errrr..... part 3

Things are looking good, finally woke up early, all on my own! guess

it's the jet-lag. Had some more formalities to do, bought a map of

Stuttgart. It's folded in a weird way and i had two people in the store

warn me about that. They're quite concerned.

Had been to the super market again! and this time took some time in the

fruits section and bought a load of fruits! something to get me going

for the next two weeks! Spending money like crazy here, guess it's that

or spending away my health! It started raining here and when it rains,

it's really cold! i mean, biting cold! doesn't seem to bother the

Europeans though, they walk around like everything is warm and sunny!

The trees here are weird, can't even recognize what kind of trees they

are! but they don't seem to flower and they don't seem to fruit! some

life they're living!

Ok, so, formalities, I'd been to the Rathaus which means "city hall" and

got a taste of German bureaucracy, they wouldn't accept my photo for the

visa extension as, it seemed, to them, that my face was two millimeters

two short according to their scale. And luckily, i had another photo in

my bag for ze Germans which they agreed to accept. They bureaucracy

doesn't stop there. The office times are weird, like one office works

from 9-12 on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 3.30 to 6 on

Tuesdays and Thursdays and so on and so forth! I was like, can't we have

a fixed timing like everybody works everywhere from 9-5????? would be so

much easier to get things done!

The problems don't' stop there, I'd been to the post office to get some

stamps and i waited my turn at the counter and asker her politely if she

knew English, the old granny goes, blah blah blah blah Deutschland....

Blah blah blah blah DEUTSCH! I was like, "ok I'll ask at the next

counter, Danke". Anyway, i managed to buy what i wanted anyway, but

then, these people not always make it a pleasurable experience. Well,

it's nobody's fault. i guess.

we had a introductory lecture on Thursday regarding the German courses

which starts from Monday. Thankfully, there were English and German

Speakers on stage. We were explained about the courses and stuff like

that, I don't remember, it's been three years since i attended formal

college, i can't remember everything that's said! but i managed to write

everything down and am too lazy to look at it again too! Well, so far i

haven't missed anything, amen to that!

There was a big party at the IZ , the Internationales Zentrum or

International Center welcoming all the international students to

Universitat Stuttgart on Friday. There're parties arranged and city

tours, Excursions, Booze, some cinema, meetings at pubs, dancing etc

etc... The whole lot! There was complimentary lunch too this afternoon!

My first European meal, Kinda difficult, kinda scary, that I'll end up

eating something i shouldn't be! But it was fun nonetheless. There was

all sorts of greens and conveniently helped myself to a plate full of

raw veggies. Then there was a noodle packet and i had to get somebody to

the serving counter to ask the serving lady if it contained egg.

Unfortunately she said yes. But, there was some potatoes and some sort

of cheese or, later, as subbu told me, mayonnaise or something of that

sort which they announced was completely free of meat or fish or egg,

so i poured spoons full of it only to later find out that it was weird!

but then they said it's veggie and so, weird or not, i stuffed myself

with it, especially cause it was hot! I'd gone for a second helping too

for all the greens, and came back quite full actually! got to say hello

to a few new people. Then had been shopping with a guy from Malawi who

hadn't eaten in three days except for that lunch! Loaded my card with

pista, almond, cashews, raisins, some chocolate bread, apples, walnuts,

bought some rice as well. will see what to do with it maybe today or

tomorrow!

Today, Saturday, there's a flea market going on on campus where people

sell all sorts of stuff, weird and usual most of it is around 1Eur,

50Cent etc. Friends got some jackets for 4 Eur, i got a bowl to eat

breakfast with for 50Cent, 4 bars of Lindt & sprungli and one bag of

small chocolates, all for about 5 Euro! All dark! it's the chocolate

equivalent of Espresso! Got a lanyard to put my key in so that i don't

lose it! (losing a key == replacing mail box + replacing door lock set =

250Eur!, You DO NOT lose the key at any cost!) and that's about it! It's

been biting cold here from the morning, the temperature is just over 10

degrees! and it's been that way from the morning! if you go out without

a jacket, a good one for that matter, you're sure to come back all blue,

unless, if you're European! in which case you'd still roaming around

like you would on a beach! weird people i tell you! The doors are

freaking huge and freaking heavy! Probably built to their size and they

never, ever open easily, unless of course, again, you're European. It's

been 6 days since i had coffee! i really miss it! today or tomorrow, i

need to have coffee, even if it means i have to take a ticket and go all

the way to the city to find a cup! Coffee and water, the most important

things in life, these people don't use! There's soda everywhere! plain

water is unheard of! you'll just have to drink from the tap and hope

nobody is sleeping on their job at the treatment plant! (like homer

Simpson!)

Well, i guess that's it for now, it's the weekend, everything is closed!

yes everything on campus, the cafes, Mensa, bookstores, supermarket,

everything! it's deserted and there's nobody around! guess, I'll have to

make some plans for the evening, or make some tea (finally) and just

have a good nap.

Oh, and some updates, Finally got my visa extended, but there're still

some problems with registering with the university and stuff like that.

Will hopefully get settled on Monday or Tuesday. Further updates are

yet to come. Have fun and wish me luck for the weekend! Cheers!