Head Wrapping

No, I did not get injured recently. But, as the year progresses, I like to report on the habits and behaviors of the (wild) Frenchman or others I notice around me, plus other stuff going on. This is one of those posts.

Let's Get Physical!

Okay, not the song, but it seems Europeans, especially the people here in France, are quite comfortable/less uncomfortable with less personal space than people in the US are. Actually, it seems like a trend in Europe in general: most people don't seem to need as much personal space. Part of it could be public transport where, a lot of times, there isn't a lot of space... sometimes, you can be crammed like a sardine (like the one time on the Metro/U-Bahn in Bonn). It's a bit hard to get used to, but I think I've gotten a lot better with it over the past 6 months. Going back to the States, though, will take some getting used to.

Frenchmen, of course, also seem rather physical and public with displays of affection. Or at least the younger ones... moreso than most of the Americans I know.

To Thou or To You, That Is the Question

In French, there are two words for you: vous, which is normally used in formal contexts and as a plural, and tu, used towards children and friends. At least it isn't like German which has three different forms (du, Sie, ihr/Ihr) or Spanish with four or five (tu, vós, Usted, Ustedes, vosotros), but, being the native speaker of a language which has all but eliminated the distinction between formal and informal you, the distinction is a bit difficult.

I work at a school. Or, rather, several schools. So I work with teachers. The normal rule with dealing with teachers, at least as a student, is that one always uses vous and polite language. I'm still younger than all the teachers here, so, when I originally came here, I just used the default vous. One teacher, however, insists that I use the tu form of address with her and said that, indeed, one can tutoie (use tu to refer to a person) the teachers here... simply put, it feels strange. Yeah, I'm not a student anymore, I'm a teacher of sorts, but I'm still so much younger than practically everyone else here, so it doesn't feel right to. In any event, it's just one of the interesting things that arise from using a language other than my own native language. Maybe I'll be more comfortable with using tu as the year progresses.

Rolling Out, Shipping Off

Tomorrow, I leave for Paris and, a few days after that, I'll be off to the US. It's going to be an interesting time, to say the least: I've not been to Paris in about 9 years (okay, I passed through earlier this year, but just for an hour) and never at Christmastime. Clermont-Ferrand is certainly pretty at this time of year, and I definitely don't expect any less from the "City of Lights".

I'm not sure where exactly I want to go while I'm there. Probably a few museums, lots of wandering and roaming around... maybe not up the Eiffel Tower, but, hey, that could change. Plus, pretty pictures are important.

As for the US, I'll be there 12 days. It'll be a good chance to buy stuff, recharge, get a lot of rest, maybe a driver's license, and pick up things that I should have originally brought with me (flags, money, literature, etc.). Since I'm a native from an Anglophone country, it's somewhat expected that I bring some of that country with me to my lessons, but I also like talking about other countries and places I've visited. To me, it's just surprising to see/hear how little people travel outside France and to other countries in Europe... then again, they live here and I'm only here for a very limited time, so I feel a bit more pressed.

French Sports: Manifestations and Grèves

Unlike in the US, the French are used to having a lot of benefits with work. One of the things about working here is, generally speaking, job security. One is entitled to a lot as a worker: at minimum, four weeks of vacation, general protection from termination at will, pay increases and promotions for good work, and the such. Naturally, if something threatens this security, one is very vocal. And that's where the strikes (grèves) come into play. Today, for example, there's a grève des professeurs where a lot of teachers decided to go on strike. Apparently, this happens several times a year. And it's a part of being in France... and I should expect more as the elections approach. Fortunately, the grèves are rather peaceful and don't involve too much violence, but they're certainly inconvenient. Especially for public transport!

While I'm not one for striking, though, it is something one can appreciate: the fact that the people here are very vocal and committed to preserving their quality of life and jobs or fighting for what they believe. I've seen several demonstrations outside the Préfecture for a wide variety of topics and, really, it's that, along with other cultural bits, which make this stay in France completely unlike my other stays in foreign countries.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

The month of December has arrived, and with it come all the fun things that Christmas in France entails. All throughout Clermont-Ferrand, once can see workers busily setting up lights galore, a pretty Christmas tree, a Ferris Wheel, a Christmas Market near the Place de la Victoire... the season officially starts on 3 December, so there'll probably be some pictures then. Also, over in Lyon, the Fête des Lumières will be next weekend (note to self: avoid Lyon on those days. Go earlier in the week, maybe next Wednesday, or right before I head up to Paris). Students are getting eager and anxious to go on vacation.

And I'm getting ready to head back to the US for the break... which means I have a few more things to do. Like book my return ticket to France... oh, wait, I have! I fly back to France on the 31st of December and back to North Carolina on the 1st of May, but plans are subject to change. At the very least, though, my stay in the US has the added benefit of allowing me to go on a bit of a shopping spree and acquire some things both the teachers and the students might like. So that's definitely a bonus.

However, today also marks the day when I'm now a French resident! Or at least until 1 May. After 56 days of headaches, waiting around, teeth gnashing, and lots of phone calls, I was able to run to the OFII (Office Français de l'Intégration et de l'Immigration) here in Clermont-Ferrand, give them my medical certificate and a few other papers, and walk out of the préfecture building with a nice, shiny sticker to validate my visa and allow me to stay in France until the 1st of May. I might be able to get permission to stay a bit longer, but, right now, that's the date I'm working with.

In all, work is generally going very well here. Other than the one class I have who doesn't seem to talk, either out of fear, volition, or a dislike for the assistant (hopefully not the last of them), all of my classes are great. Of course, there are always the students who don't seem to want to talk, but one group seems to be opening up a lot more and I'm now getting everyone to talk, whether it be in French mixed with English, English mixed with French, or English outright. That makes me really happy. And, of course, the teachers are also great, especially the ones at the collège: there are fewer of them, but they're almost all very friendly and very willing to put up with me butchering the French language.

So, with that, have a good rest of your week and a good start to your Christmas/holiday season.

Moving House

So, I'm taking a break from moving all of my stuff into my new apartment. It's not that I have a lot of stuff (I moved it all in one day from Germany to France), but my transportation options to get the stuff to the new place are a smidge limited. Namely, I have to use the tram, and the people here give you unhappy looks if you use up too much space on the public transport. So it's a load here, a load there, and everything should be so that I'm completely cleared out of the place at the high school by Wednesday at the latest.

I know, I was staying at the lycée for free, but I really prefer having my own space with implements for cooking, I'll be a bit closer to the collège (so no more hour-long trips!), and I'm right near the city center. Plus, if there happens to be a grève (strike), then the train station isn't too far away for me to be able to catch a train to either school.

Also, with Christmas fast approaching, things are now being decked out in colors and lights, shopping hours are being extended, and stuff is now going on sale. Plus I leave for the US in... a month. Whee. I still have a few things to plan for Paris, namely a place to stay and what all I want to visit... I mean, since I'm flying from Charles de Gaulle Airport, I might as well take the chance to visit Paris and do the sightseeing thing. I've never been to Paris in the winter, though, so it'll be a bit of a treat. I'll see about hopping over to Lyon as well before I return to NC. And I do need to buy my return plane ticket... but I'm still waiting on the visa validation, and I don't want to buy the ticket until I know when I need to return to France. And when I need to leave as well. (sigh)

But things are generally well here, and more updates will be to come. Soon-ish.

Look and Move Along

Like Germans, Frenchmen have their own quirks regarding clothes, fashion, and the such as well as stores, where things are sold, opening hours, and the such. And it's always fun to make all sorts of observations about their habits.

• I'm sleeping, you're eating: Here in France, dinner/supper time is much, much later than I'm used to, but lunches are, likewise, normally longer. Lunch here in France is often from 12-ish to 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon. Accordingly, many restaurants close by three and don't re-open normally until 7. This is in contrast to most other countries I've visited in recent memory, but a part of it also arises from lunch being a much larger meal here than dinner. In any event, if I want to go out to a non-fast food place to eat, my options are a bit limited unless I wait until late in the evening, the time when I'm normally in using my computer, playing video games, or otherwise. It's not like Spain, though, where dinner usually starts at 9 in the evening... so that's a plus.
• Metal galore: While some Germans, it seemed, had an affinity for piercings galore, the French also do, though it seems like more French men have piercings than German men. The ears and eyebrows seem rather popular. But I don't think I've seen anyone here with particularly wild hairstyles... seems a bit like the French prefer to blend in a bit more.
• Clothing makes the Frenchman: The sense of style here in France (and also in Germany) is quite a bit different from in the US. Trousers/pants, for example, rarely ride low, scarves are very popular accessories, and darker colors seem to be the norm, particularly with jackets. Also, I've very rarely, at least in France, seen any of the rather... daring things many younger women in the US seem to be fond of as of late. While clothing, in general, seems to be a bit slimmer and closer-fitting, it's very rarely revealing.
• Sorry, no smokes here: In Germany, cigarettes were available everywhere- vending machines, convenience stores, grocery stores, and the such. In France, however, that's not the case! You can only purchase cigarettes and tobacco products at a tobacconist (tabac). Tobacconists are very much like newsstands in Germany, as they often sell things such as lottery tickets, post cards, magazines, candies, newspapers, and important things called timbres fiscaux, stamps which are used to pay taxes, fines, fees for French bureaucracy, and the such. But that still doesn't seem to stop people here from smoking (a lot), even though cigarettes are about 50% more expensive than in Germany... (must avoid rant)

So, yeah, that's about it for the "observations of France" part of this post.

In interesting news, I think I may have found a more permanent place to live! It's not open until next week (the 6th), but I'll see if I can sign the rent agreement tomorrow or at some point this week. It's about average price-wise and more expensive (in all) than what I had in Germany, but the fact that it'd be my own place in the city center is all worth it. So, fingers are crossed...

Also, hopefully at the end of the break, I'll be able to get the paperwork for validating my visa going. Due to the schools being closed until the 2nd, I'm unable to check my mail, so I'm hoping that the OFII paperwork's waiting for me. As well as the last paperwork to close out my stay in Germany...

And, with that, have a good weekend.

The outsider looking in

Being taught in schools in one country definitely gives one an interesting framework through which one views the system in another country. And, having worked here for two weeks now, I've been paying a lot of attention to how the schools here work, some of the aspects of the system here in France stand out more prominently than others.

• Bell rings for a game of musical rooms- at least in the US, with most primary and secondary schools that I've seen, the usual is that the teacher remains in the same room while the students move from one room to another as needed. There are some teachers who were "nomadic", at least at my high school, who changed rooms, but those were infrequent and the rule was that teachers had their own rooms.
  Here, not so. None of the rooms are permanent, so it's a bit more like university in the US and UK: both the students and the teachers switch rooms frequently. Therefore, the "room" for the teachers is the salle des professeurs, analogous to the teacher's lounge in the US. And at both my collège and lycée, it's a rather nice little room: coffee/beverage vending machines, some snacks, computers, and the mailboxes. So, naturally, most of the teachers are in here when they don't otherwise have classes. (Or if they're not smoking a cigarette.)
• University-like scheduling- Unlike the standard in the US, where one meets for fixed periods at fixed times throughout the week, that's not what happens here. Most students will see a teacher for two to three hours per week for a total of about 30 hours of classes per week, and the teachers, accordingly, are assigned to work not the same hours. Not to mention there's a nice two-hour lunch break and several pauses de récréation throughout the day, so the students, unlike in US middle and high schools, aren't running from 8:30 to 3:30 with only a 30 minute break. In a way, it's also nice for the teachers.
• Wine for the teachers- How else would they get through the day? Okay, I know, not all of them drink it, but teachers can have wine with their meals here at the lycée. As I explained to one of the teachers I'm working with, that'd be a huge no-no in the States. Part of it, of course, comes in that most teachers drive to and from work, and the other part is that people in the US are very strict about enforcing the drinking age and prohibiting access to alcohol by people under 21, so it's slightly illegal (at least) to bring alcohol to a high school.
• Stuck together like glue- In the States, the same group of students doesn't take the same classes after elementary school: you pick your schedule and you move around. Here in France, though, it seems like the same groups of students, all chosen based on the classes they take and their degree program, move together throughout the school day for their classes.

As the year progresses, I'll have more observations to add. Probably.

What's great is that the teachers here are very friendly, and it makes me want to spend more time with them. Especially at the collège, since I'm only there for one day each week... and not at all this upcoming week, as it's vacation time! Oh, yeah, and the French are serious about vacations: the normal rhythm here is 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off, it feels, with two months instead for the vacances d'été. Next week are the vacances de Toussaint, and they last until the 3rd of November (well, in any event, I go back to work on the 4th).

So, yeah, have a good week/weekend, and more stuff will probably materialize over break.

Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!

I've been here in the beautiful Auvergne region for about two weeks now, and I must say that I'm impressed. It's been a bit of an adventure, especially with a public transportation strike the first few days I was here, but it's otherwise been great so far.

Part of why I waited a bit to write some more is because I wanted to actually work with my students for the first time and see what I was working with. As I mentioned before, I'm working at a collège in a suburb of Clermont-Ferrand for 3 hours per week and the remaining 9 hours are at a lycée in the southeastern part of the city. I did meet the teachers (or most of them, at least) and many of the students, and it's going to be fun. The teachers are all incredibly nice, always willing to help (it seems) and friendly in general. In all, I'm working with six different teachers and a total of twelve different classes, each class for one hour per week and generally up to about 15 people in a class (so the sometimes large classes are split up).

At the collège, I'm right now working with students in troisième (3e), so they're all from 13 to 16 years old and preparing for the brevet, an examination given at the end of the year that determines what school they're best suited for at the lycée level. As for the lycée, I'm working with both students in seconde (2e) and post-baccalauréat students who are completing a technical program before licensure rather than immediately going to university. The system here in France is, needless to say, a bit different than that in the US, and one of the lessons I do have planned is a discussion about the differences between the educational systems and, really, how the US high-school experience is different from that in France. And, as I'm working a lot with the speaking skills of the students, talking about more "interesting" topics should help with sparking their interests and, really, getting them to speak.

As for the speaking, well... most of the students are very timid, it seems. I hope to get them to speak more, and it'll hopefully get better as time passes.

So, that's it really in a nutshell. Now for some quick tidbits/observations:

• Beer is sold in fast food restaurants, like McDonald's. Conversely, it's sold very rarely at those in Germany, from what I remember.
• Prices here in France are hit-or-miss compared to Germany. Sometimes, they're quite a bit cheaper (especially for food), but most of the time it's roughly the same price or a bit more. What's interesting, though, is that more food is taxed at the lower VAT rate here in France than in Germany (so, here, soft drinks are taxed at 5.5% rather than 19.6%, whereas they're subject to the full 19% in Germany).
• Getting around Clermont-Ferrand is a bit different: it's mostly bus-based, but there is a tram line that, conveniently, is right near where I'm currently staying. And tickets are a bit cheaper here compared to in Germany (and the UK, for that matter).
• House hunting is... well, different. The terminology is rather different, rules for renting are stricter for both ends, and the prices may or may not have charges (utilities) included. So it's really a case of looking very carefully at the fine print.

So, yeah, it'll be a good seven months, I don't doubt. And, with that, have a good rest of your week.

