Learning to boil water and other life lessons.

Okay, so actually, I did know how to boil water prior to moving into my own "apartment" which includes a mini fridge, a stove top, a sink and a bathroom that rocks my socks off. I am going to find the plan for this place and build a trailer in it's likeness. However, here is a list of things I've learned thus far in Germany.
1. There is no shame in asking directions a few times as you make your way toward your destination, there is however, shame in searching for your destination for two hours before you ask directions.
2. Do not make eye contact on public transportation. It is everybody's goal to avoid all possible eye contact whenever possible.
3. Keep your room tidy. Everybody that knows me knows I have a problem with this one in particular, but when your internet goes down a few times and you get a slew of people through your room, it's best to keep your dirty laundry in the closet.
4. Not everybody speaks English, and those who do will force it on you.
5. Making friends is as easy as sharing an umbrella or noticing someone playing with a Sim made in their own likeness.
6. Teachers love me, no matter which country I'm in.
7. Although I have gone much longer without seeing my family, friends and of course, my lovely, it's a lot easier to miss them knowing they are 4,000 miles and 10 months away.
8. There's no such thing as making Chili, or any other actual food for one without having to choke down your awful concoction for days or just throw it out all together.
9. The German Post office is genuinely concerned for our safety and as a result will remove any dangerous money or gifts that you would otherwise receive. . .
10. People will write off my being weird to being American, where as the "other" American thinks I'm weird as well. . .

Okay, so that concludes my lessons for these past few weeks. I have had trouble finding Germans, because we are all grouped as foreign students, but I find that I rather like all the people I'm meeting. Although it's rainy here and our school looks like an industrial factory, I can't regret my choice being as all the people I've met are pretty great. I searched today for someone to go to the supermarket with me for quite a while before I found a pair. Of course I started with my building, working my way from the top down. My friend, O, of course is always busy with his "learning" but is pretty patient with me, which is good, because I get to be a little annoying at times. Then, I checked my mail with my market bag in hand, with ever intention of leaving immediately for Netto, but I ended up with three pieces of mail today!! And guess what, only one was from the university. I got one from Ma and one from my lovely. The one from mom took almost two weeks to get here, and the one from my lovely got here in just six days. . . Hmm, I wonder where this letter went off to for that extra 7 days? I was excited to get mail, so I decided to try again with the grocery store. I went and knocked on my down-down stairs buddy (lives directly below me in 007. . . Oooh). B was washing his dishes and his door was open, so I walked right in. We figured out that we had both gotten our Semester tickets to go anywhere in the state, which, call me daft, I thought we already had. . . He went to the grocery store the day before, so I was at a moot point once again. O had told me that since it was Friday they were open until 20, which really doesn't mean anything in my 12 hour brain, but I figured, since I didn't have my watch and my phone is on a 24 hour clock, I could give myself plenty of time. So B wanted to go to the Uni St. to visit some people. It was nice to see where some of the guys I've met live, because they are always saying "Come over! Fuck, com'on" (it's pretty cool for people learning English to use the f-bomb.) But where do I come to if I don't know where to go! They always told me the building number, but there are multiple apartments! But anyway, I finally saw where my Spaniard buddy J lives, even though he wasn't there, nobody was, and where AJ lives. I hung out there for a while, because I've been meaning to spend more time with these guys, I don't even remember how I became so attached to them, but every time I see them, I just have to say something. So AJ comes from Lithuania which seems pretty interesting. Maybe I'll have to go visit him for a few days while I'm on break, because what other chance would I have to visit? He was working on his German homework, on a Friday afternoon, with intentions of having a guilt-free good time tonight with his friends. I, however distracted him. We talked a lot about Lithuania and how we both think the other has horrible taste in music ("Drums and Bass, Drums and Bass!" he always says). We also talked about how he hates American movies, except for a select few. I'm in for entertainment purposes on all aspects of art. I don't need something to move me deeply for me to enjoy it. I like funny movies that are there just for my entertainment as well as books and I like poppy music that can get me movin'. We're different people, apparently, but that's okay, maybe that's why we spent a few hours just getting to know it. It's nice because I don't think we're so irritated with our differences as interested. So, the time was winding down and I was about to leave for the grocery store, when we decided to "google maps" our home towns and university towns. He showed me a picture of a broken down old house and said it was the city center, and he got a kick out of the fact that we have such straight and square streets. Finally, I made my way upstairs to the apartment of a few of the girls I know from the program to ask if they'd like to go to the grocery store with me, which of course, they said yes, which was nice so I didn't have to go alone! So, on our merry way went KK (from Ireland), AS (from France) and I to the Netto supermarkt, of course, being lazy this time, and taking the tram both ways. I bought eggs for the first time, and shame on me, some ramen noodle type food. Yes, I'm in Germany, but sometimes, I don't know which kinds of German foods to buy! I don't feel so terrible about my Pepsi and Ramen noodles because AS pointed out that she was buying frozen pizzas. The girls convinced me I ought to go tomorrow to Hamlen even though I forgot to sign up, but maybe there's a way I can get in on it, and if I'm turned away, I will go back to bothering O upstairs.