Today started out normally with us getting on the train to Karlsruhe. Amy and I have a joint ticket to ride the trains and she was carrying it around in her hand. We didn't have any problems until we got onto the train in Karlsruhe to go to Mannheim. Amy realized that she no longer had the ticket in her hand. We searched through all of our bags and pockets and even looked around on the ground, but to our despair, no ticket could be found. We went to research as per usual and called Dr. Braun to see what we would have to do. The ticket that we had lasted for the entire month and would get us anywhere in Germany, but it cost 400 Euros. Amy was so upset about it and she spent most of the tram ride back to the station worrying about the cost and how she always misplaces stuff.
We got off at the station and bought some fruit and train tickets to get us back to Pforzheim. We asked all of service counters in both Mannheim and Karlsruhe if they had obtained our ticket and we searched the platforms for it. When we were searching for a payphone to call Dr. Braun with (my phone ran out of money and the other girls didn't have theirs with them), Amy set down her laptop case. She left it there and out of luck she passed by one of the attendants who had picked it up. She almost lost both the ticket and her laptop. It was not a good day for Amy and with no luck with finding the ticket, we headed back home. When we got off at the Karlsruhe train station, there were train attendants standing around a garbage bin with water and it turned out that there was smoke coming out if. My guess was that someone carelessly through a cigarette into the paper compartment of the trash. It was a crazy day and I ended up spending $30 on a train ticket just today. Dr. Braun purchased tickets for Amy and I for this coming week so we should be good until we are supposed to go to Leipzig.
I forgot to mention that yesterday, there was a man on the train who could only speak French and he needed help to find out where to get off. A woman who only spoke German asked Krista if she could help the man. The woman talked to Krista in German, Krista translated to English for Amy, and Amy spoke French to the man. It was interesting to watch this "language train" and I sort of wish there had been some need for me to speak to Spanish, but seeing as I have taken a year off from Spanish, it probably wouldn't have been pretty.
Digressing, on Saturday, the plan is to go to Heidelberg to shop, sight see, and watch fireworks on top of the castle. I really need to start preparing for my presentation of my research because we have to make one before leaving Germany. I can't believe how fast this has gone and that it's almost over. I'm just now getting used to the routine, my lab, the Braun family, and I'm really enjoying myself here. We've had a lot of adventures here and I hope to have more before we leave. I will be sad to say goodbye to Germany, but I'm also kind of excited to be going home to spend time with my family. It's going to be a bittersweet goodbye, but that is still a ways off so I'm going to enjoy myself here while I can.
It's late here so I should probably hit the hay.
Tchuss,
~Kiersten
That's quite a day you had Girl. Better not let Amy handle your tickets any more. :) I liked the 3 qway conversion you had. Keep having fun. It will be over before you know it but what a memory you'll have forever.
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