay in Germany or Europe. Other than that my plan is not clear but I will keep everyone posted.

Prost Neu Jahr!

Happy New Year everyone!! After delays caused by my clot, I finally made it back home on January 1. I spent New Year's on an airplane but it was worth it. I enjoyed my time in the US but am happy to be back home in Karlsruhe.

Oddly enough, as soon as I arrived back the weather here seems to have taken a turn for the worse. It is as if I brought the Wisconsin weather back with me. It is cold (-7C) and we have snow (~2inches)! Normally Karlsruhe doesn't see much snow but it is here and appears to be staying.

I visited the doctor this morning for a blood draw and check up on the clot. Hopefully all will be well and I continue on the road to recovery.