Bis Bald, Deutschland

Today, I will be bidding Germany farewell yet again as I leave for the environs of France at just shy of 10 in the morning. A longer update will be posted once I'm situated in my new country.

Farewell, Germany; good-bye, BASF. It's been fun. When will I be back? Who knows. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Copenhagen and Chemistry

Wow, it's been a month or so since my last update. Meaning a lot's happened.

First up, the Denmark trip that I had been planning for long time finally happened about two weeks ago: I left on the 30th by night train to Copenhagen and spent three days there. And Copenhagen's really nice, I must say. It's very easy to get around, there's a lot of pretty sights and things to do, and the weather was extremely cooperative. However, there was a major downside: Copenhagen's really expensive, sometimes moreso than Switzerland (shocking).

Remember how I mentioned a 1½ litre bottle of soda was about CHF 2 (then, about €2/$2.50)? In Denmark, you're lucky if it's less than 20 Danish kroner (€3, $4), not including the deposit of 3 kroner. McDonald's is surprisingly cheaper than in Switzerland, but still pretty high at about 55 kroner (€8/$11) for a meal. Public transport ticket... well, the basic ticket is a one-hour pass for 24 kroner (€3.50/$5), but you can buy a one-day ticket valid for the Greater Copenhagen area (a lot, trust me, and it comes in handy for a trip to Elsinore, home of the castle featured in Hamlet) for 130 kroner (€18/$26). A part of it is due to the 25% VAT on pretty much everything, the highest VAT in all of the EU (and the only VAT that comes in a single rate) and the high wages paid to the average Danish worker. But, fortunately, I was able to minimize the damage, and I had an awesome time.

Also, when one's in Copenhagen, there's another country just 30 minutes away (Sweden). So I went there too, namely to a little city called Malmö. It's a rather cute little city, marked by a lot of charming buildings and streets, plenty of trees, and the highest density of restaurants in Sweden. But it was a good few hours for roaming in the area.

Other excursions, of course, have occurred. Namely a trip to the Wurstfest in Bad Dürkheim. If you've been to a German Fest, though, you know that these are not the run-of-the-mill fairs that you find in the US: these are rather massive events, with beer tents, rather extreme rides, Bratwurst galore, and lots of different types of alcohol (and not just beer). They're pretty impressive, all in all, and this one was sufficiently large. It made me happy.

And the science is getting done as well. It's not too much different from the usual, just running some tests and generating the graphs, but I hope to do some cooler stuff before I leave... no explosions, mind you.

In any event, it's a bit surreal that I leave for France in... two and a half weeks. And this comes at the point when I'm falling madly in love with this region of Germany. People assure me that I'll love Auvergne, and I don't doubt it either, but I just don't want to leave Germany right now.

In any event, have a good remainder of your week. Or something vaguely approaching such.

Two Day Service

About a month ago, I went through the process of acquiring a German residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). It was, in a way, a bit hair-pulling considering I needed that permit to apply for a French visa but also because I really didn't hear any feedback on my application until I got the notice of approval, and it took about three weeks to accomplish. So, naturally, since the visa I'll have to travel to France serves as a residence permit, I was expecting similar processing times. As stated in the previous post, I specifically went to Switzerland because, normally speaking, the visa process takes several weeks.

I was wrong with what I had assumed. For me, it took two days.

Yesterday, I headed up to Frankfurt am Main rather early in the morning and got to the consulate well in advance of my appointment. I had directions, but I really didn't know where I was going. Surprisingly for me, the U-Bahn put me out on Zeppelinallee, the road that the consulate was situated on. And it was a very quick walk up the road to my destination, a rather unassuming building distinguished by the French flag and the emblem of the French Republic.

I headed in, greeted the guard in French and, after a quick bag search, I went back to the visa section, a small office. I was served rather quickly by a lady who spoke some English (which helped out a bit) and, after being fingerprinted and photographed and all the papers I had were sorted through and sorted, I was given a receipt and told to return the next day with my passport. This isn't what I thought would happen...

