Karma

After ten long years of being taken to church every Sunday from when I was three to around 13, I decided that it was no longer for me. We only live one life, and I believe that during that short time we should do whatever we. Thus the reason for my only true belief, KARMA BABY!! I model my life around Karma because although a lot of crappy things have happened to me in the past, and by believing in Karma I know that things will eventually turn around. I try my best to be an all around good person and treat everyone with the kindness and respect they deserve, so at some point that kindness and respect will be given back to me. Or at least I hope!!

The past few months have been tough, and somewhat confusing...but I know how that everything happens for a reason and that I will be happy again soon. In the mean time I am keeping myself as busy as possible with school, work, the gym, and partying with friends. All those things added together make for an awesome time...besides homework (which no one ever wants to do). Hahaha. I have applied for an Internship, but have yet to hear back. Although I am disappointed I know that even if I don't get it there is a reason, and that reason will become clear later on in life. I will apply for local internships and see where that takes me, maybe something unexpected will come of it? Plus at least that way I don't have to pay room and board for three weeks of working for free. (See, there IS an up side to everything!)

On another happy note I am officially done caring what people think. I am going to dance while driving whenever I want, blare the same horrible dance music on repeat at home (or in the car), I'm going to wear 'comfy' clothes outside of the house even though I'm afraid I look bad, and I'm going to dance and bob my head at the gym even if people think it's weird. Most of all I am going to take chances that I normally wouldn't take, and stop being afraid of the unknown...you never know where you can find something good. Magic happens everyday, and I think it's my turn for a bit of that magic.

That is all for now folks.
Tune in next time...whenever that may be.
Ta ta for now.
- Mandi

For The Love of the Game

Sometimes life throws you curve balls that you really aren't ready for. No matter how hard you try to hit them you strike out no matter what. That is how I am feeling at this point in my life.

No matter what I do to try to hit a home run I always end up sitting back down on the bench, disappointed. My friends are encouraging me, cheering me on from the sidelines, but I just stand there up to bat feeling totally alone, and all that comes of it is failure. My team mates feel bad for me because they know I have the ability and the heart to succeed, but I am tired of trying. I would rather just sit on the bench for the rest of the game...instead of humiliating myself by going up to bat again.

Back Into The Swing....

Back at St. Lawrence College!

First week in and we are right back into the swing of things. Teams have been formed, clients have been chosen, and assignments are already rolling in. First assignment due Monday!

Today we had a guest speaker in, talking to us about Radio and Copy...which I rather enjoyed. Usually guest speakers are very boring, but Brian really had a way of keeping us engaged. Then we went straight to our client discovery session where we got to know a little bit more about The Frontenac County Children's Aid Society. Our overall goal for the campaign is to try to change the communities opinion from negative ("Baby Snachers") to something a bit more positive. It's going to be a challenge, but I am up for it!

Until next time dear followers.

Last Day in Germany

Date: Saturday May 16th, 2009

Weather: Grey skies, but not too cold, sun later in the day!
Woke up: 11:00
Bedtime: 23:00

Breakfast: Nothing but water.
Lunch: I managed two pieces of toast.
Dinner: More toast w/ peanut butter of course.

Waking up this morning was better than I expected. Although I find hangovers unavoidalbe when I am physically sick the night before, this one was not so bad. I was able to get out of bed and go to the bathroom without the urge to be sick. I tried to go back to sleep, but the cats were playing with someone in the hallway, and even though my headache was small, that was enough to keep me up.

Melanie went to the grocery store alone this morning...even though I should have gone with her. Just like most people in the world she understands the joys of a hangover, and encouaged me to say in bed until I started feeling better. She was a darling, and pick up a few things for me, my main concern being my precious butter cookies. When she came back I decided to get up, which proved to be somewhat of a failure, as I felt sick almost the moment I stood up. My fix for that feeling is to just take everything slow, don't stand up too fast, and sit down whenever I feel sick. Believe it or not it actually works, but it does make me feel like I have some sort of handicap. Moral of the story, as always, I got what I deserved. This sickness is 100% preventable, just don't drink!!

After shoving two tiny peices of toast, with peanut butter, down my throat I felt somewhat better. The dryness of my mouth made the experience less than pleasent, but I actually felt too sick to get up for water. That being said I chugged three glasses after the meal, but my mouth still felt dry. I guess that is to be expected though, as alcohol dehydrates...and considering my state last night, remembering to drink cannot be expected. Although I did have one glass after getting sick the first time!

Like the caring sister that she is Melanie encouraged me to go back to bed after eating. She said that if I feel sick and want to lay down that I should do so, and not worry about it. So I took her advice, grabbed a couple movies, and retired to my room fo a few hours. I fell asleep during Matrix Reloaded, but made sure to rewind and watch the parts that I missed, as I have never seen the movie before. It wasn't anything special (sorry fans), I found it a bit boring...and could hardly stand all the random lengthy speaches scattered throughout the movie. That could be partly because the volume on this computer is not the loudest, and any quite talking was difficult to hear. Perhaps I will revisit the movie again, but on my TV at home with proper volume.

