It's the middle of summer. My project is doing it's best impersonation of a inanimate object. Did I mention it was summer? So I went in search of cheerier things. Like good books. And froyo. (For the English slang challenged: froyo --> frozen yogurt) One of the two was easy to find. The other, was not.
Guesses? Probably to no surprise, I found books easily. The whole liking reading things, means I would be basically happy with any book I laid a hand on. Which is a bit troublesome, because I end up trying to figure out which book I like the most out of the many good selections possible.
Conveniently the book stores in Germany have set traps for people like me. They have all this comfortable, inviting seating in their bookstores making it "ok" to take rather extensive.. previews.. of the books. Which of course just makes you want to buy them more- cause you'd feel really guilty if you just sat there and read the entire book in the store, right? Well that's how it worked for me. (I escaped, for those worried, without becoming too much of a sucker- though now I am quite a bit more on guard. At least I hope I am.)
Finding froyo was much more difficult. Like any American, I went to the grocery store, since you don't have to pay nearly as much. And the selection is supposedly better. From my brief encounter with the frozen desert section of German grocery stores, I would say this is sadly not the case. I was hard pressed to find ANY sort of ice cream/gelato/sorbet not to mention froyo. All I did find was one tiny pack of popsicles. Which is completely bonkers since people here must eat ice cream sometime.. right? Maybe not. And in the long run, it was probably better that I was unsuccessful. But I have this really bad craving for lemon sorbet right now... Hopefully my new book will be distracting enough to make me forget all about it. :)
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
One Fish, Two Fish...
The Hamburg fish market has come to Stuttgart. It is absolutely nothing like I was expecting it to be.
While it did have the same contents: stands selling fish products (cooked into meals or raw) as well as other vendors (like drinks and ice cream) it was presented in a completely unique way. I'm really glad I took some pictures, since there isn't really anyway to describe this and give it justice. Let's just say, they take their fish really seriously. (but not themselves) And it shows. Dinner tonight was delicious.
While it did have the same contents: stands selling fish products (cooked into meals or raw) as well as other vendors (like drinks and ice cream) it was presented in a completely unique way. I'm really glad I took some pictures, since there isn't really anyway to describe this and give it justice. Let's just say, they take their fish really seriously. (but not themselves) And it shows. Dinner tonight was delicious.
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| Super fancy, fish themed stands lined the square |
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| The goal: Out decorate all your neighbors |
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| I cleverly ordered by pointing at something that looked tasty |
How Fresh is Your Fruit?
I had always thought 'fresh fruit' was sort of standard. I mean, how different could fruit that was just grown really be? I have to say though, I have never before had a package of strawberries start juicing themselves simply by being against the side of my shopping bag.
Although the pink stain does kind of stand out on a blue bag, at least my whole room now smells like strawberries. I don't think that's a bad trade off at all. (They taste really good too, in case you're wondering)
Although the pink stain does kind of stand out on a blue bag, at least my whole room now smells like strawberries. I don't think that's a bad trade off at all. (They taste really good too, in case you're wondering)
Appreciating Life
Not all water is created equal. For example, water in London was really, really terrible. I actually think I may have ended up thirstier after drinking their tap water. A rather impressive feat. Needless to say, I was relieved to be back in Germany where the tap water was actually drinkable.
My body also seemed to finally let go, as I sat down to write some posts and woke up 6 hours later. I guess I was maaaaybe a little tired.
My body also seemed to finally let go, as I sat down to write some posts and woke up 6 hours later. I guess I was maaaaybe a little tired.
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| I definitely was appreciating my early morning flight |
I've Just Seen a Face, I Can't Forget the Time or Place...
As the not having luggage problem was reaching beyond the point of mild annoyance, we redoubled our efforts to find the wayward baggage by going alllll the way back out to the airport. Turns out, they did have our bags. On the other side of customs. Which meant going back through security. Whopee. (Luckily, we did find the bags amidst the sea of other 'lost' luggage)
With baggage safely secured, we resumed our more normal touristy activities. Today being a little colder, we decided we were up for the outdoors. After taking a brief walk through Harrods, (I mean, who wouldn't?) we wound our way through Hyde park toward Buckingham Palace. The guards do really stomp around quite impressively. They also scratch their noses. We were convinced it was a form of secret code. What they could be discussing though, eluded us.
After taking in the royal presence, we went to St. Paul's Cathedral to feel divine presence. (It is Sunday) We may have also been going to an organ concert. And that cathedral had wonderful acoustics. The organ sounded... I don't even know. I normally will just sit and listen to organ music regardless of location, but I almost felt transported to somewhere else as I sat under the dome for the concert.
Since we were "in the area" we poked our heads over towards the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. (There is some bridge in London somewhere, super specific- I know, that used to put heads of criminals and enemies on spikes to warn off people. But I totally don't remember where anymore. I had thought it was Tower Bridge, but that bridge wasn't built til like the 1840s) We timed our visit perfectly since we even got to see the bridge open!
As a final goodbye to London, we went up in the London eye just as the sun began to set. It was beautiful watching the sky grow purple and see all the lights turn on. Especially the lights for Big Ben.
With baggage safely secured, we resumed our more normal touristy activities. Today being a little colder, we decided we were up for the outdoors. After taking a brief walk through Harrods, (I mean, who wouldn't?) we wound our way through Hyde park toward Buckingham Palace. The guards do really stomp around quite impressively. They also scratch their noses. We were convinced it was a form of secret code. What they could be discussing though, eluded us.
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| These are GIANT meringues |
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| There were a lot of flowers in Hyde Park |
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| The clock tower is really impressive |
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| This cathedral is so large it doesn't fit in my picture |
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| The moat doesn't seem to be kept up as a useful defense anymore |
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| It looks heavy. I'm glad they no longer have to hand crank it |
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| The giant bicycle wheel.. er Behold! The London Eye! |
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| I particularly like seeing Big Ben at night |
To Find Luggage or Not To Find Luggage
I'm in London! Which is really exciting, since I've wanted to visit London since... forever. It's totally cliche, and overdone everywhere in literature and TV/Movies, but I don't care at all. I actually can't really explain it either. Strange.
As a nice welcome to London, the flight was delayed by 2 hours. Now I know it's not really the airport's fault that a plane had to catch on fire (no one was on board, luckily) but it is really, really inconvenient when you're trying not to miss your midnight tickets to A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe.
It's even more annoying when you go to pick up your luggage and after waiting for an hour or so, they finally tell everyone waiting around that the baggage return system has shut down, and will not be resuming. Basically, a whole bunch of people aren't going to get their stuff til.. well no one really knows when.
Momentarily putting aside the baggage woes, we went off to see what we could of the play. (I mean, what else were you going to do.. and it's Shakespeare. So really, a no-brainer) Thanks to a really awesome cabby, we got from the airport to the theatre in record time, just making it in before intermission. The performance and atmosphere were absolutely amazing, so if you ever have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it.
When we woke up in the morning (taking a bit of a late start after the midnight showing of the play) the bags were.. still no where to be found. On top of that everyone was doing the same thing and crashing their systems (both web and phone) so we just gave up and went out to see the city.
Our initial plans to walk around outside were overwritten when we discovered that we were in the middle of a heat wave. Improvising a little, we ended up at the British Museum, notable for it's crazy foyer architecture and housing the Rosetta Stone. I had never really gotten what was so great about some stone, but looking at the 3 different languages carved into it basically right next to each other, I came to a bit of an understanding of how useful it would be to help decipher something that honestly didn't even resemble any known written language.
Walking back from the museum, we passed through Covent Garden, a place that used to be the center of flower selling, but is now both a shopping mall and open market. Continuing our meandering walking tour, we wound our way down toward the Thames and walked along the river front enjoying live music from a swing dance group.
To top off our enjoyable evening out, we went to our second theatrical performance: (quite a bit different from the first) Spamalot. It's a musical. It's based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's got SPAM. It's got improv funny enough to crack up the actors. I'm not sure anything else really needs to be said.
