Top 10 ways to know you're back in Germany...

10. The guy in the airplane gets all upset because the stewardess served him dinner.
Yeah, apparently he told the "pasta-serving stewardess" he didn't want anything, and when the "chicken-serving stewardess came through giving everyone with an empty tray chicken she naturally put one on his empty tray. When she asked if everyone now had everything they wanted they needed he got quite vocal and the poor stewardess was quite confused.
9. The aerial view shows a patchwork of fields, rolling hills and NO BASEBALL FIELDS
We play soccer here. If your village has more than 11 guys... there is a soccer club and a soccer field.
8. People speak German.
I realize this doesn't come as that much of a surprise, but the fun part is, people speak a wide variety of dialects. I missed my German dialects.
7. We have colorful money.
Diligent readers of my blog have heard this before, but having every bill be a different color makes life SO MUCH EASIER. It really does. U.S. Money Designers - are you reading this?
6.  Castles
We all get one. Even Schriesheim,...
5. Doener
Macht schoener. Ehrlich.
4. Cobblestone pedestrian zones,... small alleyways,... old buildings,...
We call it history.
3. Chocolate
Need I say more?
2. It's totally normal and okay to go places on your bike. There are places to park your bike EVERYWHERE
Dear Long Island: Bikes are a good thing.
1. My family is here.
They're kinda awesome.

I bake and deliver – on wheels!

The other day in a tragic incident my bike’s back wheel went completely flat. Back wheels are always a wee bit tricky and unfortunately I don’t have the appropriate tools at the moment either. So I walked my bike to the bike shop and then ventured on to take care of various errands and classes and lab and stuff.

Those of you who have known me for a long time probably remember my apprehension of walking places. It’s gotten much better of the past years and I love long walks – when I’m on a walk. Not when I’m trying to get places.

So I replaced my two wheels with eight wheels. Clever me had brought my rollerblades to town, i.e. to campus (I have my moments of clarity and brilliance). I kinda like rolling around campus. Especially in the buildings. Last semester the students from the lecture I TA-ed were very impressed by my skills. In this country there is signs for everything – ok actually it’s against everything. So I figure as long as there is no sign “Don’t rollerblade in here” it’s okay.

One of the rugby girls had a birthday that day (the big 2-1) and as I wasn’t going to be able to join in the festivities, my inner friendly person deemed it necessary to bake (this is when I invented the Neckarwelle – for those of you who are German and know what a Donauwelle is, this is the new and improved version, a banana-chocolate marble cake with custard and a chocolate layer, yummy-yum-yum) an amazing birthday cake.  I then figured out where she would be between classes so I could drop it by.

Turns out I had a bit of time between researching in the library (I’m mentioning this in particular, to solidify my reputations as a student/scientist) and delivering my cake, so I decided to roll my way to the banks, which is in the bottom of the SAC (the student activity center). Turns out the three bank-ladies were having a very sloooooooooooow day and me rolling in there was the highlight of their day. I also found out that even people who don’t actually “know” me, know me as the “person with the bike”.

As rolled up to the counter they laughed, and asked what had happened to my bike (yes, apparently I show up to their frequently enough that they know who I am), rolling around buildings (they have linoleum floors, so it’s like being on a roller-skate rink) makes me happy so I channeled my inner chatty person and actually made small-talk with them (like I said, I provided that mornings entertainment), among other things we had a quick chat about hair styles and “going short” for the summer (yes, apparently I show up frequently enough that one of them noticed my hair was getting fairly long).

As I signed the last pieced of paper and tucked it in my backpack, the bank-lady said, don’t forget your lasagna (my cake was in a glass dish) or what that is, and I replied, oh it’s my cake. A friend of mine has a birthday and I not only bake – I deliver!  She laughed and said, yeah – you even deliver on wheels!

Dear Stony Brook University... I mean really, what were you thinking?