Packing my suitcase was an interesting experience. As Mom predicted in an e-mail I was both excited, and very sad. I think it was healthy for me to have some time to myself, since I am always surrounded at home. Not to say I did not miss anyone, or that I did not feel lonely at times, I am simply saying that I had a good couple of weeks...and will miss it here. It was nice to hang out with Melanie again, we get along well (unless she is good at hiding her dislike, hahaha)...and I actually enjoyed walking around town everyday. It's was a really good feeling to know I could get around on my own without a car. It's a totally new feeling of independance! The public transit system here, as in most lage cities, is far superios to Kingston! In fact I think that cars aren't even needed here...10 mintues on transit and I am in the heart of downtown. In Kingston it would be 30-35, even though the city is tiny in comparison.

My fingers will be crossed tomorow morning when I head to the airport. Although I am not carrying the same things as before, and many liquids are not returning, I still fear that I will be over the weight limit. I tried my best to pack my carry on with a few heavy items to lessen the load, but it still seems heavy. I was under by a couple kgs back home, but I will have to double check that the limit is the same here...let's hope it is, or I am screwed.

Dinner was more toast, a lot more toast. Thankfully all of it stayed in my stomac, and helped me kick the rest of the hangover. I did attempt to have Shreddies later in the evening, but the milk did not sit well and I couldn't finish. Watching a movie before bed was the only thing to do, so that's what I did. I said my goodbyes to the apartment, washed my face, brushed my teeth and climbed into bed...dreading the...well...dreadful hour at which I have to get up.

Goodnight, and ta ta to Germany.
Home...here I come.

Germany - Day 13

Date: Friday May 15th, 2009

Weather: Grey skys, cool breeze.
Woke up: 10:30
Bedtime: No clue.

Beakfast: Shreddies w/ water.
Lunch: Butter cookies, and water.
Dinner: Scrambelled eggs, and toast w/ peanut butter.
Drinks: Four whiskey sours.

Nothing in paticular woke me up this morning, which was nice. The cats haven't been bothering me the last few days, but that's likely because I have been locking myself in my room where they can't get to me. There has been no scratching at the door during the night, and even when I am out of my room the seem to behave a bit better. I guess they miss me playing with them...like I did the first few days when I thought they were nice.

I had a lovely morning just slowly getting ready to head out for the day. I downloaded the live CD LeftRightLieftRightLeft that Coldplay is giving away, and it was very nice to listen to. They are amazing both live, and recorded...which I think is very rare.

During the day I went downtown to pick up something for Melanie. Today is Sue's 23rd Birthday, and Melanie wanted me to get two books for her from the book store. I did so, then came back home, since I had nothing else to do. Upon arrival home I ate the rest of the butter cookies, and made some lunch. Without anything to do I decided to throw on a movie. Donnie Darko was my first choice, but it was only in German, so it was not an option. I found Kill Bill in her collection and decided that since I have never seen it, it was time. Most of the critiques I receive from friends about this movie are reliant upon their gender. Men always love it, and women...not so much. I enjoied the first one...

Dinner was supposed to be a bagel, but when I grabbed it out of the cupboard it was completely covered in mold. In my vacational bliss I neglected to put the open package in the fridge, and after a week and a half of sitting in the cupboard I should have expected nothing less than mold. So instead I wasted two of the last 4 tiny pieces of bread, and had toast with my eggs. It was delicious, but now I do not have enough breakfast food left for the next two mornings.

After rushing to get ready Melanie and I hopped on public transit to head down to the club. When we got there we found Sue (and friends) sitting outside, and tehy informed us the club was closed. After some debate, in German of course, Melanie told me they had decided to go to Atomic, another popular night spot in town. Upon arrival we were told that it was a smoking club, and that we had to have membership cards in order to get it. I was very confused, and thought they were telling us we have to be smokers, but that was not the case. Eventually we ended up inside, and I was very pleased with the aptmosphere of the place. Very fun, hip, and even though the music was not what I am used to, it was still cool. At first I found it hard to dance, but drinks never fail to get my body moving. Eventually I found my way to the dane floor, and had a good time. Melanie found me at 1:30 and said she wanted to go home, I had no objections, as I would much rather go with her than try to find my way home alone. I was vey drunk, and quite pleased when Melanie opted for a taxi instead of public transit, and soon we were safely at home! In my drunked state I somehow managed to wash my face and 'get ready' for bed the way I normally do, and my problems did not begin until I was in bed. Almost as soon as my head hit the pillow I needed to get sick, so I ran to the bathroom and took care of my business. I can't say how long I was in there, but it felt like forever. Finally I decided I was done and went back into my room, but again, as soon as my head was on my pillow I felt sick again. This time I just grabbed my garbage, and the feeling passed quickly.

