Deutschen sind pünktlich.

"Germans are punctual." This was what Taras (one of my tandempartners) said to me after I was 20 minutes late. (only he said it in German.) This is one aspect of German culture that I definitely did not inherit. I am habitually late. I was that way in college, and I continue to be that way here. At work it's not really an issue, because I'm pretty much on my own, and I don't have to punch in. I blame the U-bahn. The frequency with which it runs depends on the time of day as well as the day of the week. The U8, which is the line closest to my Wohnung, is usually a 10 minute wait between trains once you get passed 7pm or something. And, it's about a 10 minute walk door-to-station. Well, 10 minute American pace, probably about 6 minutes German pace. Germans don't always walk fast, but they certainly do when they have someplace to go. When George was showing me around the lab at UBA I had to basically jog to keep up with him. So it's sort of like walking around with R. Adam. But then, if they're just going for a walk or something, which we do if it's warm enough after lunch (kind of like Mom and her friends, only it's just once around the block) they walk very casually (i.e. slowly). By that's besides the point. So, the first time I met Taras I was 20 minutes late, because Paul was actually home the same time I was (which rarely happens) and we were talking about something while cleaning the kitchen. Before I knew it, it was 8, which was when I was supposed to be there. I wasn't too worried because it was only like 5 minutes away on the U-bahn. However, I forgot to account for walking to the U-bahn and waiting for it and then finding him once I got there. Luckily he wasn't mad though. I have yet to feel the wrath of a German. I've witnessed it from afar a few times. There was a shouting match on the U-bahn once and there was almost a hobo fight. But Taras was very nice and just said that next time he would show up a half an hour after the time we actually agreed to meet.

The bajillion Tandempartners have settled down to really only about 4. A couple of them I met once and never again, and then there are some that just kept getting canceled so we just kind of gave up. Now I have two that I meet once a week for a causual drink and conversation and then two that are more along the lines of actually hanging out with a little more frequently (both of those are men, go figure). Some things never change I guess.

There's also a lady I work with who is from East Germany and therefore never learned English in school. She's taking a class now, but she's 57 and the class is only twice a week, so it's really hard for her. So she trys to talk to me in English a little bit each day. She is really interested in America and dreams of visiting some day. I guess the stigma of the American Dream hasn't been destroyed for everyone. But she asks me so many questions about Pennsylvania and the sizes of different towns and how many kilometers away things are. In these meetings, I have discovered that I know nothing about facts like that. I have no idea how many people live in York, PA, although, I must admit, I have on several occasions made up some numbers on the spot. So, depending on which German you ask, York, PA has anywhere from 10-80,000 inhabitants. One would think I'd be a bit more consistant. But where's the fun in that?

I really don't understand why America can't just switch to the metric system. It would make things much easier. I asked someone how tall he was, and he gave me some answer in the hundreds. When Eva, (the lady I work with) asked how cold it gets in the winter where I'm from, I just tried to remember the coldest temperature I've seen on the Hanover Foods marquee that we pass on the way to church since it also has Celcius. And cooking is interesting, since I brought cookbooks from home and anything I look up online uses the English system. Since Paul stocked the kitchen, we don't have measuring cups we have Liter measuring things. Don't let the fact that he's English fool you. They also use the metric system. I often times blame him for coming up with the English system and for killing the Native Americans. And he makes fun of me for "mispronouncing" words. We have a nice relationship.

Mittwoch 3.September

What I've learned about myself so far: I have a short attention span.

I guess I never realized it before, but it was very apparent during the fantacy football draft (which lasted three hours) and it's apparent now while I'm at work. My first day at work (Monday) was nice. It was slighty boring at times, but it was nice. I met with the head of the Labor für Wasser Analytik (Lab for water analysis) who was the same guy who interviewed me, but not my direct supervisor. He's my supervisor's supervisor. He's around my parents' age I would say and wears fitted, faded jeans, T-shirts, and closed-toed sandals. He's very hip looking. We spoke for a bit, and then he gave me a tour of the place, including (he comes the fun part) my office! I have an office all to myself with a computer (where I am typing this now actually) and my own phone (extention 5719). I'm not good with spacial relations, but I think it's bigger than my room or at least the same size. Both of which are bigger than any room I've lived in thus far in life. But it's nothing gigantic, I've just had some pretty small rooms.

After the grand tour, I went with my direct supervisor (George Sawal), who sort of looks like Uncle Mike, to a Vortrag über Arbeitssicherheit und Umfallschutz. (Seminar on work safety and accident prevention). It was me and a bunch of new Auszubildene (trainees) all of whom were in college. I'm a Praktikantin (intern) which is different. I'm sure you've all experienced the work saftey lectures when starting new jobs in the states. They are, in general, pretty boring. Let me tell you, when it's in another language, it makes it 10 times easier to not pay any attention.

After that there was an Einführung in die Aufgaben des UBA (introduction to the duties and responsibilities of the UBA). This was as thrilling as the first lecture. Then I had to sign some papers and get a few more office related things, after which I went to a neighboring lab to have a tour of that. It had nothing to do with my job, but I couldn't get started until Herr Sawal gave me the saftey speach about the specific labs I'd be working in, which he couldn't do until the next day. So I went with the college kids to the lab with the animals. It was the biological department with the animals the do research on. So we got to see all of the different types of flies, rats, and roaches. By this point, everyone knew I was american because we had all introduced ourselves, so everytime we got to the American coachroaches or lice or whatever it was, people would look at me.

And that was my first day of work. All in all, it was pretty painless. Yesterday, during my second day of work, I got introduced to the research I'll be doing. Herr Sawal explained the background to me, and then Anja, the girl I will physically be working with, handed me a gigantic stack of stuff to read. Everything is in English except for one (the one I'm working through now). All of this reading has taught me that I have a shorter attention span than I thought. On an exciting note, I got a lab coat and gloves and goggles yesterday on my lab saftey tour. I've never had a lab coat before. This is the real deal! I should get back to reading.