Karneval and Such

Weiberfastnach

Beuel Parade

Tuesday March 1:  Class was good again today; we are learning different noun and verb tenses like ich komme, Sie kommen, du schreibt, and so on, as well as going to square on pronouncing the alphabet. One thing that bothered me though is the word, entschuldigung, which means, sorry/exuse me....why do they have to make things so difficult...sorry is like one of my most frequent used words...it doesn’t even flow when you need to use it....

 Even though I have a train/bus pass, I much more prefer biking because I suppose no matter how unsure of where I’m going I can always stop and look at the map and scenery. Plus, learning transportation routes and stops are not my strong point and having to ask a bunch of questions.  After class, I decided to bike the Bad Godesberg route and to try another road and see what I could find without panicking and getting lost. Well I tried one road, and then I was astounded to find something deliciously familiar; The Haribo Candy Factory Shop, and that’s all it is; isles and isles of candy! So I chose a couple bags, which only amounted to a cheap 1.38 Euro! After that, I went back the way I came and parked the bike at Bad Godesberg square again, and strolled  around, stopping in such stores such as a gorgeous and rich fabric store. I found a nice looking antique store and went in and well didn’t come out for almost an hour. It’s amazing how addicting looking through records are, I just can’t stop because you’re worried you’re going to miss the good one, and I did find some, but you  cannot buy them all....:( The man was very nice and I know he gave them to me cheap. After making some dinner, I am going to re-watch the grooviest musical ever, Hair! since I was delighted  to find the vinyl soundtrack.

Wednesday March 2: School has been good. Since this is my first time actually being able to learn a 2^nd language, this is all new for me, so it is funny “relearning” verb tenses and the alphabet all over again. After class, I went and saw the potential room I would be renting at the school, then a few of my classmates took me to the other possible room in another place owned by an elderly woman. I have chosen this and will move in on Sunday. It will be 300 euro per month. After a break back, I decided to go for a bike ride again. In hopes of getting to the Endinich area, but only made it to the Poppledorf when I decided to turn back because I did not want it to get to late. (I know I was very close to a castle, so it was a bummer turning back.

Thursday March 3: Happy Weiberfastnacht! An important day for Karneval! Met early in the morning at the school, got face painted then walked altogether to the River Rhein to take a ferry to Beulel where we would watch the parade taking place. Oh, the many different costumes are so incredible! It is so neat just to see both the young and old dress up in costume and to get tonnes of candy just thrown at you! There were many marching bands, and all different sorts of costumes. The Karneval season actually begins in November but it is not really until the first two weeks of March, do the celebrations start such as today, where one tradition is where the women are able to cut off the ties of any man they see with one. Karneval itself though, is only really celebrated in the Western part of Germany, which consists of many parades, parties and entertainment for the Germans in their surrounding area. For me, it was more people watching with the other students from my school. After the parade had finished, myself and two other Korean friends walked back across the bridge back to Bonn and stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Then, walked to the Haupenhauf train station because they wanted to go back home. I came back to IFS with them, but realising home quick and easy it was to get back to Bonn I decided to go back myself, since it was such a nice day and it would be a waste of a day to go back to the apartment. So, not really sure where to go, I just stopped and waited in line to this one pub, where I befriended the man in front of me. (He was actually at a time, a German soldier, and had actually come to Canada for a bit at the time). This pub was very crowded and you could not move but it was amusing watching all the older German celebrate while listening to traditional German folk music. One other good thing was I never had to pay for any beer myself; they all bought it for me. Everyone was very warm and welcoming.

Friday March 4: School was good as usual. CJ, the girl my age was not here today because of some music practice in Aachen. After school and stopping at the apartment, I went for my daily bike ride, this time down this park area all along the  Rhein then circling back home. After looking at the paper trying to decide if I should find a place which was having a parade for Saturday, (which for all this feels like a wild goose chase for me as a foreigner since I do not know where to look), I watched this great movie  Charade  with Aubrey Hepburn. It was very good; witty, as her and others race to find this missing money of her late husband, who wanted by the CIA, as she threatened to be murdered like her husband, and so, can trust no one.