I almost ran over the Greek alphabet

The other day I needed to print some of my reading material for the week and decided to zip over to the main campus. The moment several Greek letters stepped out onto the path in front of me I probably should have realized that something was going on.
I recieved a definite second clue when I came up to the Student Activities center. The plaza in front of it was fuller than I had ever seen it - and there were even more (different) Greek letters running around. That, and on a small stage three people were standing yelling out various combinations of Greek letters (had I not known better at this point I probably would have assumed they were going through physical equations!) to which from somewhere on the quad several people would start yelling at the top of their voices...
Suddenly, it made sense why Fraternities and Sororities are called the Greek system :-D

Yaaay...

Apparently, Friday was Freshman move-in day. Of course, I didn't know - which is why I was surprised to find a) a LOT of cars lines up and down all the roads around the dorm areas and b) -
well, b) pretty much fullfilled any American stereotype that had remained standing up until that point.
b) there were cheerleaders on the curbs cheering the incoming cars.
Yaaaaaay.
But they had quit by the time I was cycling back on campus. Probably because it had started raining and continued doing so for most of the weekend.
So, how was my weekend? Well, mostly wet.
The sun did come out on Sunday afternoon. Which is why I went out - and went on a bike ride which seemed to cover most of the island, but in reality I just discovered a bunch of roads that end. Somewhere.
Aaaaaaaanyway, on special request from my Dad, here's pictures of my new "wheels".

Pretty cool, huh?

Things I've learned so far... regarding traffic

10. I find it extremely difficult to figure out when a sidewalk is a sidewalk and when it is acutally ment to be a sideride. I also find it almost impossible to determine when a bike path is a bike path, when it's a kind of parking lane and when it's just a generously drawn sideline.
11. My internal navigation system has kicked it. Yes, this is a good thing. Unfortunately, it doesn't ake into account that while sometimes a highway is the only way to get somewhere they shouldn't be used by bikes (don't worry, dear parental units. I didn't try to go anywhere on the highway!). Also, I think I may have accidently rollerbladed onto the roof of the student union. Should that be a bad thing, they really shouldn't have made it accessible by rollerblades.
12. I always thought the traffic light system in Konstanz was the worst I had ever encountered. I was wrong. I appologize. The worst/oddest system of traffic light cycles is definitely on Long Island. There a lights for people on foot, but they will only go on if you push the button (and then they might not even if you do push the button, but they definitely won't work if you just stand there). I think there should be rules on how close these buttons have to be to the actual crosswalk, how visible they are (e.g. hidden in a tree is not okay), etc.
13. Signs. There seems to be signs for everything. And they are very specific. Some of them look like somebody just decided to put on a sign one day, so he went out to buy some paint and a piece of metal. I came up to a junction and read the following signs: "Right lane must turn right", "Left lane must turn left", "No turn on red light". Now what about the people in the middle lane? Do they get to do whatever they please? And then there was this one - what does that even mean?!

Things I've learned so far...

1. People used to ask my parents why their children sound like they're from New York. I don't. I really, really don't.
2. When I was about 14 I was told not to worry that people said I dressed - differently. Supposedly I already at that age I dressed like a college kid: shorty, t-shirts, hoodies. So, not to worry, by the time I would make it to college, everyone would have caught up with me. By the time I made it to college, students in Germany still don't dress that way. And while my T-Shirts have become a bit more "cut" and my shorts a bit shorter - it seems as if anything more than halfway down your thighs is still quite long. And maybe I should start wearing flip-flops as well. Then finally I'll fit in.
3. Americans should do what pretty much every other country does: Each type of bill should have a different color. It makes life SO MUCH MORE SIMPLE. Really. Trust me.
4. For all the "let's go green" - there are some fatal flaws in the whole concept. For example: "Ride your bike, it's greener, it's healthier, it will make you fitter" is a good idea. And yet there are some small details which haven't been observed that would make it more easy, e.g. bike racks in front of shops.
More to follow...

I travel with a helmet

I am almost packed. There are still a few things that need to be packed - or not packed. Depending on how much space I have. For example my helmet.
Last year I flew to Scotland together with my bike and had my helmet attached to my carry-on. A little boy saw this and tugged his Daddy's coat sleeve: "Daddy, why does she have a helmet?".
And I said: "Ah yes, it's these cheap airlines. You never know what's going to happen. And they make you pay extra for everything - now you even have to bring your own life jacket!".
And the little boy said: "Daddy, did we bring our life jackets?!"