As a nice welcome to London, the flight was delayed by 2 hours. Now I know it's not really the airport's fault that a plane had to catch on fire (no one was on board, luckily) but it is really, really inconvenient when you're trying not to miss your midnight tickets to A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe.
It's even more annoying when you go to pick up your luggage and after waiting for an hour or so, they finally tell everyone waiting around that the baggage return system has shut down, and will not be resuming. Basically, a whole bunch of people aren't going to get their stuff til.. well no one really knows when.
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| Every person in this picture is missing their bags |
Momentarily putting aside the baggage woes, we went off to see what we could of the play. (I mean, what else were you going to do.. and it's Shakespeare. So really, a no-brainer) Thanks to a really awesome cabby, we got from the airport to the theatre in record time, just making it in before intermission. The performance and atmosphere were absolutely amazing, so if you ever have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it.
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| You felt like you were watching the play with a huge literary family |
Our initial plans to walk around outside were overwritten when we discovered that we were in the middle of a heat wave. Improvising a little, we ended up at the British Museum, notable for it's crazy foyer architecture and housing the Rosetta Stone. I had never really gotten what was so great about some stone, but looking at the 3 different languages carved into it basically right next to each other, I came to a bit of an understanding of how useful it would be to help decipher something that honestly didn't even resemble any known written language.
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| It was like being outside, but without wind, sun or litter |
Walking back from the museum, we passed through Covent Garden, a place that used to be the center of flower selling, but is now both a shopping mall and open market. Continuing our meandering walking tour, we wound our way down toward the Thames and walked along the river front enjoying live music from a swing dance group.
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| As a tourist, I am obligated to take this photo |
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| London has many weird looking pedestrian bridges |
Learning to Drive
Today we went on a tour of the super computing lab. I could tell from the beginning that I was going to like this tour. I mean, it has 'computing' in the name of the lab. How could you possibly go wrong?
To start off, we got to look at the actual machines. Which, according to the engineers, aren't really the interesting part. I mean it's just a whole bunch of computers connected on a special network placed in really close proximity in a fairly freezing room. That has lots of locked doors. While I agree that what you can do with super computers is probably a lot more exciting, it's still pretty cool to see it all set up. :D
After seeing the machines we got to experience some of their computing power in the CAVE, a virtual environment that used 3D projections on 5 walls of a cube combined with 3D glasses equipped with markers to track position and orientation to give you an interactive experience. We only got a liiitle dizzy.
There were many different simulations. We started with more static models, like a car in a wind tunnel, but looked at the space station, a coal furnace, and a water plant before getting to possibly the most interesting, a driving simulator.
I don't have a driver's license. I mean, I took driver's ed, and even had a permit until it expired, but I've only driven a car twice. And basically all of it was in parking lots. So me + a driving simulator was destined for failure. Luckily, even if you crashed, the chair didn't throw you into the steering wheel.
To start off, we got to look at the actual machines. Which, according to the engineers, aren't really the interesting part. I mean it's just a whole bunch of computers connected on a special network placed in really close proximity in a fairly freezing room. That has lots of locked doors. While I agree that what you can do with super computers is probably a lot more exciting, it's still pretty cool to see it all set up. :D
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| There's a whole building next door just for cooling these down |
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| I would hate to try to find the one misplaced wire.. |
There were many different simulations. We started with more static models, like a car in a wind tunnel, but looked at the space station, a coal furnace, and a water plant before getting to possibly the most interesting, a driving simulator.
I don't have a driver's license. I mean, I took driver's ed, and even had a permit until it expired, but I've only driven a car twice. And basically all of it was in parking lots. So me + a driving simulator was destined for failure. Luckily, even if you crashed, the chair didn't throw you into the steering wheel.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Minions
They are pill shaped. They are yellow (at least most of the time). They're returning this summer in Despicable Me 2; A movie which, surprisingly, sold out of tickets last Friday when we originally had the idea to go see it. (in English- though I'm not sure how different the minions' sounds would've been in German)
The theater we went to was a comforting slice of home with English language posters covering the walls and bulletin boards filled with fliers and postings for English-speakers in the Stuttgart area. For example, where to find English language church services. Go figure.
We had a lot of time to admire all the posters as, unlike with American theaters, we weren't allowed in until 10 minutes before the showing. I can't yet say that this is actually a difference, as it might just be for this small theater that plays international films. Clearly, more research is required. There are just so many good films coming out this summer... ahem.. I mean so many different variables to compare, that it might take multiple sets of comparisons. ;)
The theater we went to was a comforting slice of home with English language posters covering the walls and bulletin boards filled with fliers and postings for English-speakers in the Stuttgart area. For example, where to find English language church services. Go figure.
We had a lot of time to admire all the posters as, unlike with American theaters, we weren't allowed in until 10 minutes before the showing. I can't yet say that this is actually a difference, as it might just be for this small theater that plays international films. Clearly, more research is required. There are just so many good films coming out this summer... ahem.. I mean so many different variables to compare, that it might take multiple sets of comparisons. ;)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Foreign Food Invasion
Our weekly foreign food day makes its triumphant return. This time bringing you: Asian food! (That's actually what we called it...)
An important question was answered today. How many Asians does it take to make Asian food? Probably just one. But for us it took all of us regardless of our Asian (or not Asian) decent. As a few of us battled chopsticks (for best results, don't hold the two in separate hands.. ><) others diced, stirred and mixed. We ended up with a feast spread all over the table, spreading delicious smells throughout the dorm making the other residents jealous. Or just hungry.
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| We don't believe in too many cooks in the kitchen |
An important question was answered today. How many Asians does it take to make Asian food? Probably just one. But for us it took all of us regardless of our Asian (or not Asian) decent. As a few of us battled chopsticks (for best results, don't hold the two in separate hands.. ><) others diced, stirred and mixed. We ended up with a feast spread all over the table, spreading delicious smells throughout the dorm making the other residents jealous. Or just hungry.
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| When stuff looks this tasty, it's hard to wait |
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| We were supposed to bring bowls. All I had was a cup. |
Not So Smooth Integrating
According to MATLAB derivatives and integrals aren't actually inverses of each other. If they were my life would be so much easier. Instead I have really gross graphs with lots of "noise" which is entirely computer generated and not algebraic. Bummer. Now my project is 'how to outsmart your computer.' Which is a bit of a daunting task.
It's probably not that bad, but it is rather frustrating. I thought it was more annoying when I didn't know really what the issue was, but now that I know the issue but don't seem able to do anything about it, I'd almost rather still be debugging. (le gasp :O)
It's probably not that bad, but it is rather frustrating. I thought it was more annoying when I didn't know really what the issue was, but now that I know the issue but don't seem able to do anything about it, I'd almost rather still be debugging. (le gasp :O)
Internet Wrangler
Sometimes things just aren't meant to be. Take for example the internet and me. We were clearly not meant to be together forever. This is what I discovered today. As such, uploading may be a bit complicated in the future. (This would be why the posts are oddly spaced around this day.) Sorry to people who got all worried when I didn't upload.
For SCIENCE!
I went to the Deutsches Museum! It's now probably my favorite museum.
It has everything. (Especially when they finish renovations and have a planetarium again) It has robots. It has old boats. It has old planes. It has new planes. It has math puzzles. (<3) And model trains, harpsichords, organs (that are played!), a Focalt's pendulum, the solar system (minus Pluto), glass blowing, old computing devices (that they'll turn on), liquid nitrogen demonstrations (never can get enough of that stuff) and, and, and... everything. Basically.
So you should definitely go if you've ever though about science. (which is everyone.. or should be ¬¬) Probably my favorite exhibit was the mathematical puzzles. It ranged from colored tile patterns, building shapes from specifically shaped blocks, and a bit on knots to trying to Conway's game of life.(unfortunately out of order).
Conveniently next door was the history of computers, starting with the abacus. As I went on a guided tour of the exhibit (in German of course - I was pleasantly surprised with how much I understood. Luckily for CS a lot of the words are the same. gigaflop == gigaflop) I learned how to use a bunch of ancient calculating devices. Want to know my plan for the next no-calculator exam? Bring an abacus. :D
After geeking out all day at the museum, we got a nice dinner at a small restaurant. I admit it. I didn't get German food. After a month and a half of almost exclusively local cuisine, I couldn't stand one more day of Maultaschen or Wurst or some creamy pasta with mushrooms. Instead, I got Thai curry. It was a very welcome difference.