The good news about being drunk is that once I'm out, I'm out. And I slept through the night without waking up even once. In the end although being sick is no fun, I enjoyed the night out, and think it was a great way to end the trip.

Germany - Day 12

Date: Thursday May 14th, 2009

Weather: Cloudy and rainy.
Woke up: 11:30
Bedtime: 1:30

Breakfast: Scrambeled eggs & toast w/ peanut butter.
Lunch: Water.
Dinner: Spagetti w/ water, and of course some butter cookies.
Desert: M&Ms

I woke up a few times in the night to go to the bathroom, but other than that I had a pretty good sleep. Melanie came in the room, not sure what time, to get an umbrella, but I was back to sleep right away. It seems that time passes me by when I am here, it feels like I shut my eyes for two seconds and I wake up over an hour later. The cats started play fighting and running around at 11:30, at which point I could no longer get back to sleep...so I got up.

I decided to throw my hai up with some bobby pins today, instead of going through the whole hassle of wash/dry/straighten...and it was nice. I left the house just after 12 for yet another walk downtown. I eally had no plans, I just did not want to spend the day inside, and figured another walk would do me some good. I wandered aound downtown from about 12:30 to 17:30, at which time I decided to get home and make dinner.

The highlight of my day was a movie, but a movie that I have been waiting to see for a long time. Angels and Demons! I have been looking forwad to it since I first saw it was in poduction after watching the DVD version of The DaVinci Code. It is not yet released in Canada and the US, so I can safely say that I am the FIRST person I know to see it, other than Melanie of course...who was with me. I am extremely bias, so it might not mean a lot when I say that I loved it. It wasn't too long, or too short, it moved at a good pace, the casting was very well done, and the acting was believeable. I actually don't have any complaints! Of course some of the elements were different from the book, but that's to be expected...as it is a movie. Overall I give it a sold A- (but only because A or A+ would probably stir some anger among 'critics'). I will be buying this movie as soon as it is released on DVD, that's for sure.

Nothing much was accomplished after we returned home from the movie, just pretty much getting ready for bed, then going to bed. I managed to finish off my bag of M&Ms, which is never good for the waist line...but whatever...I walk around town several hours a day, so I am sure it doesn't matter much.

Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 11

Date: Wednesday May 13th, 2009

Weather: Cloudy, cool, but no rain.
Woke up: 11:00am
Bedtime: 1:30

Breakfast: Shreddies & toast w/ peanut butter.
Lunch: Pretzel, water and Choc Choc Chip ice cream.
Dinner: Alfredo w/ bow-tie pasta, butter cookies, apple and shreddies.

I was surprised to wake up today without any signs of a hangover. The only thing I felt was really thisty, so I chugged a few glases of water, and that was the end of that.

My task today was to find the English Cinema and pick up our tickets for the movie tomorrow night. Melanie sent me the directions on google maps, and they were flawless. I got there by foot in less than ten mintues, two short songs on my iPod. I guess there are assigned seats in Germany movie theatres, because I was asked where I would like to sit. Without knowing the theatre I had no idea, so I picked seats I would have picked back at Cineplex...I hope they are good.

After getting the tickets I continued downtown to wander around for a bit, and have a pretzel. There are two kinds, plan and ones with butter. I asked for one with butter, but I guess he did not understand me. Simple words like that would be good to learn in German, so I can at least order what I want. Hahaha. I went into a few shops to look around, but I think I have bought all that I am going to buy on this trip. Nothing stood out, or really caught my eye.

Melanie and Philippe went to a concert tonight, so I had the apartment to myself. All I did was play with the cats a bit, and watch the rest of the 5th season of House online. Finally I am caught up...and can watch on TV when the next season begins. I struggled a bit with what to make for dinner, but decided to have Alfredo once more. I was going to have spagetti again, but I figure I can do that on the weekend...or something.

Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 10

Date: Tuesday May 12th, 2009

Weather: Cloudy, cold and foggy.
Woke up: 10:20
Bedtime: 00:45

Breakfast: French toast w/ water.
Lunch: Water, butter cookies, & salami.
Dinner: Bagel w/ peanur butter.
Drinks: Three Cosmopolitans.

The kittens made a mess of the couch between the time that Melanie left, and I got up. I went into the living room and saw that all the coushins on the couch were knocked off. Even the big ones where on the floor...with cat hair all over them. In all honesty I have never met cats that do so much damage and are so hyper. There is never a moment during the day they aren't running around, knocking things over, or whining for more food. As much as I love them, I don't know if I could handle it all the time. Fritz was such a low-key, gentil, friendly cat, instead of running around knocking things over he enjoyed curling up on your lap for a bit of attention. That is the only type of cat I can handle, not these hyper-active little devils. Louis is pretty good, but Molly is insane...she must have a secret stash of cat nip somewhere that Melanie does not know about. Hahaha.