Dear Stony Brook University,

I really appreciate the fact that you are continuously working towards a bigger, better, brighter, more beautiful campus. But let me tell you something my mother taught me a long time ago.
One project at a time. Finish one, then start another.
This applies to so many things: Finish your burger before you get another one. Or you will end up with with a bunch of half-eaten burgers. Do not open another can of Soda until you finish the first one or you will end up with a bunch of half empty cans. Do not start building the dog house until you finished the bird house.
The same thing applies to building dorms, and renovating bits and pieces of various buildings and re-working bits and pieces of walking paths. You do realize that whenever you block off a path nobody can get through until you have finished? You do realize that the reason your workmen are honking at cyclists on the streets is because we can no longer get through the bike paths? Did you consider that your campaigns for your students to go green and ride bikes are not going to be very successful if people can't get through to anywhere? You are aware of the fact that it is very difficult to cycle up and down stairs?
So dear Stony Brook, please, block on pathway do your work and finish it before starting another five ... I spent 20 minutes on a 5 minute bike ride across campus yesterday.

sincerely,
Shannon

sometimes people wonder...

There are 10 types of people in the world: Those that know the binary system and those that do not.
sorry... just had to get that one out there.
There are two types of people in this world - those that firmly believe that I am a very coordinated, fast moving person blessed with fast reaction times. Those are mostly people I play rugby with and/or have witnessed me do something like catch a fly in my fist in thin air (yes, I pulled this off before Obama did) or flip pancakes using just a pan
And then there's those who wonder how I have even made it this far considering what a clutzy person I am... they are positive that I'm not only left-handed, but must have two left hands!
Oh, and then I do things like go to sit out on our amazing terrace (suuuuuuuuunshine, finally!) to study and off-handedly mention to my room mate, that I have issues with screen doors because we don't really have them in Germany and I always need time to re-adjust when I come to the States.
Five minutes later I attempted to go inside to get a cup of tea.
Yes, you guessed it, mid conversation: "Do you need me to get you a -" smack, right into the screen door, no slowing down, no turning away, and an explosion of laughter behind me.
My room mate instantly updated her facebook status to: "My room mate just walked into a screen door - highlight of my day".
At least I still manage to keep everyone entertained!
Especially when I come home on warm evenings after dark and take the back way up the terrace steps and then do the mime-style hand patting to make sure there actually is an opening for me to get into the living room.

Top 5 ways to know it's spring...

5. We haven't had a snow day in a month. I didn't know what a snow day was until I got an email that all classes were canceled due to the weather, twice. Within minutes I realized everyone was displaying end of the world behavior. The 7/11 had a continuous flow of people coming out carrying the essential (beer and frozen pizza), half of my room mates showed up that evening carrying a six-pack or two and I got several "pary at..."-text messages.
4. Flower buds and leaves are experiencing a comeback. The one thing they are definitely not lacking is rain. I learned some important things about the (non existent) irrigation system on long island. On several days I felt like I was living a triathlon. Walking, biking and swimming through puddles and streets turned to rivers.
3. Rugby games are no longer in the snow, they're in the mud (we did have some in the sun as well).
2. Finally SUNSHINE!!!

1. I received two emails announcing engagements as well as 3 wedding invitations-emails on one day!

And so then we ... SQUIRREL

For the past weeks on my way to school I have noticed more and more squirrels scurrying down trees and venturing into the street... I also noticed that they don't seem to give me the same respect they show cars, I usually have to break and then they will slowly wander across the road as opposed to fleeing and shaking with terror.

I also noticed there are quite a few squirrels that live in the trees in our front and back yard. Yesterday I was skyping with my family, and bringing them up to date on how exciting my spring break is, when I suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, laughing.

The fat, fat squirrel (we're talking REALLY fat) that lives in the tree outside my window hat attempted to jump out of the tree. I'll give him credit, he didn't fall, he intentionally gave himself over to gravity - but apparently made a miscalculation.

Instead of landing on the ground and scampering off, he landed in the middle of the lake-like puddle that had formed around our mailbox due  to torrential downpours in the last few weeks.

I couldn't actually see his face but I do imagine an expression of utter surprise, fear, panic and embarrassment accompanying arm flailing and swim-like efforts. I did feel bad, but it looked like something out of a chip and chap-movie and so I laughed.

What can I say? Sometimes it's good to know other people (squirrels) do stupid things for no reason, too!

Hibernation...

Is slowly coming to an end. The sun is popping out more frequently. The temperatures are warming up. School is slowing down (for a few days at least I hope)... To those faithful people who try to follow my blog even when my blog is not "happening":
I shall return soon!