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| All you need to know about this picture: this guy is a boss. |
It has everything. (Especially when they finish renovations and have a planetarium again) It has robots. It has old boats. It has old planes. It has new planes. It has math puzzles. (<3) And model trains, harpsichords, organs (that are played!), a Focalt's pendulum, the solar system (minus Pluto), glass blowing, old computing devices (that they'll turn on), liquid nitrogen demonstrations (never can get enough of that stuff) and, and, and... everything. Basically.
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| There's surprisingly good wind inside |
So you should definitely go if you've ever though about science. (which is everyone.. or should be ¬¬) Probably my favorite exhibit was the mathematical puzzles. It ranged from colored tile patterns, building shapes from specifically shaped blocks, and a bit on knots to trying to Conway's game of life.(unfortunately out of order).
Conveniently next door was the history of computers, starting with the abacus. As I went on a guided tour of the exhibit (in German of course - I was pleasantly surprised with how much I understood. Luckily for CS a lot of the words are the same. gigaflop == gigaflop) I learned how to use a bunch of ancient calculating devices. Want to know my plan for the next no-calculator exam? Bring an abacus. :D
After geeking out all day at the museum, we got a nice dinner at a small restaurant. I admit it. I didn't get German food. After a month and a half of almost exclusively local cuisine, I couldn't stand one more day of Maultaschen or Wurst or some creamy pasta with mushrooms. Instead, I got Thai curry. It was a very welcome difference.
Because the World is Small
You can only stay in one area for so long before you get the urge to travel a bit further. This weekend I caved to that urge (the start of a trend for my weekends to come) and traveled to Munich. (That I knew someone who was going to be there for the weekend probably didn't have anything to do with it either ;P)
To keep costs down as much as possible, I arrived at 7:40 in the morning. On a train that was arriving late. That means I woke up at at actually-way-too-early AM and still managed to kind of almost miss the train. >< Mornings and me are mortal enemies I think.
The good things about early trains: You're not allowed to sleep in, guaranteeing an early start to your day and hopefully maximizing it's productivity. The bad things about early trains: You're not allowed to sleep in.
After meeting up with some friends from back home and snacking on some delicious baked goods (eaten in half of a piece increments, because somehow in the splitting of multiple pieces you end up with less total... ) we headed out for our day around Munich. I actually do mean around Munich. We didn't spend much time actually in the city.
To start off, we visited Dachau. I've seen a number of documentaries, studied it in school and even been to a few sites and museums in Berlin regarding concentration camps, but somehow being on the site was a much more powerful experience than I was really ready for. I don't think anyone could ever really be ready for it. I had thought about taking some photos, but I decided not to as I think it's something you really do have to experience for yourself.
On a happier note, we then traveled through Munich (taking a stop at the Hauptbahnhof to grab some Döner) on to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. As we exited the train talking excitedly about our kind-of-vaguely "planned" hike, we caught the interest of another American traveling abroad. He was in Munich for the summer and happened to be from... MIT. Basically, the world is full of surprises.
Together we took our free map from the tourist info center (just big enough to show us where we want to go, but if we took a wrong turn, we were likely off the map) and set out to tackle the mountain.
I am a sort of hiker. I like the idea of hiking. I know a bit about hiking. I've even been hiking a fair number of times. Just not very intense hikes. Like climbing a mountain hikes. This hike was uphill. (all the way, both ways, in the snow... well it would be in winter at least)
The view though, when we got to the outlook, was well worth all the effort. Just take a look:
So I got up to this point of the post and realized because of stupid things like transfer cables, internet and really short battery lives, I can't actually get the pictures up right now ><
BUT I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER TO POST THIS. So you'll have to check back later for the photos. -.- Sincerest apologies.
EDIT: Photos now included. Fancy that.
To keep costs down as much as possible, I arrived at 7:40 in the morning. On a train that was arriving late. That means I woke up at at actually-way-too-early AM and still managed to kind of almost miss the train. >< Mornings and me are mortal enemies I think.
The good things about early trains: You're not allowed to sleep in, guaranteeing an early start to your day and hopefully maximizing it's productivity. The bad things about early trains: You're not allowed to sleep in.
After meeting up with some friends from back home and snacking on some delicious baked goods (eaten in half of a piece increments, because somehow in the splitting of multiple pieces you end up with less total... ) we headed out for our day around Munich. I actually do mean around Munich. We didn't spend much time actually in the city.
To start off, we visited Dachau. I've seen a number of documentaries, studied it in school and even been to a few sites and museums in Berlin regarding concentration camps, but somehow being on the site was a much more powerful experience than I was really ready for. I don't think anyone could ever really be ready for it. I had thought about taking some photos, but I decided not to as I think it's something you really do have to experience for yourself.
On a happier note, we then traveled through Munich (taking a stop at the Hauptbahnhof to grab some Döner) on to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. As we exited the train talking excitedly about our kind-of-vaguely "planned" hike, we caught the interest of another American traveling abroad. He was in Munich for the summer and happened to be from... MIT. Basically, the world is full of surprises.
Together we took our free map from the tourist info center (just big enough to show us where we want to go, but if we took a wrong turn, we were likely off the map) and set out to tackle the mountain.
I am a sort of hiker. I like the idea of hiking. I know a bit about hiking. I've even been hiking a fair number of times. Just not very intense hikes. Like climbing a mountain hikes. This hike was uphill. (all the way, both ways, in the snow... well it would be in winter at least)
The view though, when we got to the outlook, was well worth all the effort. Just take a look:
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| I brought my nicer camera. (can you tell?) |
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| You could see for forever. And a half. |
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| There was a cafe at the top. Sadly we couldn't stay to check it out. |
So I got up to this point of the post and realized because of stupid things like transfer cables, internet and really short battery lives, I can't actually get the pictures up right now ><
BUT I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER TO POST THIS. So you'll have to check back later for the photos. -.- Sincerest apologies.
EDIT: Photos now included. Fancy that.
Friday, July 5, 2013
New Unit of Measurement: Cubic Trees
Are you confused by the title? You should be. Today I went on a tour of (yet another) University of Stuttgart project: cubic trees. At least that's what was the little, slightly misinformed preconceived notion I had.
There were trees. And they together did form a cube. But that wasn't really the cool part. The cool part was that as the trees grew, they would grow into each other (due to carefully placed screws) and become one organism. Which is cool right? On top of that, supports for entire platform levels are also thrust between branches encouraging the trees to grow around them just the way cable companies in the US don't like branches to grow.
Since the tree growing around the metal pipes forms such a tight bond (It looks like the pipe is sticking through the middle of a single branch) the tree can serve as the supports for the structure. So when we all come back for our 20 year reunion in 2033, there will be a living structure that you can climb in that's all one tree. A whole different meaning to tree house.
Growing tree structures takes space, so instead of being on the university's campus, it was out in Nagold, a really pretty little town. In our bit of free time I discovered two of my favorite things: a bookstore (well.. you should know this about me by know hopefully.. I have book-dar) and a church. Not only a church though, a church in which an organist was practicing. (I love the way organs sound in large churches)
To top off an already wonderful day, we went as a group to our self-declared pub in the middle of the forest. We didn't even get lost this time! Better yet, on the way back I saw fireflies for the first time (that I remember at least). Watching them move over the hill underneath the trees was really magical. I really wanted to take a picture, but I think it's one of those things that just can't be expressed unless you're there to see it.
There were trees. And they together did form a cube. But that wasn't really the cool part. The cool part was that as the trees grew, they would grow into each other (due to carefully placed screws) and become one organism. Which is cool right? On top of that, supports for entire platform levels are also thrust between branches encouraging the trees to grow around them just the way cable companies in the US don't like branches to grow.
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| Eventually all these planter boxes will be removed |
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| The dates indicate when those pieces will be removed |
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| Eventually it'll grow over the top to provide shade |
To top off an already wonderful day, we went as a group to our self-declared pub in the middle of the forest. We didn't even get lost this time! Better yet, on the way back I saw fireflies for the first time (that I remember at least). Watching them move over the hill underneath the trees was really magical. I really wanted to take a picture, but I think it's one of those things that just can't be expressed unless you're there to see it.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Independence Day
Happy Fourth of July! To keep up our American spirit, we celebrated Independence Day with a yummy, traditional apple pie. Although I do miss seeing the fireworks, eating pie right out of the oven with whipped cream isn't such a bad alternative.
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| Before |
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| After |
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Rollin' Sushi on the Second Floor
Today was the second of our group cook nights, and this time we attempted to make sushi. And for all intents and purposes I would say we actually succeeded. (A rare occurrence, I know)
Using the snazy new asian-certified (but made in US ... ><) products we had bought the day before, we cooked lots (waaay too much) rice in assorted pots, cut up vegetables into strips and rolled them into rolls. One of our groups members channeled his cooking heritage and made surprisingly professional looking rolls, despite the odd ingredients requested. (Like bacon. Seriously, who wants bacon in their sushi?)
And now for something completely different: There are fireworks going off right now, unless I'm mistaken. I'm a bit confused.. the 4th of July isn't for another hour.
Using the snazy new asian-certified (but made in US ... ><) products we had bought the day before, we cooked lots (waaay too much) rice in assorted pots, cut up vegetables into strips and rolled them into rolls. One of our groups members channeled his cooking heritage and made surprisingly professional looking rolls, despite the odd ingredients requested. (Like bacon. Seriously, who wants bacon in their sushi?)
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| Bacon sushi on our pizza box cutting board |
And now for something completely different: There are fireworks going off right now, unless I'm mistaken. I'm a bit confused.. the 4th of July isn't for another hour.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Visiting Asia(Markt)
What's similar about Germany and the USA? A lot of things, to be honest- basically everything apart from the language is similar. I mean, they're both modern countries of the western world.
What's exactly the same between Germany and the USA? Asian supermarkets. Well, minus the language. Perhaps you're thinking, 'Why is this so surprising?', which is a good question. Aren't immigrants going to sort of be the same wherever they end up? I guess they could be.
However, I've gotten used to seeing the kind-of-the-same, but still just a bit different. (Like how grocery stores don't have pharmacies attached, and you're expected (most of the time) to seat yourself at restaurants) It's close enough that you think you know what to do, but different enough that you stick out like a foreigner if you operate on auto-pilot like at home.
However, there really wasn't that sort of 'just-a-bit' different feeling at the Asian grocery stores we went to today. There was still stuff packed in really close together. There was still an air of bargain prices (irrelevant if the prices were actually bargains), the onslaught of languages you didn't speak, and a wide selection of food you probably wouldn't eat. (like grass jelly... sorry if that's something you hold dear)
If I had to pick out one thing that was maaaybe a bit different, it would be the shopkeepers' mastery of the native language. Their German was easily better than mine. (I guess that would be me, sticking out as a foreigner again.)
What's exactly the same between Germany and the USA? Asian supermarkets. Well, minus the language. Perhaps you're thinking, 'Why is this so surprising?', which is a good question. Aren't immigrants going to sort of be the same wherever they end up? I guess they could be.
However, I've gotten used to seeing the kind-of-the-same, but still just a bit different. (Like how grocery stores don't have pharmacies attached, and you're expected (most of the time) to seat yourself at restaurants) It's close enough that you think you know what to do, but different enough that you stick out like a foreigner if you operate on auto-pilot like at home.
However, there really wasn't that sort of 'just-a-bit' different feeling at the Asian grocery stores we went to today. There was still stuff packed in really close together. There was still an air of bargain prices (irrelevant if the prices were actually bargains), the onslaught of languages you didn't speak, and a wide selection of food you probably wouldn't eat. (like grass jelly... sorry if that's something you hold dear)
If I had to pick out one thing that was maaaybe a bit different, it would be the shopkeepers' mastery of the native language. Their German was easily better than mine. (I guess that would be me, sticking out as a foreigner again.)
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Sound of Silence
Yay! It's Monday. Or not. As far as the project goes, I'm having "fun" with parametric equations. :D heh. I was having some issues, so I went to the... drumroll please... library. The library was really different than those at MIT.
For starters, the place actually had people in it looking for books. And reading them :O. (When I first started asking about libraries at MIT, I was recommended to go to the libraries with the comfiest chairs for napping...)
Another major difference was that you weren't allowed to take your backpack into the stacks. If you wanted to bring stuff with you, they had these plastic baskets you could put stuff in. Also, the system for organizing the books was way different. While I was expecting this, it was still difficult (even with a map) to figure out where books were and where I should look for similarly themed books.
What was similar though, was the really good wifi connection. I'm not sure what it is about libraries, but the wifi always seems to get good mojo from being around the books.
For starters, the place actually had people in it looking for books. And reading them :O. (When I first started asking about libraries at MIT, I was recommended to go to the libraries with the comfiest chairs for napping...)
Another major difference was that you weren't allowed to take your backpack into the stacks. If you wanted to bring stuff with you, they had these plastic baskets you could put stuff in. Also, the system for organizing the books was way different. While I was expecting this, it was still difficult (even with a map) to figure out where books were and where I should look for similarly themed books.
What was similar though, was the really good wifi connection. I'm not sure what it is about libraries, but the wifi always seems to get good mojo from being around the books.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Food With (New) Friends
Up to today, I had survived without cooking. Between meals at the cafeteria, sandwiches and trips out of the city, I was never simultaneously hungry, in my room and in possession of that long sought after resource: free time.
To kick off my momentous first use of the kitchen, I made... spaghetti. With sauce from a jar, eaten in a a microwavable mug, with a plastic fort slight deformed from trying to stir noodles in boiling water. Super classy.
Despite my uh.. unique approach to cooking, not one of the neighbors I met commented on it. (Which was really nice) Instead, we all talked about how I could have been living there for basically a month, without having met or seen any of them. (It's actually quite a feat)
In other news, the Tour de France started. (on Saturday) :D
To kick off my momentous first use of the kitchen, I made... spaghetti. With sauce from a jar, eaten in a a microwavable mug, with a plastic fort slight deformed from trying to stir noodles in boiling water. Super classy.
Despite my uh.. unique approach to cooking, not one of the neighbors I met commented on it. (Which was really nice) Instead, we all talked about how I could have been living there for basically a month, without having met or seen any of them. (It's actually quite a feat)
In other news, the Tour de France started. (on Saturday) :D
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Hikin' in the Rain
It was raining today. What activity best suits rainy days? Correct! Hiking. (Wrong. This is actually not recommended. That much.)
Since I was feeling a bit guilty for going to an IKEA while in Germany, I decided today I would get in touch with the countryside. Conveniently, there's a beautiful nature preserve right behind the dorms with many beautiful, well kept trails. Inconveniently, it rained today. (I chose to ignore it)
Hiking:
What rainy days are good for:
-Being Alone. No one else will be around to watch you make a fool of yourself hiking through sheets of water. They correctly translated 'rain' as 'buckets of water falling from the sky', and stayed home.
-Pretty Pictures. Well, the rain has to end sometime, and when the sun comes out it'll be really pretty. If you're lucky you might even see a rainbow. (I didn't have luck today)
-Cleanliness. It never hurts to have an extra shower a day, or cleaner clothes. (The cleanliness comes from the extra shower and washing you have to do once you get back)
What rainy days are not good for:
-Staying dry. Rainproof jackets are not always up to all levels of rain power.
