Let me start at the beginning. I woke up on time to go to school which just happened to be my circuits class. The actual lecture was rather easy and mostly covered things that have to do with basic graphing translations. The only downside was when we went over sinusoids and what were supposed to do with those types of equations, but that didn't take too long. Because of this rather easy lecture, I was able to upload the pictures from the postwar modern history of Germany photos from yesterday. In addition, I also started my scholarship essays and actually got a large portion of it done before my next class: history of medicine.
Instead of an actual lecture on HoM, our teacher brought in a professional art teacher to help us visualize the mechanisms if the leg and have us start thinking about what a knee prosthetic would have to do in order for it to still act like a human knee. We ARE very efficient in design you know, and replacing something to work like the original is never as easy as it seems. We went through a bit of introspection on how we as people tick and what we could bring to a group that would enhance the overall product. In the end we all separated into groups of 3 and were told that we would need to come up with a preliminary idea for the Otto Bock project in a months time and we would decide later which design was the best.
After that but of fun activity, it was time for physiology which is always super fun. After that was a mad scramble to get my essays done on time and turned in before feb 1 rolled around. During that time, the 6 people left in the AIB building at that time went out to go buy lunch...or really more like chocolate. After our chocolate fix, the 5 of us headed back to AIB to finish up homework and essays. During that time period, we finalized who was going to Amsterdam next weekend (as this weekend was Melissa's birthday) ad what hostels we could get into for a reasonably cheap price. It wasn't easy. After hours of comparing prices, I went back to my host home for dinner and to spend time with my host family.
Dinner was awesome! Annette made these little BBQ chicken wings and had jalepeños stuffed with cheese and breaded for dinner. It reminded me so much of the food I would get from home (chicken wings and jalepeño poppers) and I was super happy to have had them. And then Annette wondered if I didn't like them. When I told her about the similarities and described the poppers, she looked wistful. Unfortunately Sophie and Marie don't like spicy things, so I probably won't be making that dish anytime soon.
Soon after dinner I went back out to meet up with a bunch of friends to go to a karaoke bar. Unfortunately the bar was closed off for a private party, so we couldn't go in and have the fun we thought we would. However, we found some more American students outside that bar and we combined our two groups so we could all go out together. It turned out to be a really fun night full of laughs, funny situations, and one memorable moment where I was hit on by a guy that was 7-10 years older than me. He found out that I was from Texas, and said "that would make it hard to go back if you found a guy here right?" Needless to say that that conversation got really awkward really fast and we got out of there in the early morning.
After a little bit, we found our way to the night bus station and we waited for the bus to come together as we had just missed the 2:30 bus and had to wait for another hour for the next bus to come at 3:30. My bus came, and then left without letting anyone on it. We were all so confused: why? What's going on? Would the next bus come? Eventually most of the people cleared out, leaving behind some of us who were waiting for the next bus. Somehow I found out that the girl sitting next to me on the bench was an exchange student from Wales and we started talking. During that time, I don't know what happened, but it sounds like something straight out of a movie. A guy came up that was not the most clearheaded person and started talking to us and everyone around us. a few minutes into that conversation, some people from Libya were asking about the night bus and, seeing my night bus schedule out, asked if they could look at it. We all just continued to talk and it turns out that they were study abroad students as well, one going for their master's in electrical engineering, one shadowing people at a hospital, and one studying something like literature. They liked us so much that both Ellie (the girl next to me) and I were told that we were like their little sisters...
Soon after that the bus came. Or was supposed to come. Instead a fleet of taxis came up and we were told that we would need to take some to get back home. Ellie and I didn't want to, so we ended up going to the nearby McDonald's to get some warm food and drink in us and to wait for an hour for our trams to arrive. By this point, I had been outside for 1.5 hours and was literally shaking from the cold. We sat in that McDonald's and just talked to each other about the differences between our two countries and stuff like that. Eventually, it was time for the train and we separated to go home, promising to contact each other on Facebook. When I got home, it was 6:15 and I headed up for bead, ready to sleep for as long as possible. Although this night was fun, I don't think I want another adventure quite so soon, and even though I met some cool people, the whole experience was a little harrowing and unfamiliar because I've never encountered something like this before. Anyway, I'm home safe now, and ready to sleep.
After a little bit, we found our way to the night bus station and we waited for the bus to come together as we had just missed the 2:30 bus and had to wait for another hour for the next bus to come at 3:30. My bus came, and then left without letting anyone on it. We were all so confused: why? What's going on? Would the next bus come? Eventually most of the people cleared out, leaving behind some of us who were waiting for the next bus. Somehow I found out that the girl sitting next to me on the bench was an exchange student from Wales and we started talking. During that time, I don't know what happened, but it sounds like something straight out of a movie. A guy came up that was not the most clearheaded person and started talking to us and everyone around us. a few minutes into that conversation, some people from Libya were asking about the night bus and, seeing my night bus schedule out, asked if they could look at it. We all just continued to talk and it turns out that they were study abroad students as well, one going for their master's in electrical engineering, one shadowing people at a hospital, and one studying something like literature. They liked us so much that both Ellie (the girl next to me) and I were told that we were like their little sisters...
Soon after that the bus came. Or was supposed to come. Instead a fleet of taxis came up and we were told that we would need to take some to get back home. Ellie and I didn't want to, so we ended up going to the nearby McDonald's to get some warm food and drink in us and to wait for an hour for our trams to arrive. By this point, I had been outside for 1.5 hours and was literally shaking from the cold. We sat in that McDonald's and just talked to each other about the differences between our two countries and stuff like that. Eventually, it was time for the train and we separated to go home, promising to contact each other on Facebook. When I got home, it was 6:15 and I headed up for bead, ready to sleep for as long as possible. Although this night was fun, I don't think I want another adventure quite so soon, and even though I met some cool people, the whole experience was a little harrowing and unfamiliar because I've never encountered something like this before. Anyway, I'm home safe now, and ready to sleep.
Gute nacht/guten morgen
Erin Z
Written after the above events the early morning of the 1st of February on my phone
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