This morning was off to a slow start. After waking up I decided to clean up my room a bit and compact some of the bags and boxes from shopping. It made the room look a lot cleaner, and made me feel like I accomplished something. I am trying to figure out if my suitcase is going to be to heavy, but I think I will be okay. I tied to organize my clothes a bit too, and pack away the gifts that I bought. Since it was cold out today, and I woke up with a bit of a headache, I decided that I did not want to go outside, and threw on my favourite movie...Fight Club!

Melanie came online around 16:00 and asked if I would like to meet her downtown for a drink after work. I was thrilled, as I had not yet had even one drink on the trip. She reserved a table in the lounge of a vey hip hotel bar. The lighting was cool, the decor was cool, and there were lots of people enjoying many different kinds of drinks. After several minutes of tying to decide, I went for a drink I have never had, but have always wanted to try. A cosmopolitan. As a true Sex and the City fan, I felt very chique drinking my drink. In fact, I ended up having three of them and getting pretty drunk. Melanie odered a long island iced tea, and after a tiny sip I decided that the alcohol content of hers must have trippled mine...it was way to strong for me. After sitting and chatting for a while, and me being three drinks in, we decided it was time to go home. I was pretty drunk, but could walk fine. I made myself a bagel while talking to Blake on the phone for a bit, then decided it would be best to go to bed. And so I did.

It was a very enjoyable evening.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 9

Date: Monday May 11th, 2009

Weather: Another beautiful day.
Woke up: 8:20
Bedtime: 23:50

Breakfast: Toast w/ peanut butter, and water.
Lunch: Pretzel and water.
Dinner: Spagetti, butter cookies and water.
Desert: Choc Choc Chip ice cream.

I was up bright and early to get ready for today. Melanie had the day off and we had a few activities planned.

First thing we did was headed over to the Bavaia Filmstadt, which is an place were movies are filmed and producted. We started out the day with a 4D movie called 'Princess on the Run', which was pretty much like riding a roller coaster, without the danger. Next we waited for an English tour, which would not start for another hour...so Melanie got a coffee and we wandered for a bit. The tour was amazing!! We visited several real movie sets, as well as made our own little movie. We saw the actual submarine used for filming 'Das Boot', as well as sets for other popular German movies/TV shows that I am not familiar with. But I would have to say the coolest thing was seeing the Dragon from A Neverending Story. I actually got to sit on it, and the turned on the camera, added the background to the blue screen and I could see myself actually flying. I remember watching (and loving) that movie as a kid, and it was so cool to meet the actual dragon they used in the movie. I didn't know that it was a German production, although only the first one was done in Germany...the rest were done elsewhere.

After the Filmstadt we had a few hours to kill before out pedicue appointments, so we went show shopping. I had planned on getting a pair of shoes earlier in the week, but did not really find anything that I really liked. Melanie took me into a wondeful shoe store, and I found a pair within 15 mins. The colour was a bit of a debate, but I decided on black (no surprise there) because I figured I would get more wear out of them that way. They are very cute summer sandals, heals, but the heals are small enough that I can walk comfortably on them without huting me feet. The pedicue appointments were at a nice little spa a bit away from Melanie's, so we had to time it just right in order to get there on time. I was excited because I had never had one until today...my feet are very neglected. The woman was very nice, and did a wonderful job with both of us. I now have very pretty French toes, and my feet are softer than they have ever been. I think I will be getting pedicures more often now that I have had one...it was very relaxing.

By the time we got home it was after 7pm and we were both starving, so we made Spagetti. Then I proceeded to watch several more episodes of House, until I started falling asleep at the table and decided to finish writing this before bed. I am very tired, and think that it's time to call it a day.

Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 8

Date: Sunday May 10th, 2009 (Mother's Day)

Weather: Sunny and warm, another beautiful day.
Woke up: 8:00am
Bedtime: 23:00

Breakfast: Toast w/ peanut butter, and water.
Lunch: Butter cookies, an apple, and water.
Snack: Choc Choc Chip ice cream.
Dinner: Alfredo w/ bow-tie pasta, water, and butter cookies.

I was woken up by the sound of a glass breaking at 8:00am. At first I thought it was a dream, but then I heard the pieces being shuffeled around the floor and I knew it was one of the cats. I got up, looked in the kitchen, then finally found it out in the living room beside the 'coffee table'. I will admit I was relieved to see that it was not a glass that I has used, as I have been very carefule not to leave things where Molly can get at them (and break them). I found a dusts pan and little broom and got what I could. I think I woke Melanie up with my shuffling around, and she was soon out asking what had happened. We grabbed the vaccum and cleaned up the remaining shards of glass! Interesting start to the day, but it did get me up early enough that I can really enjoy the day. Only thing is that everything is closed on Sunday's, so no shopping today.

Imporant note: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM! Sorry I can't be there to give you a hug. *hug*

Melanie and I spend until around noon cleaning. She, of course, did not ask me to help, but I offered because I figured that it would go faster if two people were doing it. Plus, I am living here for two weeks, and I can see some of the hair I have shed on the floor, hahaha. It was amazing when I vacumed the couch because it completely changed colours once all the cat hair was off. That is the downfall of having a while cat, and dark furniture/clothing, you see every littie hair on it. I also did the floor, and the pads on her dining room table chairs, and the place looks spotless. Go team go!!!