-Getting Directions. (See Being Alone)
-Traction. This is a vital chemical reaction to be aware of: H20 + dirt --> dangerous, slippery slopes + mud (for you to fall into-- at least it's a squishy landing)
Despite the rain, I actually did have a really good time hiking, and only really got lost once. (Right about the time I realized I was a bit lost, I happened across a map... I mean, I totally meant to go this way... ¬.¬)
Since I was feeling a bit guilty for going to an IKEA while in Germany, I decided today I would get in touch with the countryside. Conveniently, there's a beautiful nature preserve right behind the dorms with many beautiful, well kept trails. Inconveniently, it rained today. (I chose to ignore it)
 |
| You can't see it as well as I'd hoped, but it's raining really hard |
Hiking:
What rainy days are good for:
-Being Alone. No one else will be around to watch you make a fool of yourself hiking through sheets of water. They correctly translated 'rain' as 'buckets of water falling from the sky', and stayed home.
 |
| I'm all alone |
-Pretty Pictures. Well, the rain has to end sometime, and when the sun comes out it'll be really pretty. If you're lucky you might even see a rainbow. (I didn't have luck today)
 |
| I want this to be my secret garden |
-Cleanliness. It never hurts to have an extra shower a day, or cleaner clothes. (The cleanliness comes from the extra shower and washing you have to do once you get back)
What rainy days are not good for:
-Staying dry. Rainproof jackets are not always up to all levels of rain power.
-Getting Directions. (See Being Alone)
 |
| Would be a good place to rest. They're soaking wet though |
-Traction. This is a vital chemical reaction to be aware of: H20 + dirt --> dangerous, slippery slopes + mud (for you to fall into-- at least it's a squishy landing)
 |
| Has nothing to do with traction, but still not a place one should try to walk |
Despite the rain, I actually did have a really good time hiking, and only really got lost once. (Right about the time I realized I was a bit lost, I happened across a map... I mean, I totally meant to go this way... ¬.¬)
Friday, June 28, 2013
When Three Wrong Turns Does Not Make a Right
Sometimes knowing the train schedule is useful. I had gotten used to the convenience of being able to ride any train in the direction I wanted to go (one comes every 10 min) so I forgot that if I needed to ride one of the three in particular, there would be 30 minutes between trains. I got to the station just in time to see the train leave. Without me. (Wrong Turn #1)
I was trying to get to, of all places, IKEA. Why? Because they have really good meatballs. And organization solutions that look nice. And comfy, cheap blankets. Thinking about all the nice stuff waiting for me kept me fairly entertained as I waited for the train.
Once I got to Böblingen, I walked away from the tracks to look for IKEA. (Wrong Turn #2) After trying to see any sort of large blue building, and looking at bus maps without any success, I learned that IKEA was actually closer to one of the stops on a different subway line. As I turned to go back to the trains I saw (for the second time) the train leave. Without me. (This might have been the indication that it was simply not meant to be, but I was determined. I had dreamed of meatballs and lingonberries. I had a mission. I would not fail.)
Waiting for another half hour at a different subway station was not much more interesting than the first. The only thing this particular stop had going for it, was it's nice(ish) view. If you ignored all the construction right in the immediate vicinity, there was actually a beautiful meadow behind the so-new-they're-still-being-built buildings that framed the setting sun. (Setting is used loosely here, as the sun sets for 2+ hours)
Eventually the train came, and I made it to the correct stop. My goal was within two blocks of the train station, to the left. So I turned left (Wrong Turn #3) and walked a block and some undefined distance. It was a really long first block, and I never found a second cross street. I ended up on a frontage type road and walked myself right out of town. (Perhaps another indication, but I ignored it as well) After walking for 20 minutes without finding/seeing the 'end' of the second block, I began to wonder if 'left' two blocks was left facing the tracks or left facing away from the tracks.
Turns out it was facing the tracks. So back I went. (On the upside, the frontage road was really pretty, and since I walked up this giant hill as I left the town, on my way back I saw the giant IKEA sign that wasn't visible from the train station. I felt rather brilliant.) 2 hours after I originally started my journey, I finally made my way to get my hard earned meatballs. They were delicious.
I was trying to get to, of all places, IKEA. Why? Because they have really good meatballs. And organization solutions that look nice. And comfy, cheap blankets. Thinking about all the nice stuff waiting for me kept me fairly entertained as I waited for the train.
Once I got to Böblingen, I walked away from the tracks to look for IKEA. (Wrong Turn #2) After trying to see any sort of large blue building, and looking at bus maps without any success, I learned that IKEA was actually closer to one of the stops on a different subway line. As I turned to go back to the trains I saw (for the second time) the train leave. Without me. (This might have been the indication that it was simply not meant to be, but I was determined. I had dreamed of meatballs and lingonberries. I had a mission. I would not fail.)
Waiting for another half hour at a different subway station was not much more interesting than the first. The only thing this particular stop had going for it, was it's nice(ish) view. If you ignored all the construction right in the immediate vicinity, there was actually a beautiful meadow behind the so-new-they're-still-being-built buildings that framed the setting sun. (Setting is used loosely here, as the sun sets for 2+ hours)
Eventually the train came, and I made it to the correct stop. My goal was within two blocks of the train station, to the left. So I turned left (Wrong Turn #3) and walked a block and some undefined distance. It was a really long first block, and I never found a second cross street. I ended up on a frontage type road and walked myself right out of town. (Perhaps another indication, but I ignored it as well) After walking for 20 minutes without finding/seeing the 'end' of the second block, I began to wonder if 'left' two blocks was left facing the tracks or left facing away from the tracks.
Turns out it was facing the tracks. So back I went. (On the upside, the frontage road was really pretty, and since I walked up this giant hill as I left the town, on my way back I saw the giant IKEA sign that wasn't visible from the train station. I felt rather brilliant.) 2 hours after I originally started my journey, I finally made my way to get my hard earned meatballs. They were delicious.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
The Usefulness of Time Turners
There are certain instances where having a time turner would be really useful. They're particularly common when you're in a significantly different time zone than basically everyone else. The time turner could fix all of the conflicts I have between sleeping and talking to people.
There aren't any time turners though (that I've heard of) so I guess I'll just have keep communicating out of phase with everyone else. It's actually remarkable how perfectly my schedule is out of phase. >< Perhaps this is why email was invented.
I can't really imagine being able to come here for a summer without the internet. I mean, if there wasn't any internet, how would I coordinate with MIT to sign up for fall classes, or work with people from my dorm on setting up events for the incoming freshmen? (We're working on a puzzle hunt. I'm super excited!)
It's a teeny bit frightening that I've become so accustomed to and dependent on the internet. We were asked as part of the program, "What are your thoughts on international innovation?" Currently I'm thinking, "thank goodness for the world wide web." (It's either this or we'd need cloning...)
There aren't any time turners though (that I've heard of) so I guess I'll just have keep communicating out of phase with everyone else. It's actually remarkable how perfectly my schedule is out of phase. >< Perhaps this is why email was invented.
I can't really imagine being able to come here for a summer without the internet. I mean, if there wasn't any internet, how would I coordinate with MIT to sign up for fall classes, or work with people from my dorm on setting up events for the incoming freshmen? (We're working on a puzzle hunt. I'm super excited!)
It's a teeny bit frightening that I've become so accustomed to and dependent on the internet. We were asked as part of the program, "What are your thoughts on international innovation?" Currently I'm thinking, "thank goodness for the world wide web." (It's either this or we'd need cloning...)
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Getting to Know the Institute
Today I went on a tour of where I worked. Somehow it seems like this maybe should have happened earlier, but better late than never? Turns out, there are a lot of cool projects going on. If you can find them.
We started in a lab that's not really attached to the rest of the offices/space since the projects there are larger. (ie flight simulators- it's also a hexapod! :D well, it's kind of cheating, it has an extra piston in the center for support..so heptapod) In the same lab ,only reachable by this odd second level-balcony that runs around the edge of the room, we visited an elephant's trunk. Not actually, but it looked and moved just like one. A bit uncanny really.
Because the lab wasn't far enough away from the main part of the institute we went even further to visit a free-ish standing shell. It's apparently thinner than the equivalent of an eggshell scaled to that size. Pretty crazy. Instead of being cemented into the ground, three of the four corners are movable by pistons so it can counteract vibrations or uneven load. It also works well as a whisper chamber. (Stand in one corner, and the people kitty-corner can hear you really well)
We finished off the tour in the same room that I work in all the time. Go figure. The large contraption that I had kind of been wondering about (as in what is it? does it work? can I play with it?) turned out to be a model of a crane. It's being used for research with oscillation dampening, but for the demonstration we basically had fun with pendulums and finding resonant frequencies. Who knew there were so many cool projects hidden in all of the rooms? Makes you want to go explore.
