Attack of the bridal parties!

The week is drawing to a close. 

Thursday, Ellen and Robert came to hang out with us for the second day. It was the first time I actually saw her this trip. We took them to the Student Karzer (the prison) where students would be thrown into prison for little misdeeds and bad behaviour, like pranks. It has loads of wicked graffiti. Too bad it officially closed in 1914. I should have like to have been thrown in prison once in my life. Especially one that where I could still go to school, and people could bring me meals. We also visited the Old University Museum. It was interesting to learn about the Universität, especially in the thirties, when the Nazis would rally there.

Thursday night, we once again had CLASSABEND! I quite enjoy Classabend for the most part. Except where we are also always forced to speak in German, but we speak quietly and sometimes get away with speaking English. That evening, my class, and G III C took the train to Handschuhheim (Home of the Glove) and we ate and drank in this beautiful little restaurant. 

Our Lehrerin, Barbara, gave up back out brief letters that we had written, practice for the test we would write Friday morning. Mine was not too bad, as all my mistakes were simple ones (although sometimes that is worse!). 

Philip, who is from the Netherlands, attempted to teach us Niederlandisch (or Dutch). I am now successfully able to say "foot stool" in Dutch. (It's "Fuß Bahn-ki-er" - that's the phonetical way Adam and I learned it.)

I also attempted to learn Serbian, and Hebrew, but decided that Italian would be too difficult. Go figure. 

Yesterday was pretty relaxing. I did nothing, for the most part. I went to class, obviously, had lunch and bought a souvenir or two from the Gummi Bear Shop (yes, GUMMI BEAR SHOP). I just spooked around our house for a bit, cleaning up, throwing away some things I don't need anymore, sorting garbage, etc. Around seven thirty, I went over to Megan's with Adam and Chris to watch Taken. 

Let me just say, I don't remember the last time I actually screamed at a computer screen. But I did last night. Liam Neeson could definitely give Jack Bauer a run for his money, and that means a lot coming from me. It did sort of freak me out though, the thought of walking home alone... until Chris told me that Heidelberg has a lower crime rate than St. John's. So I felt okay.

Today, we went to Schwetzingen again (well, it was the first time for a few people). It was ten times better today because Peter was our guide and sometimes spoke to us in German and English. He also stuck to the shade, and it wasn't 30 degrees outside, like last time. Marc(k?) and Sandra joined us at the Mosque, where Marc turned into the Dread Pirate Marc (he lost his hat and therefore used a towel as a makeshift bandana).

In case you had not realized yet at this point, I completely adore this little boy. I will miss him greatly when we leave. He has stolen all our hearts.

Before the castle, we went for brunch. Apparently the Germans don't have a word for brunch, so I have been calling it frühmittagsessen (early lunch). I didn't really have anything - the combinations of food did not look so appealing to me, as I can't eat egg and egg seemed to be a big part of anything I could read and might have found appealing. Also, reading a menu in German is hard when you are kind of hungry. 

We also got to visit the castle, which is very very nice. I love old houses and castles. They really do it for me. Some people want to see theme parks, I want castles and old houses. Although, the little girl who was screaming, and running around and scratching the floorboards... definitely could have done without.

I think Peter may have said "We are pointing" and therefore Karen and I followed his lead with the pointing. Adam and Curtis did not join in on our fun.

We stopped for ice cream, and I passed the store that thought I was stealing last time. This time I picked up my purchase, walked straight in and just gave them the money. 

This evening, Adam, Karen, Megan and I went on a walking tour of the old city, and heard a bunch of vampire/ werewolf/ ghost tales. I picked up the brochure at the Student Karzer. I didn't understand much, the man had a very strange dialect (Bavarian, perhaps?) It was pretty fun, and Karen translated some of the tales for us: Girls falling out of windows and becoming vampires, dead wives being hauled out of graves, trolls under the Alte Brücke... you know, standard stuff really. We may or may not have made up some stuff we didn't understand. It is the Canadian way. I thought it was pretty good that we immersed ourselves in the language, even if we didn't make much sense of it (well, I didn't).

Walking home, we ran into approximately 11 different bachelor/ bachelorette (stag/hen) parties on the Hauptstraße. Some of them are quite outrageous. They all seem to dress up, usually with the same t0 shirts, although we passed a bachelor party today and all the men were dressed as police men, and the groom to be was dressed as a prisoner. Sometimes they sing to you, sometimes they harass you, and then sometimes, they give you underwear. I tend to run away when I see any of them - I don't like being a feature player in "Attack of the Brides!"