I decided that today I would venture out with my camera and do a bit of Photography. I tried, I really did, but I know now more than ever that I am a portrait photographer. Buildings just do not caputre my interest, or spark my creativity, the way people do. What I ended up with was a lot of 'touristy' pictures, which I guess are expected since I am a tourist here. In the end I am glad that I took the photos, considering my family wanted me to take as many as possible so they could feel like they came with me.

The evening was spent watching House online. I haven't seen it in a really lone time, and it was nice to catch up on all the drama in the show. I made Alfredo for dinner, which was delicious of course, and I think Melanie enjoyed it too. I will probably make it again during the week, and next weekend when Philippe is here so he can try it.

Nothing else to report I'm afraid, it was a rather uneventful day.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 7

Date: Saturday May 9th, 2009

Weather: A sunny, warm, beautiful day.
Woke up: Noon.
Bedtime: 00:30

Breakfast: Toast w/ peanut butter, and water.
Lunch: German equivelent of a beavertail, pretzel and water.
Dinner: Scrambeled eggs, apple, butter cookies and water.

With my headache last night I was up very late, and did not get to sleep for what seems like hours. With that in mind I did sleep in rather late today, and did not get out of bed until noon. I quickly showered, made my breakfast and got ready to head out for the day with Melanie.

Much to my surprise I had one new follower on Twitter, Mom! I smiled at her picture. It's nice to have a Mom that takes so much interest in you life, and I think it's really cool that she opened an account. With all of the Volunteer work, and interesting things she does, I will not be surprised if she gains a great number of followers. As with anything else in this life it takes time to gain followers, so Melanie told me not to get discouraged yet, and to keep at it. So, I will....

Unlike the rest of this week when i went shopping today I actually bought myself something...as well as a few more gifts for friends and family. And I was able to exchange the T-Shirt for John, which is a huge load off my mind. One of the things I bought is a summer dress, something that I would not be able to find in Kingston...or even Toronto, the other is a beautiful part of jeans, also something I could not find in Kingston. Other than that I picked up something very special for my Mom, it's small, but I know she will love it.

After a day of shopping Melanie and I met two of her friends at a nearby Beer Garden, and it was quite an experience. Almost every table was full, and I saw everything from old men playing checkers to children biting into huge pretzels. We mostly chatted about Twitter, and about Sue (the friend of Melanie) accepting one of three job offers. She is only 23 years old, and has already earned her masters degree...very impressive. Although I did not get any beer I had a taste of Melanie's Lemonade Beer, which is a half/half misture of Beer, and you guessed it, lemonade. I was told that it does not really taste like beer, but because I really don't like beer, it was still all I could taste. One thing worth mentioning is how close the tables were together. The benches between the tables were touching one another, and when two men sat on either side of me (on the table behind) I was boxed in, so when we left I actually climbed under the table and out the other side, I figured it was a lot easier than trying to get them to move, and I was wearing a skirt...so I could not climb the same way I would with pants on. Hahaha.

The night was spent in, again, Twittering. Thanks to Sue, and Melanie alike, I have gained several new followers and made a new friend. We watched the finale of German's Idol...which was interesting, as they do things quite different from the Canadian/American versions. Each singer sang three songs, then another show was played for about an hour while the votes were being collected. I had an imaginery bet on Daniel, and was correct. He won with 50.47% of the votes (or something close to that), which when you think about it is next to nothing. I think Germany did choose the right winner, his voice is amazing!

I will watch one episodr of House before bed, I need a bit of English.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 6

Date: Friday May 8th, 2009

Weather: Cloudy sky turned into sunshine.
Woke up: 10:14
Bedtime: 00:30

Breakfast: Shreddies and water.
Lunch: Butter cookies and water.
Dinner: Half a pizza w/ water.
Desert: Choc Choc Chip ice cream.

At noon I met Melanie in front of City Hall and she took me to an art gallery. She was on her lunch break, so she just helped me find my way there...then headed back to work. The building itself was impressive, as well as most of the art being displayed inside. I don't fancy myself an art lover, but I like to think I can appreciate interesting pieces as well as the next person. I really enjoyed the IKEA section, and all the old cars...but the modern art was something else. The sculptures were interesting, as well as most of the paintings, but one section was all pencil on paper. The majority of the pieces were literally scribbles, and that's all. My 'favourite' looked like someone had taken an pencil and just tapped it all over the paper, making dots. I mean come on, regardless of how 'famous' the person is who made it, can you really call that art? I can do the same thing, but it would be called....dots on a paper. One room was totally empty, with the title 'Pink Flamingo' on the wall, with the artists name beside it, and upon closer inspection I noticed that where were two bunches of strings (4 strands each) going from the cealing down to the floor. Art you say? I say it's string...sorry.

Overall I deemed it worth the €9.50 I paid to get in. There were two beautiful exebitions of photographs that I really enjoied looking at. One was architecture, and the others were done on a lage fomart camera and printed in the dark room. They were old, but it's nice to know that the real art of photography is not completely lost, and that galleries understand the beauty of that form. Just in case you are curious the photograph above it a large scale light installation from the gallery. Sex and The City anyone??

After the gallery I decided to take the long route back to city hall, and take in some of the sights. I went down streets I did not know...and saw lots of interesting buildings. Hopefully I can find my way back there when I decide to go out and do some photography...and if not, at least I got to see them. One thing I did notice is that almost every other building was undergoing some kind of renovation, or construction. I just remember thinking that this would be a great city for Dad, because he would never run out of jobs. It almost spoils the walk when you have to look at dozens of work sites almost spilling out onto the street. But regardless, this is a beautiful city and I guess they just want to make it even more beautiful.

Tonight was a night that going out was a possibility, but Melanie came home with a headache and did not want to leave. Since I also had a headache I decided not to worry, we can go out tomorrow night instead...hopefully. We spent the night on our computers, Melanie and Philippe on Twitter, while I just surfed the net aimlessly. I opened at Twitter account for fun, but since I have no followers it has not been too much fun yet. Melanie said that will change, but I am not hopeful. I guess time will tell, and since I have been on there for only a number of days, I should not judge just yet.

I am sad, and discouraged. I tried very hard to buy a nice present for John, but it seems as though I failed miserably. We measured one of his shirts at home, and by comparison the one I got it far too small. The icing on the cake? In German, at the bottom of the reciept, says that sale items are excluded from exchange...which means I am stuck with it. I am going to go back tomorrow, with Melanie, and play dumb. Hopefully they will take pity on the helpless traveller and let me exchange it for a bigger size. If not I guess I wasted a lot of money on something that will get no use...and I will have to buy him another gift! *sigh* I never get anything right.

After a long night of blog reading, Twittering, and watching German TV (which I obviously did not understand), I am going to bed. It's late...but I am wide awake. Hopefully the descriptive writings of J.R.R. Tolken will put me to sleep, as they have every night thus far.

Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 5

Date: Thursday, May 7th 2009

Weather: Sunny and warm....finally.
Woke up: 10:48am
Bedtime: Around 23:30

Breakfast: Shreddies and water. Orange juice is all gone.
Lunch: Salami, yogurt, banana, and butter cookies.
Dinner: Homemade Alfredo w/ bow-tie pasta, and water.

First thing that happened today was while I checked my e-mail and everything in the morning Molly curled up behind me on the chair. So it seems as though I have made two new friends...finally. Perhaps she feels bad for breaking my make-up yesterday...hahaha, but I doubt it. She even licked me! But then my happiness turned to sadness as she started to bite the back of my arm, as far as I know I am not cat food? But perhaps I am mistaken.

Today was a day of songs in my head...I would think of a song at random and then keep singing it to myself ove and over. The first one was U2 - Beautiful Day...obviously because today is the nicest weather I have seen since I got here. The second was Love Train, and I have no idea why I thought of it. I think it was because I saw a lot of 'emo' kids today...and sang to myself 'emos all over the world, join hands'! It's hilarious that the style in Germany is different, but when it comes to Emo kids they look exactly the same. Funny how they are usually the ones ranting about originality, perhaps they should try it for themselves.

Shopping today was not for me, my goal was to get the gift protion out of the way...and I did. I was able to find something fo both Blake and John. I pride myself on getting gifts for people that I know they will like, and I think I have done that again this time. Believe it or not I have been in many stores, and have not really found much for myself. Most of the shops are what I call 'professional' clothes, and the rest is not very good quality, or are things I could find at home...for less money. So I have no idea what I will do. Perhaps I will just use the rest for going out to the bars, or doing tourist activities...! I guess time will tell, and I certainly do have a lot of time left.

You might have noticed that this is the second time I have had Alfedo since I got here, but it's because I have never been able to make it so good before. Might be the time I put into it, or the ingredients, but it is truly delicious...and I will probably make it several more times before I leave. The thing with me is that I never get sick of a good thing, ha! It was delicious again tonight, and I was very pleased that I decided to make it. Chef Mandi is in the house.

I tried to finished watching The Big Lebowski, but making/eating dinner got in the way again, and there is a soccer game on....so I will finish tomorrow. I decided to sit and watch with her because she was switching between Soccer and Germany's Next Top Model. I have never ever watched a 'Next Top Model' show...and was interested to see what these girls are like. I obviously couldn't understand what they were saying, but I will be honest and say that I know girls who are naturally more attractive than them. Seriously, you could take any number of girls I know, put pounds of make-up on them, and they would be incredibly stunning. I did manage to guess who would be kicked off, the youngest girl, 16 years old. I understand that most models are very young, but I can't even imagine being under that kind of pressure at that age. The good thing is that she was on the show, and will likely have a successful career because of it.