We started in a lab that's not really attached to the rest of the offices/space since the projects there are larger. (ie flight simulators- it's also a hexapod! :D well, it's kind of cheating, it has an extra piston in the center for support..so heptapod) In the same lab ,only reachable by this odd second level-balcony that runs around the edge of the room, we visited an elephant's trunk. Not actually, but it looked and moved just like one. A bit uncanny really.
Because the lab wasn't far enough away from the main part of the institute we went even further to visit a free-ish standing shell. It's apparently thinner than the equivalent of an eggshell scaled to that size. Pretty crazy. Instead of being cemented into the ground, three of the four corners are movable by pistons so it can counteract vibrations or uneven load. It also works well as a whisper chamber. (Stand in one corner, and the people kitty-corner can hear you really well)
We finished off the tour in the same room that I work in all the time. Go figure. The large contraption that I had kind of been wondering about (as in what is it? does it work? can I play with it?) turned out to be a model of a crane. It's being used for research with oscillation dampening, but for the demonstration we basically had fun with pendulums and finding resonant frequencies. Who knew there were so many cool projects hidden in all of the rooms? Makes you want to go explore.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Grilling and Chilling
I finally broke down and did it. I grilled something in Germany. Well, tried to. There was a minor setback. It was raining. And the grill was on the roof. In the wind. Yea, it never really started.
We live in the 21st century, though, which means we have these great inventions: ovens! While it's not quite as much fun to eat kabobs if you're not grilling them, they do end up tasting pretty much the same.
Which is really tasty. And, "importantly" for us rebellious Americans, not German. (Particularly with the only-found-in-Iowa-seasoning) I guess this might be the closest we get to an American BBQ all summer.
Right about the time we gave up on grilling (ran out of things to start fires with; read: matches, lighters) the sun came out for a glorious sunset. (clearly this "aahhh"ing, heaven-sent sunset that lit up the sky was mocking our attempts at fire)
 |
| Our attempts at starting a fire were futile |
 |
| Luckily, The dorm has lots of ovens |
 |
| Caution: food directly out of the oven is hot |
 |
| I can hear the angelic choir accompanying this sunset |
Monday, June 24, 2013
Slow Starts
Sorry for the lateness of the weekend posts. Between internet difficulties, being sick/tired/lazy, and mis-set alarm clocks, I didn't sit down to write them up til today.
As far as my project goes, I'm dragging my feet a liiiitle bit. I figured out a sort-of fundamental flaw in my simulation plan. (Won't be a problem if the whole system works, but will probably break every type of debugger/test case that isn't using the whole system. gah.) I'm still not quite sure what to do about that.
As far as my project goes, I'm dragging my feet a liiiitle bit. I figured out a sort-of fundamental flaw in my simulation plan. (Won't be a problem if the whole system works, but will probably break every type of debugger/test case that isn't using the whole system. gah.) I'm still not quite sure what to do about that.
Failing to Speak in Toungues
As a sign of great thanks that we didn't get stranded in Ulm the day before, we went to a church service. Of course, the late night arrival had to be taken into consideration, so instead of going in the morning, we searched for a nice afternoon service. We even found one.
Coming in just as the bells before the service stopped ringing, we were greeted with... something. Unlike everyone else in the room, we were not blessed with any tongues of fire allowing us to hear the gospel in our native language. Our first hypothesis, Latin, (well it wasn't English or German.. so what else would it be?) was proven incorrect when everyone started singing and speaking. No one actually speaks Latin. Further hypotheses included Russian (later proved impossible) and Italian. The church's website, when we went back to look, offered services in: English, French, German, Romanian, Croatian, Italian, Danish, Polish, Czech... and probably something else. Current hypotheses are it was either Croatian or Polish, although your guess is likely as good as ours.
Being a more than a little brain dead, we decided watching old guys correct other old (and probably a bit drunk) guys on how to play chess, sounded like a good idea. It was relaxing and interesting enough to keep us entertained for more than an hour. (To the shock of us all - the passage of time is deceiving here)
We rounded out our lazy day by once again asking for directions to something we were standing in front of. (It's a theme for this weekend) We also conveniently found the DAZ, which has an English language library (yay!) that's only open on weekdays. (nay D:)
Coming in just as the bells before the service stopped ringing, we were greeted with... something. Unlike everyone else in the room, we were not blessed with any tongues of fire allowing us to hear the gospel in our native language. Our first hypothesis, Latin, (well it wasn't English or German.. so what else would it be?) was proven incorrect when everyone started singing and speaking. No one actually speaks Latin. Further hypotheses included Russian (later proved impossible) and Italian. The church's website, when we went back to look, offered services in: English, French, German, Romanian, Croatian, Italian, Danish, Polish, Czech... and probably something else. Current hypotheses are it was either Croatian or Polish, although your guess is likely as good as ours.
Being a more than a little brain dead, we decided watching old guys correct other old (and probably a bit drunk) guys on how to play chess, sounded like a good idea. It was relaxing and interesting enough to keep us entertained for more than an hour. (To the shock of us all - the passage of time is deceiving here)
We rounded out our lazy day by once again asking for directions to something we were standing in front of. (It's a theme for this weekend) We also conveniently found the DAZ, which has an English language library (yay!) that's only open on weekdays. (nay D:)
Fruit of the Sea
Against better judgement (I claim brain dysfunctionality due to sickness) I decided to go to Boden See. (Lake Constnace?) The first sign that this was a poor idea: having to wake up at 7am. Nothing good ever happens at 7am.
Well, almost never. Our day started out well with a surprisingly nice fast train towards Singen. You had to buy tickets for that train. We had only a regional pass. Which meant that the nice ticket lady didn't fine us, but kicked us out in the middle of nowhere to wait an hour for the regional train. (We were just really happy we didn't get fined)
Following the sort-of plan we had, we immediately crossed the lake by ferry (totally making the ferry man's day by paying in all sorts of loose change) to a small lake side town perfect for renting boats and wading in the water. That is if you could rent the boats (one place was under re-construction, the other - though advertised as "Open on good-weather weekends"- was not open. - We had nice weather.) or go in the water. (The nice beach was a private-pay-lots-of-money-to-enter-here type of beach.)
We were resilient (northern) Americans though, so we carefully picked our own path down to the lake to wade and skip stones. (In my case, sink stones) I hadn't realized how much I'd missed lakes/oceans/rivers until I was wading in the water. Something about standing there (in the basically perfectly temperatured and beautifully clear water) is just so peaceful.
Since standing in awe of nature is rather energy consuming, we next foraged on for food. The cheapest food we came across with lake side seating was a fish restaurant that served pizza. Despite ordering 2 pizzas with seafood (fruit of the sea and shrimp) the vegetarian pizza was the clear favorite. To top off the meal, we picked up some Spagetti Eis (Ice cream served to look like spaghetti) to keep us going on the ~5km walk to the next town over.
Between the ice cream and the view, the short(ish) walk was soon over, and we found ourselves at another marina. This time however, we were able to find a boat rental place that was open (sadly, no sail boats). Taking out the largest paddle boat they had, the 5 of us piled in to the Police paddle boat (complete with kiddy slide) and set off toward the middle of the lake.
We didn't make it very far. Despite turning the steering wheel with all of our might, the boat just wouldn't go in a straight line out of the marina. The dock staff, after watching "those stupid Americans" flounder for a while, eventually came over to help. They also diagnosed our problem: no rudder. Makes steering hard.
For our second try, we took out the Ferrari. (nice, easy-to-see bright red, still with a kiddy slide!) What do ya know. Boats with rudders are waaaay easier to steer. :D We took our little paddle boat out onto the lake and played "please don't hit us we're tiny and have no speed" with all the other boats.
