It's Lost in Translation

I think that's the name of this blog anyway. I used Google translate... it can't be trusted!

Anyway, Bryan and I have safely made our way to Leipzig, Germany. Bryan is interning for the summer at the city planning office and I am writing Algebra I curriculum while in a haze of pastries, gelato, and wine. Truly, it's a pretty nice place to be working.

Our journey here took us through three airports (including one that looked just like Ikea!,) two public transportation systems, and too many train stations to count. We've settled into our apartment in the Waltstraßenviertel (it took two days for me to pronounce it too,) which is apparently in the "posh" part of town. We have three very friendly roommates. They come from several different countries and between the five of us we speak at least at least four languages. There are many bikes, bakeries, and old apartment buildings. We are also near the street car line, several parks, and the arena (Journey and Rhianna are playing there in the near future). A popular German crime show, Tatort, is also filmed on our street sometimes. Here is a picture of the film crew:

Here is the view from the bedroom window:

Bryan gets to work in a tower that was built in 1900 as a monument to the citizens of Leipzig and supposedly is the tallest city hall tower in the world. He spends his days proofreading English translations and trying to understand the conversation taking place around him. He also looks out a tiny window. Here is a picture of his office:

While Bryan is working, I attempt to do some school work of my own and bumble my way through town attempting to order various food items in German. My German is not good but I am learning more each day. I've also been doing a fair share of reading, people watching (it was really good when the gothic festival was in town,) and observation making.

Here is a list of observations so far:

- Germans love taking their adorable dogs out in public. The dogs can come on the train, in restaurants, and just about anywhere else.

- Traffic here consists of buses, trams, bikes, and pedestrians. There is not a lot of car traffic. Unless there is a bomb scare (there was one today. There was an unexploded bomb from WWII discovered at a construction site. Apparently this happens fairly often.) Here is a picture of intense German car traffic:

- Supermarkets are terrifying. However. it is just because the size of the carts is not in proportion to the size of the aisles. The trick is to not take a cart. We shop at Netto, which is similar to Aldi in America. It's actually a little bit familiar because there are no plastic bags and the store is very small. It's no HyVee but it definitely has it's positive qualities!

-German pastries are delicious! For a Euro you can have a life changing pastry. I don't have anything else to add about that.

-Bryan still likes beer. I know this is a surprise to you all.

That's about it for now. Bryan told me that is too long and that you would only look at it for the pictures! We will be in Leipzig this weekend, possibly visiting the zoo and visiting the lake country. If you want to reach us, the best way is through my e-mail or Facebook account. We'd love to hear from you! Here are a few more pictures for you: