Crazy Time-Consuming Tuesday

OKAY people! I know I am updating a lot, but that's because every day a lot happens and I do/see a lot of things and I know there are certain people depending on these posts imminently (okay, only Mommy, but that's cool! Hey mom!). and I'd like to post before I forget something.

So today even though it was really cold, I put on my gloves, the same sweater I wore yesterday (it doesn't smell, and I don't want to wash clothes that often!) and went to the Ordnungsamt. I got everything taken care of, I just have to wait 1-2 weeks for the background check, I think thats what it is. But I got the guy's card so I can email or call him, and he said he could also call me when it's ready to get picked up. It only takes about 10 minutes or so to go there by bike, so I could pick it up no problem. My next stop was the bank, but it had moved, so I parked my bike at the mall and walked through the Fussgaengerzone where all the shopping was. I left my floss at Gaby's so I bought some at dm Markt and discovered there is a rather inexpensive internet cafe at a book store. Like 1 hour for 1,50. So if nothing else works, I can at least go there. On my way to the Bahnhof I also spotted a few more internet cafes. It was great to walk around and be able to make mental notes here and there about where things are and what's available, good prices/bad prices, etc. For example, Woolworth really doesn't have that good of prices... some stuff is just downright expensive... so I think I'll avoid going there for stuff. They did have a 10E toaster I considered purchasing, but I'll hold off for now. I thought I'd get the toaster from Gaby, but that didn't work out. At least I know if I want a toaster, I can get one at Woolworth for 10E.

I stopped by a Sparkasse and was told I could NOT send money to the University w/ my Sparkasse Ingolstadt account, but I could do it on the Internet, I just had to print the receipt and it would work. I could also deposit and withdraw money at the ATM, or so I thought... more to come on that...

I reached the Bahnhof eventually and saw that there were tons of people just standing around, and a police wagon was there and people crowded around. The doors at the front were taped and although I had it in my head already what was going on, I asked someone standing there and he confirmed it... a bomb threat had occurred that morning at the Hauptbahnhof. So, alas, no Bahncard 50 for me today. I can wait and do it again some other day, maybe Friday. I don't need it for anything right this moment anyway. I did wait around a while to see if we'd be allowed back in since most of the police had left the scene. I walked to Aldi and just looked around, I like that Aldi a lot, they had like bargain bins in the back and all that. I found an apple-scented liquid air freshener that now sits on my desk, dutifully serving to make my room smell like apples :-) I like it and it was only 99 cents (so like $1.39).

I gave up on the Hauptbahnhof and just decided to go back. On the way I stopped by another Sparkasse and went to the ATM to deposit money. It said "with this card you cannot deposit money" or something like that. So I went to the counter and this really nice lady told me that I can't do anything in Koblenz with the Sparkasse Ingolstadt account card. How Tobi didn't know that is beyond me. She graciously informed me that I could change the account from there to here, but that I'd better go to the Metternich branch, the one closest to where I live. So that became the goal from there on out... I went back to the mall and picked up my bike, and rode it 30 minutes to the Sparkasse in Metternich... I am beginning to HATE those hills. I get off and walk the bike up them sometimes, which is just as hard, but faster, ha ha. I love to sail down the hills though; at first I'd brake a little so I didn't go so fast.

I ended up at the Sparkasse in Metternich and set an appointment for 6pm there; I'd have to ring their doorbell so they'd let me in after hours. Lucky me, they only have after-hours appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I told Julia I'd meet her in front of the library today at 5 to ride into town, but I was soooo exhausted from riding my bike and walking around town for 5 hours straight (I'd been gone since 10:30 and it was now 3:30) I just didn't want to go anywhere. I sent her a text message to reschedule but, I suspected Julia had her phone off, and I ended up being right. I felt better after I ate, anyway... I ate chicken soup with veggies and some rice with some more chicken, lol. It was yummy.

I saddled up the bike again (literally, I put on the seat cushion and take it off when I ride the bike) and rode over to campus. I told her I had the appointment at the bank at 6 and so we just went to the little campus cafe. Julia's boyfriend's name is Sam, and he was there, and he can't speak German just yet, so we spoke English then. I ordered a hot chocolate :-) Julia's English is almost perfect, she has an Australian accent, ha ha... she spent a semester in Australia on exchange, which is how she met Sam. So the whole time we all just chatted about learning languages and the different English dialects and stuff. I'd never met an Australian before! It was a great little meeting, the hot chocolate was great (only 1,20)both of them are really fun people. Sam is moving to Paris to work in two weeks, I think.

Everything worked out perfectly at the bank appointment. The lady was super nice, her name was Gabriela. I got her card, too. She was patient and explained everything just perfectly so I didn't have any problems. Essentially she just closed my Ingolstadt account, cut my bank card, and opened a new account in Koblenz, transferring the 100E from the Ingolstadt account to the new account. I got my new account number, routing number, and all that jazz, deposited 150E a did the bank transfer to the University, and signed up for Online banking, all in the one appointment. I had to sign all matter of forms all over again.So now I have the receipt to take to registration tomorrow. I am meeting Chantal, another assistant, to go register. I'd actually prefer to go alone since I do really know what I need, but I haven't met her yet and would like to.

So by Friday I should have all I need for the online banking, and in two weeks I should have my new bank card for the new account. I don't really need it, anyway.

On the way home from the bank, I crossed the street but forgot to brake and ran into a wall. No injuries resulted from this mishap. Ha ha :-)

Hope you all tuned in to the end, I am unsure of my readership to this masterpiece of a blog I am currently producing, but as long as someone is reading it, I'll keep writing :-) And I read it, so there's my one person!

Caitlin

One Week Down

Hello all,

Its 8:30am Tuesday, so, 2:30am for you all in Florida (Heimgebliebene ;-) ) I am afraid to open my window and check how cold it is, because I wanted to go to the Ordnungsamt on my bike today, but not if it is freezing outside... *checks* yep its cold. This time I am definitely bringing gloves. Yesterday I rode up a couple hills to get some groceries and although my upper body was sweating, my hands were sooo cold.

Monday was a great day, though, I got a lot done that I needed to... got a cushion for my bike seat, as the normal bike seat is just unbearably thin and hard, lol... now its a bit softer at least. I rode my bike all the way into the city and found the Deutsche Bank and the mall (yes it's a mall!) and coincidentally found a bike shop--that was just a secondary goal but as I approached the mall I saw it on the left across the street. I love how stuff is just so close together... Deutsche Bank was just across the street from the mall! Awesome. I needed to find that bank so I could withdraw from my BoA account without fees and then deposit the money into my Sparkasse account, so come April they can withdraw for the rent.

The washers and dryers here require little coins to operate and they are only available from this guy, Amor, in his apartment (weird, I know). So I'd tried three times and on the third try he was actually there. He is CUTE, ha ha... I told him I was new here, an exchange student from Florida and he was just baffled that I could speak the language already (not bragging, he really said that). Each coin costs 1 whole Euro, which is about $1.40 PLUS you have to buy your own detergent... it costs 1 coin to operate each machine, including the dryer. So sometime soon I am going to try and find a Waeschestaender so I can hang my clothes in my room to dry. There's a big empty corner that just happens to be the perfect size for one.

Last night I cooked an official dinner for the first time in my Barbie kitchen! Actually Barbie would probably have a nicer kitchen than I, but this is the compact edition. I cooked italian-seasoned chicken breast in my skillet and some whole wheat penne, mixed it together with some tomato sauce + little garlic powder, and added some low-fat shredded cheese to the top! It was sooo good (except the sauce was too sweet!). It didn't take all that long, either. I used my kitchen shears to cut the chicken; that was a lot quicker than using a knife, lol...

So, today's goals are...

1. Ordnungsamt to file rest of paperwork
2. Sparkasse to wire money to pay the social contribution fee for this semester (98,64E)
3. Hauptbahnhof to buy a Bahncard 50 (50% off the original purchase price of the card for people under 26, and 50% off all train rides on any train any time, for an entire year!)
4. Meet Julia at 5pm in front of the library on campus to bike around town.

So if I accomplish goal number 2 at Sparkasse today, I can accomplish goal #1 for tomorrow: get registered at the Uni. Starting next week there are events each day for exchange students... I'm looking forward to those things.

Well time to stop dawdling and get ready nice and warm to go to the Ordnungsamt...!

Bis naechstes Mal,
Caitlin