So, there are a few odd habits that are okay here. For example, it's apparently okay to walk around without shoes. The picture above was taken on a busy street in the city centre today. I don't really think it is okay, since the ground is covered in broken glass and cigarettes (I think everyone smokes at least a little). Oh, and you know, it's a public street!

Here are a few new pictures from this afternoon. There are two giant churches in the city centre. One of them is the church where Bach served as cantor. It also happens to be Bach fest right now. I've heard he is making a live appearance on Sunday.

Just kidding, guys! Bach's dead.

All of the taxis here are a pale yellow and are Mercedes, BMWs, or Volkswagons. Don't worry though, taxi drivers are just as reckless here as at home. That is an international trait it seems!

In addition to all of the pastries and Kuchen (cakes), there are a lot of street food. My current favorite is the Pommes (french fries) from a particular vendor on one of the main squares downtown. I like them plain. If you order ketchup, it gets squirted in a gigantic pile on top, which makes eating kind of gross and messy.
 

This is where Bryan works (more details from him below). I think the blue sign is the best thing ever. According to Bryan, it means that this pathway is a shared space. I think it was an excuse to put a lot of symbols on one sign. Either way, it is pretty sweet.

We went to a bar today that specializes in Paulaner, which is Bryan's favorite German beer. I tried Radler, which is beer mixed with Sprite. It was just about as good as it sounds... but there were a lot of bubbles, which was a definite plus. For dinner, we took our first foray into German food and stumbled upon a restaurant that seemed to specialize in vegetarian and gluten free food. Bryan had about 10 different options for dinner, which never happens! I had white asparagus (Finally! And it was everything I had hoped for!) in a chicken and cheese thick mixture/dip. Delicious! Hard to go wrong with that!

Below is a picture of the Altes Rathaus (the old city hall). Similar name to the building where Bryan works, but now it is a museum. It is surrounded by a giant construction site, several places to get gelato, and a Burger King with a patio.

Bryan: I've been learning a lot about Leipzig's post-socialist history this week. I'll be taking part in a conference/field trip next week about Straßenbahnen and city development. Straßenbahnen are streetcars that will run you down if you're not paying attention. They're the best. 

The Neues Rathaus where I work is a massive piece of industrial symbolism that (I was told) was meant to show Dresden (the royal, cultural neighbor city) that Leipzig was stronger and of course more important. I was also told that the tower is the tallest city hall tower in the world. I'm not sure if I believe it though.What I do believe, though, is that it is enormous and the seemingly unsafe pseudo elevator that does not stop is great when you work on the fifth floor (which I do). However, when you're on it between floors when the fire alarm goes off and it stops (which I was), it's quite an unsettling feeling.

That's about it... tell us what you've been up to! The best way is to e-mail or Facebook Steph. Bryan will likely never respond to you. Seriously.