And there were a lot of boats. First off the ferries. That go EVERYWHERE. all the time. And then the legit sailors. (With really pretty wooden decks and colorful spinnakers) And the motor boats (with varying levels of BAC in their skippers) And then closer to our size, tiny sailboats. (Like a really cool fleet of tiny catamarans. They went by soooooo fast)
As we learned, there is not only other boats on the water. The lake also provides to it's visitors. As a welcoming present to us foreigners, it bequeathed half a watermelon; A true fruit of the (Boden) See.
Since we enjoyed so much time on the water, we quickly moved over the next city down to end up in Sipplingen for dinner. After getting directions to the restaurant that was recommended ("You're standing right in front of it".. yea, we were observant) and discovering we had needed reservations, we chose a different slightly cheaper- definitely more casual dinning location. Here yet another American fell victim to the salat = salad conundrum. I repeat. Wurstsalat != salad. It's just a pile of meat with cheese bits.
At this point we were running a bit late. Which was kind of worrisome since we had been planning on taking the last train from Singen to Stuttgart that night. Luckily, the ticket printer is knowledgeable, and gave us a new plan to follow that would get us back at around the same time. The only catch was that we were running the other way around Baden-Württemberg taking a long hemispherical path starting with the first leg in the opposite direction from Stuttgart. Not at all worrying. Particularly when you add in that all of the connections were only 5 minutes. (And the first train was already running 7 minutes late)
Luckily, all of the trains were delayed so although we looked like idiots running from one train to the next, just to have them sit there for another 5 minutes, we made it back home without getting caught out in the middle of nowhere.
Well, almost never. Our day started out well with a surprisingly nice fast train towards Singen. You had to buy tickets for that train. We had only a regional pass. Which meant that the nice ticket lady didn't fine us, but kicked us out in the middle of nowhere to wait an hour for the regional train. (We were just really happy we didn't get fined)
Following the sort-of plan we had, we immediately crossed the lake by ferry (totally making the ferry man's day by paying in all sorts of loose change) to a small lake side town perfect for renting boats and wading in the water. That is if you could rent the boats (one place was under re-construction, the other - though advertised as "Open on good-weather weekends"- was not open. - We had nice weather.) or go in the water. (The nice beach was a private-pay-lots-of-money-to-enter-here type of beach.)
We were resilient (northern) Americans though, so we carefully picked our own path down to the lake to wade and skip stones. (In my case, sink stones) I hadn't realized how much I'd missed lakes/oceans/rivers until I was wading in the water. Something about standing there (in the basically perfectly temperatured and beautifully clear water) is just so peaceful.
 |
| I didn't want to get out of the water |
Since standing in awe of nature is rather energy consuming, we next foraged on for food. The cheapest food we came across with lake side seating was a fish restaurant that served pizza. Despite ordering 2 pizzas with seafood (fruit of the sea and shrimp) the vegetarian pizza was the clear favorite. To top off the meal, we picked up some Spagetti Eis (Ice cream served to look like spaghetti) to keep us going on the ~5km walk to the next town over.
Between the ice cream and the view, the short(ish) walk was soon over, and we found ourselves at another marina. This time however, we were able to find a boat rental place that was open (sadly, no sail boats). Taking out the largest paddle boat they had, the 5 of us piled in to the Police paddle boat (complete with kiddy slide) and set off toward the middle of the lake.
We didn't make it very far. Despite turning the steering wheel with all of our might, the boat just wouldn't go in a straight line out of the marina. The dock staff, after watching "those stupid Americans" flounder for a while, eventually came over to help. They also diagnosed our problem: no rudder. Makes steering hard.
For our second try, we took out the Ferrari. (nice, easy-to-see bright red, still with a kiddy slide!) What do ya know. Boats with rudders are waaaay easier to steer. :D We took our little paddle boat out onto the lake and played "please don't hit us we're tiny and have no speed" with all the other boats.
 |
| Paddling is hard work. It's good to take breaks |
And there were a lot of boats. First off the ferries. That go EVERYWHERE. all the time. And then the legit sailors. (With really pretty wooden decks and colorful spinnakers) And the motor boats (with varying levels of BAC in their skippers) And then closer to our size, tiny sailboats. (Like a really cool fleet of tiny catamarans. They went by soooooo fast)
 |
| There was actually a good amount of wind |
As we learned, there is not only other boats on the water. The lake also provides to it's visitors. As a welcoming present to us foreigners, it bequeathed half a watermelon; A true fruit of the (Boden) See.
 |
| Those times when the lake is so big, that it's almost no longer a lake |
Since we enjoyed so much time on the water, we quickly moved over the next city down to end up in Sipplingen for dinner. After getting directions to the restaurant that was recommended ("You're standing right in front of it".. yea, we were observant) and discovering we had needed reservations, we chose a different slightly cheaper- definitely more casual dinning location. Here yet another American fell victim to the salat = salad conundrum. I repeat. Wurstsalat != salad. It's just a pile of meat with cheese bits.
At this point we were running a bit late. Which was kind of worrisome since we had been planning on taking the last train from Singen to Stuttgart that night. Luckily, the ticket printer is knowledgeable, and gave us a new plan to follow that would get us back at around the same time. The only catch was that we were running the other way around Baden-Württemberg taking a long hemispherical path starting with the first leg in the opposite direction from Stuttgart. Not at all worrying. Particularly when you add in that all of the connections were only 5 minutes. (And the first train was already running 7 minutes late)
Luckily, all of the trains were delayed so although we looked like idiots running from one train to the next, just to have them sit there for another 5 minutes, we made it back home without getting caught out in the middle of nowhere.
Friday, June 21, 2013
The Grass Is Always Greener
I admit it. I'm beginning to miss home a tiiiiiny bit. Particularly the internet. (Which doesn't default the language to German, and then not let you change it back) and the libraries (with lots of books. In English.) I mean castles, history, exciting cities I've never been to? Please. How could that compare with good old home town suburbia?
Ok, so maybe I'm not actually missing home that much yet. But not having as much instant access to distractions is well, forcing me to think about things. (How terrible. Doesn't the universe recognize summer as brain-is-turned-off time?) Thinking about things is only fun though is something can actually come out of it. Which isn't super likely if you're sick. (yea, I'm back to that again, sorry)
On the bright(er) side though, I think I'm getting better (whoo!) So I should be able to do stuff this weekend (the important part of being in Europe, clearly) I'll get to see lots of great German countryside where the hills truly are greener (especially with all the rain that's been coming through) than at home. :D (CA is known for the golden hills-- translation: brown, possibly dead, certainly dry-- not green grassy meadows)
Ok, so maybe I'm not actually missing home that much yet. But not having as much instant access to distractions is well, forcing me to think about things. (How terrible. Doesn't the universe recognize summer as brain-is-turned-off time?) Thinking about things is only fun though is something can actually come out of it. Which isn't super likely if you're sick. (yea, I'm back to that again, sorry)
On the bright(er) side though, I think I'm getting better (whoo!) So I should be able to do stuff this weekend (the important part of being in Europe, clearly) I'll get to see lots of great German countryside where the hills truly are greener (especially with all the rain that's been coming through) than at home. :D (CA is known for the golden hills-- translation: brown, possibly dead, certainly dry-- not green grassy meadows)
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Present for Presents and Presentations
The world has it out for me. Normally I don't give in to the depressing, "how can it possibly be worse?" moments. I maybe deviated a bit last night around 3am when I still wasn't asleep due to the never-ending party. (I mean, it's a weekday for goodness' sake. Don't people have class tomorrow?!)
To train me never to think that way again, I was rewarded with oversleeping my alarm, running out with no breakfast to catch an early morning (8 is totally an early morning) bus to the group that's sponsoring us to give a presentation. Oh. Right. I'm still sick. Life's awesome!!! :D :D :D (for the people that don't get it: sarcasm is prevalent here)
Jokes aside though, I am not one for public speaking (even at the best of times). So despite being well prepared on the subject matter (introduce yourself) I was actually quite nervous. Luckily they also were. (Though that might have to do more with the I'm-presenting-in-English-which-isn't-my-native-language type jitters)
After getting introductions out of the way, we got to first hear about, then tour the company. It was really awesome- we got to see their R&D labs as well as one of their smaller production facilities (complete with 3D printer and too-many-axis-to-count mills) There were a lot of industrial robots. :D
Since the visit was 'so hard' and/or the drive was 'so long' we visited a tiny little town to take a break and get ice cream. (Thanks to a misunderstanding between the server and a certain member of our group, we all ended up with ice cream in cups with cones on top. >< oh well)
Munching on ice cream, we got a nice tour of the city marveling at old German 'engineering' solutions (If the wall can't hold back your church from sliding down the hill, use a hemisphere mound instead and then disguise them as (53) stairs... "we totally meant to do that") and calculating the market value of salt, (really high) finishing just in time to miss the rainstorm.
