52 Weeks In A Year
From Catholicpenguin
Overview timeline and summary of my year in Germany
So, I figured, since there’s only 52 weeks in the year, and that’s about how long I’m going to be here, and I can’t seem to keep a regular journal in any long format, perhaps a weekly summary would at least be doable.
So here it is. Weekly summary, starting Monday, as is the European custom, since my arrival.
Contents |
WJT Period
Week 1 (8-14.8.05) : Arrival in Europe! Few days spent with Joke, drop by Bonn to leave luggage, then head to Berlin to visit Anthony for a few days. WJT for us begins Friday when we arrive and finally check in very very late. Team meeting too early on Saturday where we learn we don’t have to do anything till … Tuesday. Visit Koblenz, I believe, on Sunday?
Week 2 (15-21.8.05) : World_Youth_Day_2005. Incredibly. Can't begin to describe it. I tried a bit in my blog. (It's not complete sadly.)
Intensive Language Period
Week 3 (22-28.8.05) : Move to Bonn, move in with host family on Monday/Tuesday? Start intensive language classes. I believe the classes officially start on Friday. Took lots of pictures around the town of Bonn. Visit Godesburg Castle and Drakenfelds again w/ Tracie and Britainy. Sometime (Friday?) went with host mom to Chingis Khan Night. On the weekend is the first excursion to Maria Lach and Monreal. (Busy weeks! :)) This weekend was also notable as being about a week after the huge floods in southern Germany, and the river Rhine was really really full up to its banks.
Week 4 (29.8.05-4.9.05) : Took pictures of my host mom preparing mushrooms she found in the forest. :) Went to a concert for (who? :() in Museumplatz with my host mom some night of the week. On the weekend Britainy, Tracie and I went hiking in Bad Godesburg.
Week 5 (5-11.9.05) : Thursday or Friday we played football with the AIB students and teachers. :) On the weekend Jake we went to Dublin, along with lots of people from the California group. Were dissapointed to find most of the people in Dublin aren't Irish, and you don't meet them in bars. :) Somewhere around this time the Ferman University group arrived.
Week 6 (12-18.9.05) : Went to Pützchens Markt, which is a small scale version of Oktoberfest in the Bonn area. On the weekend we had a small excursion, to Remagen (the site of the famous bridge which allowed the Allies to effectively traverse the Rhine river.), and then took part in a very very memorable small town wine festival in Erpel, across the river. :) Sunday I went to visit Tracie at her new place in Bochum. :)
Week 7 (19-25.9.05) : I took lots of pictures wandering through the Bontanical gardens in Bonn. :) One day that week we went to Trier, as well as somewhere nearby where we had another small wine festival type thing. :) Sometime later in the week we went to Dortmund to tour the HKM Steel Works, which was really spectacular. Much like my power plant experiences w/ Niederaussen last summer, we got to see amazing, dangerous things that I have a feeling we'd never be allowed to get close to in the US. Finally, on the weekend, Tracie, Britainy, Courtney and I went to Oktoberfest, taking the morning train there and the 3 AM night train out. :) Fun times. Amusingly, it was so packed we didn't even get into a beer tent. Nevertheless, we had fun anyway. :) Drunk people next to us on the train back. Hehe.
Week 8 (26.9.05-2.10.05) : Before leaving for good, our teacher invited us over for dinner. Aww. :) It was alot of fun. That Saturday, Tracie came to visit for one last time, and we went hiking in the area around Koenigswinter. :) Crazy weekend. BonnFest was amusingly crazy. Sunday I hung out w/ Jacqui and serously did the exact same thing as w/ Tracie the day before... heh. Two plays. Last week in Bonn. Relationship with Jacqui. Other stuff, probably. Sad. Time ist am Ende.
Darmstadt Period
Week 9 (3-9.10.05) : Move to Darmstadt (on the 4th)! Not too much, official registration, meet other American and Austrailian exchange students. Actually here this weekend. Goto swap meet, buy random useless cheap computer stuff. Goto mass in newly found kirche (wow, I can’t remember the englisch spelling).
Week 10 (10-16.10.05) : Intensive Language classes. Visit Tracie for her birthday in a Bitzreise. On the weekend we have our ‘Get Together Weekend’ along the Rhine. Afterwards I make a small visit to see Jacqui. Have my night of being a bum on Sunday experience.
Week 11 (17-23.10.05) : Intensive Language classes. Friday is the last day and we have a party! Party! Excursion to Heidelberg and Frankfurt, both neat. Heidelberg neater. While there’s another excursion for the Erasmus students, I goto Munich with Jacqui for the interesting weekend.