I otherwise accomplished quite a bit of sightseeing and exploring in Frankfurt, despite the rain, and headed back to Ludwigshafen, still confused. What just happened... did she really say I could return tomorrow? Adding to the fun was that I had only taken a day off work for the visa appointment, expecting a much longer turnaround. So, I formulated a plan.

Today, I headed into work and explained to one of my coworkers that I needed to run to Frankfurt. He, fortunately, understood, so I headed almost immediately to the train station. About an hour later, I was in Frankfurt. I made my way back to the consulate and the person who had served me the day before, upon recognizing me, indicated that she would help me after she was done with the person ahead of me. Once she was finished, I walked up, gave her my passport, and, after printing off the visa sticker and getting it signed by the Consul, I walked out of the visa office with a shiny visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour. Score.

So, yeah. A process that takes a lot of people several weeks took me two days here at Frankfurt. And I have no idea why it got approved so quickly. But, ultimately, you just take it with a smile and walk on.

Swiss Vacation... and French Paperwork Hell

Last week, I decided that I really wanted to go to Switzerland. And here I am, writing this from Zürich.

To elaborate further, the main reason for this trip, other than wanting to go to Switzerland and take lots of pretty pictures, actually arises from the fact that I go to apply for my French visa on Tuesday. While my application is being processed, however, the consulate probably will have my passport. The processing could take a few days or a few weeks. And, while they have my passport, I won't legally be able to leave Germany to go elsewhere in the Schengen zone, even though there aren't any immigration checks. Accordingly, I figured that getting a quick trip in before I lose my passport is probably not a bad idea, in the long run.

Like the last time I visited, Switzerland is very pretty. And the number of Swiss flags in the streets and wherever you go is pretty impressive, particularly since German flags are not very common where I've lived in Germany. Only drawback to the trip, though, is that everything is expensive... and even moreso now with the much stronger Swiss Franc. As a comparison, when I went to Basel in 2009, it was CHF 1.50 per euro (CHF 1.06 per dollar) and, now, it's CHF 1.07 per euro ($1.30 per Franc). For example, McDonald's meals run about CHF 15 (EUR 13, USD 20), a 1.5 litre bottle of soda is about CHF 2 (EUR 1.90, USD 2.50) at its cheapest... regardless, though, while I'll take my usual travel "precautions" (avoiding restaurants and taxis as much as possible), I'll do my best to avoid letting the rather high prices get to me.

Today was mostly reserved for getting here and lots of wandering around (yes, lots of pictures). Tomorrow will probably feature more wandering, a trip to the Zoo (Zürich Zoo is very renowned) and possibly a few museums, and acquiring souvenirs that people I know might want. Like chocolate. And I'll be out of here on Sunday morning.

So, yeah, that's it from here. Another post might be coming soon-ish. And have a good weekend.

Falling into Place

Everything's all falling into place with the paperwork and such. Which makes me happy.

For one, I'll hopefully have my Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit) on Thursday. All I have to do is go to the Foreigner's Office, pay them € 50 (~$70), and I'll have a pretty sticker in my passport.

The other thing is that some of the paperwork I'll need for my stay in France is coming! In order to work as a language assistant in France, I need a visa, and this visa requires a work contract. The work contract is on its way to me right now, and I'm aiming to apply for my visa in the middle of August. The visa's free of charge, but I have to personally go to Frankfurt to apply for it (they don't accept applications by mail). Accordingly, I'll just turn my consular visit into a day of sightseeing in Frankfurt, a city that I'm not too familiar with save the airport. But, regardless, I'll be working at both a lycée (high school) in the city of Clermont-Ferrand and at a collège (middle school) in a suburb called Gerzat. I presume I'll find out more later, probably after I contact the people in charge of the schools. Also, this means I should probably start looking for housing and accommodation (but not too hard yet, as one of the schools might have arrangements... and I don't yet have my visa).