Melanie said the weather does not look promissing this weekend, which is a dissapointment becuse I wanted to check out the night life. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be nice, so I think I will get up early and take some pictures if the sun is out. *knock on wood*

It's time for bed.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 4

Date: Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Weather: Cloudy, cold and possibly rainy....again.
Woke up: Exactly noon.
Bedtime: After midnight.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, toast w/ peanut butter, and orange juice.
Lunch: Butter cookies and milk.
Dinner: Bagel w/ peanut butter, and water.

When I was playing Sing Star and Louis curled up right behind me and went to sleep. He was laying so his back was right up against my leg, and he even nuzzled me a bit in the process. I think I have made at least one new friend. Maybe Molly will come around at some point, I am hopeful. I am also wondering whether Molly or Louis know how to turn on the light in the bathroom, it seems that every time I walk by the light is on...and I know it wasn't me. I also think I might have somehow become alergic to cats! My pajamas, as well as the clothes I wear around the house are covered in cat hair, and I am constantly ichy...I wake up at night and my arms, even my face, is itchy. I closed the door to my room so the cats can no longer sleep in my bed during the day, hopefully that will help. I made the mistake of leaving the door open today and went in to find all of my makeup all over the floor. My bronzer power was broken, and lying on the floor...but I was able to salvage it. I learned my lesson, and neither cat will be in my room again (if I can help it).

The ballet was amazing, but I understand the price of my ticket. Although I was in a balcony I was positioned so I could really on see half of the stage. Believe it or not it really seemed as though the majority of the dancing was done on the side I couldn't see....so I was stretching as far as I could craning my neck to catch a glimps of the othe side. If I went again I would splurge on a more expencive ticket on the ground floor in front of the stage so at least I could see the entire thing. Watching it made me miss both ballet and music. Although I never got to point, it is something I always wanted to do, but it's far too late now. Being there also made me really miss playing clarinet, and playing in Youth Orchestra. The first clarinet player had some amaying solos throughout the performance!!

On the way back I got on the wrong cable car, and ended up in a part of town I don't know. The good thing is that you can just hop on one going the other direction and you are right back whee you started. But stupid me, I got on the wrong one again...and when I got off I thought I would use the undergound walkways to get the right platform. So, I did...went up to street level it was a street I didn't recognise. I just started walking in what I thought was the right direction, but it was a road with lots of groups of men and they started yelling at me. Obviously I couldn't understand what they were saying, so I go scared and very uncomfotable. A couple guys even followed me for a block or two...still talking, but I had my iPod on and just pretended not to notice. I finally found my way back to the platfrom, but I was scared, cold and my feet hurt. I decided to call Melanie. and she told me the right number to get on. In the dark I really couldn't see where I was...so I ended up getting odd one stop early. Getting off early is no big deal, unless your feet are swore, and blisters are forming. It was a rough couple blocks to walk (in heals) but I eventually got home.

It was a long night, one I hope not to repeat again on my trip.
I am tired, and my feet hut, so I am going to bed now.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 3

Date: Tuesday May 5th, 2009.

Woke up: Exactly 11:11am.
Bedtime: Around 23:30...
Weather: Cloudy, dark, cold, and very windy.

Breakfast: Toast w/ raspberry jam, orange juice and some water.
Lunch: Nothing.
Dinner: Pasta w/ homemade alfredo sauce and water.
Desert: Butter cookies, and more water.

Today was both eventful and uneventful at the same time. The only things I did were a sight-seeing tour on a double decker bus, then stopped at the grocery store on the way home to get some groceies for dinner. The bus tour had two choices, a shot 1 hour tour through the heart of the city and a 2.5 hour tour which included the Palace, and Olympic Park. Since I had nothing else to do today I decided to splurge on the longer tour so I could see the Palace. By the time I got downtown and found my way to the departure point it was 14:00, which meant I still had enough time to get off the bus and spend an hour at the Palace.

The tour of downtown was kind of pointless for me because I actually wandered almost the entire route on Monday when I was 'shopping' downtown. The Palace was beautiful, but I was dissapointed because they did not allow flash photography inside. The icing on the cake...althought photography was allowed inside it was so dark you could hardly see in front of you! I was slightly dissapointed.

There are a few funny things that happened today that I think are worth mentioning. While I was on the bus all of a sudden everyone in the font starts pointing and laughing. Then I see two old women walking across the street. One was all in red, the other was blue, their bottoms looked like underwear and tank tops on top. I have no idea what there were doing, but seeing all that saggy baggy skin was more than I needed to see. Regardless, props to them for actually doing it.

Another thing that made me chuckle inside was when I got on the transit to head downtown. We stopped in front of an office building and two men in very expencive looking suits jumped in. They had no idea how to use the machine to pay, and didn't have a ticket to stamp. They stood there talking back and forth in German, pressing buttons and putting the wrong coins into the machine. They finally figured it out right before I got off downtown!