Week 12 (24-30.10.05) : Classes offically start, and I hit it off with a bang with my 8 AM control systems class with Alex. Almost all the other classes don’t meet. Random other stuff. First Crypto lecture. I like it. On the weekend, travel to northern Germany to visit Nina and Sabrina from WJT, with Tracie. Awesome time. I really enjoy spending time w/ all 3 of them, especially Nina and family.
Week 13 (31.10.05-6.11.05) : Wow. It’s November already. Second official week of classes. We made a pumkin! Crypto lectures. Trustworthy OS meets. Information on this possible Prakticum. Not much of note. On the weekend, Tracie comes to visit. We spend most of Saturday in Frankfurt, making mexican food that evening for dinner, and decide we’re going to visit Fr. Mike in Rome the next, and book the trip. Sunday we visit Heidelberg, (yeah, again for me, but still very pretty).
Week 14 (7-13.11.05) : 3rd week of classes. Still don’t know what I’m going to take exactly, but for the first 2 days, I coulden’t care less as I’m sick and basically sleep/waste time in my room. Blah. On the weekend I goto Rome with Tracie to visit Fr. Mike! Have an awesome time; crazy Italians. You can't help but love them.
Week 15 (14-20.11.05) : Return from Rome. Spend most of the week writing the Rome article. :) Weekend Alex and I went to Frankfut to the Flea Market. Crazy guy playing guitar is there. We visited the communications museum.
Week 16 (21-27.11.05) : American students get together and cook thanksgiving! :) First snow! Tracie came to visit a second time. We went to Mainz, Wiesbaden, and explored the Weinachtsmarkts there.
Week 17 (28.11.05-4.12.05) : My Birthday! The Americans threw me a little party, and we had Mexican food! :) On Friday, we went to Mainz again to visit the Weinachtsmarkt. It was quite nice. :) On the way to my birthday party, there was a random christmas concert in the center of Darmstadt from harmony.fm. Wonderful singers.
Week 18 (5-11.12.05) : I dunno. Not too much according to my pictures. (and I forgot. :()
Week 19 (12-18.12.05) : Before I leave to go home for christmas, there's Ice Skating w/ the Erasmus Students and me and my roommates threw a little party. :) (pictures) On the 16th, I left to go home for christmas.
Week 20 (19-25.12.05) : In Hawaii for Christmas! (LOTS of pictures!)
Week 21 (26.12.05-1.01.06) : Return from Hawaii :( on the 27th; this week is spent recovering from jetlag, and having Christmas at the Knezek's.
Week 22 (2-08.01.06) : Visit friends and Melissa in College Station. On the 8th I head back to Germany in a somewhat sad goodbye. :-/
Week 23 (9-15.01.06) : First week I'm back, I'm plauged by waking up super super early, and going to sleep at like 8 PM. Only time in my life that ever happens. :) Went hiking with Chemie on the weekend.
Week 24 (16-22.01.06) : At the end of this week, Scott and I visit some friends of the family I have in Prauge! (pictures)
Week 25 (23-29.01.06) : January 26th is Australian Day! Took lots of pictures of Lichtwiese at sunset. Discovered that on clear days I can see airplanes out my window. :)
Week 26 (30.01.06-5.02.06) : Gave a speech about studying in Germany to professors from colleges in the US, as well as the dean of Informatik, and a few other people. Fun times.
Week 27 (6-12.02.06) : On the weekend was the second Spanish / Brazillian party. I went again. It was quite a party.
Week 28 (20-26.02.06) :
Berlin Period
Week 29 (27.02.06-5.03.06) : Arrive in Berlin on 1st of March. First day of work on 2nd.
Week 30 (6-12.03.06) : Vist Postdammer Platz.
Week 31 (13-19.03.06) : Spring Break. Mom, Sister, & Melissa come visit. Visit Köln, Rhine River area, Enschede, Bruges, etc.
Week 32 (20-26.03.06) : First visit to Crossway Church with Phil. Notice that there also a English speaking Catholic church there as well, and vow to go next week. Went to The Darkness concert!
Week 33 (27.03.06-2.04.06) : Tour the Spandau Citadel on Saturday. Feel like a rebel visiting slightly banned area and climbing up on the wall. Visit Catholic church.
Week 34 (3-9.04.06) : Finish robotic car project, fall in love with Atmel AVR microcontrollers. On Thursday my computer gets stolen, a day after getting internet. :( On Saturday we have nursing home ministry with Crossway.
Week 35 (10-16.04.06) :
Week 36 (17-23.04.06) :