Also, I figure a few pictures are in order. Clockwise from the bottom, we have scenes of the Speyer Dom, a very large cathedral in Speyer (30 minutes from Ludwigshafen) and the resting place of several German kings of old; a random church along the Rhein; and the Wasserturm in Mannheim, a rather prominent landmark with pretty gardens. (Yes, I like flowers.)

And... that's pretty much it for now. Have a good remainder of your week.

Two weeks in Germany

Yay, Germany! I arrived here about two weeks ago and I've been working for a week, so here's a rather quick update as to the goings-on.

Arrival

So, unlike all of the other times I've headed abroad, getting over here to Germany was quick and painless, no layovers required. It was a direct flight from Charlotte-Douglas into Frankfurt, but, due to thunderstorms threatening the airport, we were 2 hours late leaving Charlotte. Not a problem, though, as I had no layovers to deal with, so I could arrive in Frankfurt whenever I wanted.

Once we landed, I made my way to immigration, expecting to be asked a few questions. When I went through Switzerland two summers ago, I had a rather extended line of questioning... why I was there, where I was going in Germany, how long I was going to be there, what I would do once I was done in Germany, etc... and the officer on arrival in Iceland at least asked how long I intended to be there both times. Not a word this time, though: the officer took my passport, scanned it, typed some information into a computer, stamped it, and gave it back to me without a single word spoken. Seemed rather strange, but, hey, every country's different with that. After that, I went down, grabbed my bag, walked out through customs, and made my way to the nearest shop to purchase an Orange Fanta.

Shortly thereafter, I hopped on a train into Mannheim and, by noon, I had purchased groceries and was settled into my flat. It's a rather cozy place: it has everything I need, there's rather easy access to public transport, and the area is very quiet. Apparently, the story behind this is that my landlord's daughters moved out and he had a spare room available, so that's what I'm renting from him. That's also why all the utilities are included, as is the use of his garden for relaxing. The interesting thing about the garden is that there are a lot of odd plants: grapevines, raspberry bushes, an apple tree, and a few other things I wouldn't expect in a garden. In all, though, I'd say it's rather nice.

Work

A week after arriving, it was time to get to work. I'm at BASF through the end of September, and it's been a rather interesting time so far. The first day consisted of all the formalities required with employment, and they're not entirely over yet: in just over a week, I'll need to go to the Ausländerbehörde to officially apply for my residence permit. Since what I'm doing isn't legally work, I'm fine for now, but I'll be here in Germany for more than 90 days, so I need that extra permit.

So far, though, at work, I have learned/confirmed the following things:

1.) Microcalorimetry, which is what I'm doing, is very twitchy and takes a long time to run an experiment. Since the measurements are being taken on very small samples (microlitres), one has to run experiments for long amounts of time to ensure that the measured heat comes from the sample being studied rather than the machine or any physical disturbances.

2.) Germans, in general, take mealtimes seriously. Lunch is about an hour, and there is at least one coffee break during the day.

3.) Germans also take vacation-time seriously. They will use all the vacation time allocated to them.

4.) Germans are very friendly.

Life in General

It's true, Germany is an expensive place to live in, and it's not just for tourists. It takes a bit of getting used to with the cost of living and how much things cost, but there are definitely ways to make sure that one's getting their money's worth.

1.) Food: Fresh vegetables, fruits, and pasta (even tortellini) are not particularly expensive, unless they're the more exotic kinds or are imported from outside the EU. Meat, however, can be rather costly, especially fresh meats. Bread is rarely expensive, and bakeries can be found almost everywhere (bread is a ubiquitous part of the German diet). Prices are slightly higher than in the US, but, if you time it right, specials can make things much more affordable.