The number one thing that I have noticed since being here is the cars. They are all very small and compact...comparable to the the Fit. I have seen a lot of Mini Coopers and Smat cars. I am sure it's not true but it seems like even the roads here are more narrow. And the number of expencive cars I see day-to-day is amazing, even the taxis here are Mercedes. Believe it or not I actually saw a Mercedes dump truck, and a Mercedes cement truck. Of course there are also hundreds or cars from BMW, Audi, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Austin Martin, and of course Mercedes Benz. Never have I seen so many beautiful vehicles in one place before. Even the dealerships are pretty...floors and walls made of marble, inside of old buildings that don't even look like dealerships. It's incredible!!

After looking through Melanie's movie collection I decided that Butterfly Effect was a good choice for the evening. I have seen is a number of times, but it's one of those movies that never gets old. Afterwards I decided to throw on a video game that Melanie has several versions of, Sing Star. I do not fancy myself a singer, by any means...and had fun just goofing around singing to myself (and the kittens).

It is now 22:01 and I am going to get ready for bed, then read a bit.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 2

Date: Monday May 4th, 2009

Woke up: Aound 10:30am, again.
Bedtime: Around 23:45.
Weather: Cloudy, windy, and cold, with a little sprinkle here and there.

Beakfast: French toast w/ orange juice, and some water.
Lunch: An apple and a banana w/ water, and butter cookies.
Dinner: Toast w/ raspberry jam, and some water.

Although the weather was discouraging I decided to head downtown anyway. My goal was to find one store that I walked by yesterday, Tiffany & Co. I saw this key charm in the window when Melanie and I walked by yesteday and instantly fell in love with it. All the jewerly I wear on a day-to-day basis was given to me as a gift, except the superman charm I paid $20 fo at the Cat Town Centre. So... since I have never bought myself a 'real' piece of jewerly I did not feel the slightest bit guilty buying it.

I went into several shops today, and have one funny comment about H&M. Although I don't like the quality of their clothing there I went into H&M today to see if anything has changed...but sadly it's still the same. As I walked through the doors I noticed the incredible number of poeple inside, almost fighting over all the cloths, as well as the complete mess the store was in. Shirts piled high on display tables, pants, jackets and blouses that had fallen off hangers all over the floor...the store was a total mess. I stood for a moment and noticed that Circus - Britney Spears was playing over the speakers, and laughed silgently to meself. I thought, what an appopiate song to be playing, because that is exactly what this place is...a circus.

I had a brand new expeience today, and felt like I was part of the upper class. I decided that I would venture into Prada, although I felt pretty silly compared to the obviously wealthy people inside the store. I was treated with the utmost respect, a doorman greeted me and opened the door for me, then I was immediatly approached by a saleswoman and welcomed to the store. I walked around the store almost drooling at all the beautiful bags, although I will admit that some were not quite my taste. I fell in love with a beautiful brown leather wallett, but I did not buy it! I might go back, you never know...

I bought my ticket for the Ballet today, online. I don't even have to pick up the tickets until right before the performance when I go...but I might venture down today and see if I can get it...just so I know what's going on and don't get lost when I go on Wednesday. The Ballett is tiitled Le Corsaire and is about 'the adventure of Conrad the pirate and his beloved, Medora, who is abducted again and again' (description taken from the website). I am very excited.

I watched Momento tonight, what an intense movie. My headache will prevent me from reading before bed tonight, so I took some tylenol and am now heading to bed. Hopefully the weather will be nice tomorrow.

It is now 22:52pm, and I am heading to bed.
Goodnight and ta ta for now.

Germany - Day 1

Date: Sunday May 3rd, 2009

Woke up: Around10:30am.
Bedtime: Around 23:30.
Weather: Sunny and warm the whole day.

Breakfast: Shreddies w/ orange juice.
Lunch: Apple w/ water and some mini 'butter cookies'.
Dinner: Stir fry w/ chicken, mushrooms, zukini, green peas and rice.

I am staying with my sister Melanie, in her apartment in München.
I arrived yesterday at noon, and will be leaving on the 17th at 8:00am.

Melanie and I took the train downtown to the centre of the city and explored. Taking the train downtown here is very simple, I simply get on, ride for three stops and then get off right in the City's centre. All the good shopping is down there, as well as the Oprea and the Ballet. All the shops are closed on Sunday, so we just did some window shopping...and I started my door collection (of photographs) of all the designer shops around town.

I am trying to decide what I want I want to do with my two weeks here, but there are so many options it's hard. But the good news is that I had two weeks, so I can do quite a lot if I use my time wisely. What I am looking forward to the most is walking aound with my camera and taking lots of pictures.

I went online this evening and found ticket prices for the Ballett!! Much to my surprise it is actually affodable, so I am going to see one sometime this week. There are several to choose from, but since I have never been to the Ballett before I am sure I will be no less than astounded regardlessof which one I choose.

It is 22:45 now, and I am tired...so I am going to get ready for bed.
Goodnight, and ta ta for now.