Unfortunately? Fortunately? Either way, the rain followed us back to Stuttgart. At least it'll be colder now. Hopefully my sickness will take the hint and be washed away as well.
To train me never to think that way again, I was rewarded with oversleeping my alarm, running out with no breakfast to catch an early morning (8 is totally an early morning) bus to the group that's sponsoring us to give a presentation. Oh. Right. I'm still sick. Life's awesome!!! :D :D :D (for the people that don't get it: sarcasm is prevalent here)
Jokes aside though, I am not one for public speaking (even at the best of times). So despite being well prepared on the subject matter (introduce yourself) I was actually quite nervous. Luckily they also were. (Though that might have to do more with the I'm-presenting-in-English-which-isn't-my-native-language type jitters)
After getting introductions out of the way, we got to first hear about, then tour the company. It was really awesome- we got to see their R&D labs as well as one of their smaller production facilities (complete with 3D printer and too-many-axis-to-count mills) There were a lot of industrial robots. :D
Since the visit was 'so hard' and/or the drive was 'so long' we visited a tiny little town to take a break and get ice cream. (Thanks to a misunderstanding between the server and a certain member of our group, we all ended up with ice cream in cups with cones on top. >< oh well)
Munching on ice cream, we got a nice tour of the city marveling at old German 'engineering' solutions (If the wall can't hold back your church from sliding down the hill, use a hemisphere mound instead and then disguise them as (53) stairs... "we totally meant to do that") and calculating the market value of salt, (really high) finishing just in time to miss the rainstorm.
Unfortunately? Fortunately? Either way, the rain followed us back to Stuttgart. At least it'll be colder now. Hopefully my sickness will take the hint and be washed away as well.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Is This All Just a Dream?
Sometimes I can't really believe I actually decided to go abroad for a summer. Normally I think things through (down to really random details- it's inherited behavior. I have engineers for parents) but this was (for the most part) fairly last minute/spontaneous. I never really expected it to actually happen.
Like right now, especially. There's a giant party right outside my dorm. (This is not normal. Probably because at MIT my room's on the top floor of a tall building) I have recently discovered that dorms here hold summer parties over the summer. They have way more food than people can possibly eat, lots of loud music, and are attended in such numbers that having personal space is no longer a conceivable option.
For better or worse, however, I'm sick. At least I'm not totally missing out though. I can hear the bands playing from inside my room.
Like right now, especially. There's a giant party right outside my dorm. (This is not normal. Probably because at MIT my room's on the top floor of a tall building) I have recently discovered that dorms here hold summer parties over the summer. They have way more food than people can possibly eat, lots of loud music, and are attended in such numbers that having personal space is no longer a conceivable option.
For better or worse, however, I'm sick. At least I'm not totally missing out though. I can hear the bands playing from inside my room.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Temperature's Rising
Apparently taking time off because it's too warm is a thing in Germany. On that note, air conditioning is not a thing. (Which is really quite unfortunate) It's supposed to cool off and rain soon though, so this won't last too long. (hopefully)
With all this "free" time in the afternoon, I probably should have done something exciting, like explore the Freibad, (eventually translated to be something like an outdoor swimming pool- but HUGE) but it was so hot that I lost interest in well doing... anything.
On the data analysis front, my graphs are looking a bit better. For some reason I remain unable to get two supposedly identical frames to produce the same results. At least though, the two systems are now (mostly) internally consistent- as in all angle deflections within one model end up complementing/ cancelling correctly.
I also just finished reading my first German language for fun book. (All previous German language books have been read for classes) I was pleasantly shocked that I didn't need to use the dictionary nearly as much as I had thought. (I did need to concentrate a lot more. I would glaze over sections, realize my brain had wandered, and need to go back a few pages to re-read) While it likely doesn't help too much with my pronunciation (Eichhornchen is proving particularly difficult) I am getting a bit faster at thinking of what to say in German conversations. (yay!)
Since language improvement goes both ways, as part of the summer research, one of the other internationals is being used as an English paper correcter. Looking over professional papers and fixing grammar/spelling/translation mistakes is weird. Looking over your supervisor's paper is really weird. It also tests your own understanding of English. (A lot of the time we came across sentences that were really awkward sounding, but maybe not technically incorrect)
With all this "free" time in the afternoon, I probably should have done something exciting, like explore the Freibad, (eventually translated to be something like an outdoor swimming pool- but HUGE) but it was so hot that I lost interest in well doing... anything.
On the data analysis front, my graphs are looking a bit better. For some reason I remain unable to get two supposedly identical frames to produce the same results. At least though, the two systems are now (mostly) internally consistent- as in all angle deflections within one model end up complementing/ cancelling correctly.
I also just finished reading my first German language for fun book. (All previous German language books have been read for classes) I was pleasantly shocked that I didn't need to use the dictionary nearly as much as I had thought. (I did need to concentrate a lot more. I would glaze over sections, realize my brain had wandered, and need to go back a few pages to re-read) While it likely doesn't help too much with my pronunciation (Eichhornchen is proving particularly difficult) I am getting a bit faster at thinking of what to say in German conversations. (yay!)
Since language improvement goes both ways, as part of the summer research, one of the other internationals is being used as an English paper correcter. Looking over professional papers and fixing grammar/spelling/translation mistakes is weird. Looking over your supervisor's paper is really weird. It also tests your own understanding of English. (A lot of the time we came across sentences that were really awkward sounding, but maybe not technically incorrect)
Monday, June 17, 2013
And So the Work Continues
Yea, not much of anything happened today. I spent a lot of time trying to compute rotation matrices in my head. It was not particularly successful. (Pro Tip: Human checking of computer calculations is painful. It should be avoided at all costs)
Another pro tip: German keyboards are weird. (they do silly things like switch the 'y' and 'z' keys, shift ( )s left by one key, and add extra keys for their fancy dotted letters (these dots ¨ in case you didn't know)) Since the keyboard is weird you should find the (probably already installed) software that changes confused German keyboards into English ones. So many less headaches and typos.
In other news, groceries are still really cheap (compared to the US). Maybe this is why they all have the money to buy water. Unfortunately, books remain a bit expensive. I guess for someone like me, it'll all even out.
Another pro tip: German keyboards are weird. (they do silly things like switch the 'y' and 'z' keys, shift ( )s left by one key, and add extra keys for their fancy dotted letters (these dots ¨ in case you didn't know)) Since the keyboard is weird you should find the (probably already installed) software that changes confused German keyboards into English ones. So many less headaches and typos.
In other news, groceries are still really cheap (compared to the US). Maybe this is why they all have the money to buy water. Unfortunately, books remain a bit expensive. I guess for someone like me, it'll all even out.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Photo Journal: Zurich
Zurich is a nice place to walk around and take pictures of. And has a lot of churches (where you can't take pictures in). I'm really tired, so you'll have to do that picture-to-word conversion factor to read the rest of this. (It's easily my longest one yet :P)
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| Zurich is really pretty |
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| It also has really nice rose gardens |
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| I have never seen water this color blue |
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| This pathway was positioned purposefully to frame the clock tower |
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| I still can't believe the water is so clear |
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| Some views I don't think it's possible to get tired of |
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| They're really hard to see, but there's a whole school of fish |
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| The 'stained glass' windows here are made of geodes |
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| City side view from the church tower |
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| From this side you can even see the Alps |
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| It was really, really high up |
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| Finally, a church we can take pictures in |
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| Swans have no fear in swimming right up to you |
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| Old city shopping districts are abandoned on Sundays |
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