Week Three

I had my first week in the actual office, supposedly doing my real internship work. It's true that they're giving me more stuff to do, which is exciting, but they still haven't told me what my big projects will be. I want to do more than update databases! On Monday, I get to stuff folders for the OPTATEC trade show that we're going to next week. That should be mindless and unfulfilling. I did get to sit in on a meeting with the people who designed our booth, which was really interesting.

On Thursday, there was a happy hour for the interns, which was fun. When things started winding down, we got invited to go to a university party. I was ambivalent about going, because we live really far outside of Mainz, and the buses don't run late. Also, we have to get up really early for work and it's a long commute. However, I've been chafing all week because we're really cut off from people our age, because of our location. So Linda and I went, stayed out until almost four in the morning, and still managed to drag ourselves in to work the next morning. I was pretty useless on Friday morning, but my boss didn't seem to notice, and I rallied in the afternoon.

Still I was pretty tired, so when my friend Kiana called to tell me about the wine festival in Bodenheim, where her boyfriend's family lives, I almost backed out. Now I'm glad that I didn't because it was super fun. Unfortunately, my camera battery died after taking only one picture, so I don't have much documentation, but it was like a huge outdoor party. You buy these little glasses that have the name of the festival and the year printed on them and then you take that around to the different vendors and buy wine either by the glass or by the bottle at really cheap prices. We mostly bought bottles, because we were in a big group. Jochen's friends were all really impressed with my German, so I felt pretty good about that. One of Jochen's friends Basti got jumped by ten guys (no joke) as he was leaving and they kicked the living daylight out of him. He managed to get back to Jochen's house, where he promptly passed out in my designated sleeping area. When we returned an hour or so later, I had to sleep in a chair. Boo to that.

On the way home this morning, I took the wrong bus from the train station and ended up in Essenheim, which is one town over from Ober-Olm where I live. Linda and I tried to walk to Essenheim last week and wound up getting lost, but I knew this morning that I could walk back if I could just find the path. I made it home (success! Who says girls can't navigate?) and saw goats, horses, and a pheasant along the way. The pheasant was pretty cool. I plan on going back to the wine festival with Linda on Sunday to try to buy some bottles to bring back and enjoy it when it's not such a ridiculous party atmosphere. Also, Kiana and Jochen invited me to go watch the European soccer championship with them on Sunday night on the banks of the Rhein river. So I'm looking forward to that.