2.) Drinks: A stereotype of Germans is that they like beer. This is very obvious: beer is plentiful, widely available, and cheap. It's not as cheap as water, but some varieties come rather close. Soft drinks, however, are rather costly (going price is about €1.25-€1.65 for a 1.5 litre-bottle of Fanta, not counting deposit). And the drinks are smaller at restaurants: a large drink at a German McDonald's, for example, is 0.5 litres (16.9 ounces), while a standard drink at a US McDonald's is 22 ounces (650 ml). It does take a bit to get used to.

Wine and spirits aren't expensive (as compared to the UK), but they aren't as cheap as beer.

3.) Tobacco Vending Machines: They're plentiful. Germans, however, normally sell cigarettes in packs of 19 for about €5 a pack (about the same price as in Wisconsin, thereabouts). And a lot of people smoke here.

There are cigarette vending machines. However, they're normally locked, and you have to scan an ID card or driver's license to unlock them. (The smoking age here is 18, so the ID cards will unlock the machine because they have encoded the person's age.) Also usable are certain types of prepaid cards with chips that have age information encoded: those can also unlock the machines.

4.) Transportation: Germans seem to have attachments to their cars, but driving is expensive (€1.55 per litre for gasoline, or around US$8.45 a gallon). To compensate, though, a lot of Germans ride bicycles or use public transportation, and the latter is especially noticeable in cities. However, it's not cheap (€5-ish for a day ticket in Mannheim/Ludwigshafen), but it's definitely cheaper than driving if you're by yourself. For long distances, the trains are excellent (but also not cheap!), particularly the ICE trains.

And that's about all from here. I hope to post a bit more regularly, especially with my trip to France coming up soon...

Paperwork Hell

With about 10 days left before my departure, one of the things I've been working on taking care of, other than the various things that I want to do on this end, is getting some of the paperwork ready for the stay(s) abroad. Unsurprisingly, it seems both the German and French governments love inordinate amounts of paperwork. At least in Germany, though, the paperwork doesn't seem to prevent things from being accomplished with the usual level of German efficiency.

Most of the stuff that needs to be taken care of in Germany has to be done in that first week before I begin work. And it's not a small amount of stuff, either:

1.) Resident registration: That has to be practically the first thing before I can take care of anything else, and that's because most places require a document called a Meldebestätigung, a document certifying that I completed registration formalities. To do this, I have to find an Einwohnermeldeamt, an office where I can complete this registration.

2.) Residence permit: Since I decided that staying in Germany for about 4 months was what I wanted, I have to get a residence permit, or Aufenthaltstitel. Legally, since what I'm doing isn't classified as work, I have to have it within 90 days of entry. Functionally, however, I have to have it before I can even begin work because my internship is longer than 90 days! Hence, that has to be gotten before my first day on the 16th.

3.) Bank Account. This probably requires the former two to be accomplished so I can receive the stipends from all relevant sources.

Oh, and I also need to start preparing for going to France. Whee! But the reward once all of the paperwork has been taken care of will make it all worth it, I'd imagine.

And maybe getting my driver's license is somewhere in there.

And, with that, enjoy the rest of your weekends.

Zdraveyte

And welcome, one and all, to this, a blog about my misadventures in travelling. Especially to Europe, where I will be in less than a month. Whee!

Europe is one of the many places that I've been familiar with, being a child of a soldier in the US Army. I lived in Germany for 6 years as a result of him being stationed there and in a little town called Ansbach. I got to return to Germany, but this time to Leipzig (a much larger city) almost two years ago on a chemistry internship, and that was a blast. I also went to Swansea in the UK for a semester of study, and that, especially the month of travelling over spring break, was a blast.

Right now, I'm finishing up here at my university, Ripon College, and will be graduating tomorrow. It's not fun having to pack everything up and say goodbye to a place that I've grown to know and somewhat like over the past three years. But, of course, there are bigger and better adventures that await, and the first one is to Ludwigshafen, Germany, as an intern for BASF SE. Afterwards, if all goes as planned with the visa, it'll be off to France to teach English for about 7 months. Then grad school, wherever that may be.

More will probably be posted as it gets closer to the departure date, so stay tuned!