Tag Eins – Morgen (Day One – Morning)

Today for the first time I made my way to the bus stop to take the bus to the train station where our group was supposed to meet. The bus system is a bit different from the San Luis Obispo system. In San Luis Obispo, you have to swipe a bus pass or pay when you get on the bus. Here, so long as you have a bus pass, there is no need to actually show it. Instead, you merely get on and ride. However, if the authorities choose to check passes, then one had better have it with them…or face a fine (usually around 4 Euro dollars).

After arriving at the train station and gathering as a group, we headed over to the Centre for Near- and Middle-Eastern studies to take our proficiency test for placement into a class level. We were then shown the cafeteria and taught how to use our meal cards. Not much different here than at most United States university cafeterias.

After lunch, we were given a short amount of free time in which I went shopping for an electric water kettle. Easily found at a nice price of 13 Euro Dollars, the equivalent of a Best Buy (named “Tegut”) had a multitude of options for electric kettles. I wish I had that many selections when purchasing one in the U.S. I can now have hot tea whenever I like!

We just got our internet accounts set up for on-campus access, hence me being able to actually post this immediately after I finish writing it. Internet in my dorm room is forthcoming, so updates will be even more regular in the future.